Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Project Plans on the Outcome of Construction Projects Procured by Design-Build (DB) in Nigeria

This study evaluates the influence of project plans on the outcome of design-build projects. The purpose is to ascertain whether the level of use of project plans can be utilised to improve the outcome of projects procured by the design-build method. To achieve this purpose, a field survey of 42 projects procured by the design-build method and selected by stratified random sampling was conducted. Data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaires and analysed using percentage, mean and the Spearman correlation test. The results of the study indicate that the level of use of project plans has significant influence on some parameters of the design-build projects' outcome. The results also indicate that the inception, design, tendering and construction plans are not prepared in many of the projects sampled. The study concludes that the level of use of project plans can be used to reduce the high time and cost overruns recorded in design-build projects and that there is room for stakeholders to increase the level of use of project plans in design-build projects. The study suggests that stakeholders should ensure that the required project plans are prepared when projects are procured by design-build.
Analysis of correlated mutations, stalk motifs, and phylogenetic relationship of the 2009 influenza A virus neuraminidase sequences

The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic has attracted worldwide attention. The new virus first emerged in Mexico in April, 2009 was identified as a unique combination of a triple-reassortant swine influenza A virus, composed of genetic information from pigs, humans, birds, and a Eurasian swine influenza virus. Several recent studies on the 2009 H1N1 virus utilized small datasets to conduct analysis. With new sequences available up to date, we were able to extend the previous research in three areas. The first was finding two networks of co-mutations that may potentially affect the current flu-drug binding sites on neuraminidase (NA), one of the two surface proteins of flu virus. The second was discovering a special stalk motif, which was dominant in the H5N1 strains in the past, in the 2009 H1N1 strains for the first time. Due to the high virulence of this motif, the second finding is significant in our current research on 2009 H1N1. The third was updating the phylogenetic analysis of current NA sequences of 2009 H1N1 and H5N1, which demonstrated that, in clear contrast to previous findings, the N1 sequences in 2009 are diverse enough to cover different major branches of the phylogenetic tree of those in previous years. As the novel influenza A H1N1 virus continues to spread globally, our results highlighted the importance of performing timely analysis on the 2009 H1N1 virus.
Teaching Species Identification--A Prerequisite for Learning Biodiversity and Understanding Ecology.

Animal and plant species identification is often emphasized as a basic prerequisite for an understanding of ecology and training identification skills seems a worthwhile task in biology education. Such identification tasks could be embedded into hands-on, groupbased and self-determined learning: a) Teaching and learning should make use of a small selection of species (6-8) and b) these species should be embedded into learning about their natural and life history; c) different materials could be used for identification, i.e. stuffed taxidermies, plastic models or pictures. However, pictures seem only a second choice; d) ideally, pupils use identification books or dichotomous keys for their identification task to foster their methodological skills and to promote lifelong learning by enabling them to make use of such books and keys; e) if the preference is on identification keys rather than on illustrated material, pupils should be trained previously to cope better with the extrinsic load put on them by the difficult material; f) outdoor field trips and excursions should be employed only after a proper preparation in the classroom.
Stress corrosion of Ni-based superalloys

Abstract The development of gas turbines to increase fuel efficiency is resulting in progressively higher operating temperatures in the under platform regions of the blades. These regions have traditionally been considered low risk areas. However, higher metal temperatures combined with stresses and the deposition of contaminants from the cooling air system may result in complex degradation mechanisms. Static stress corrosion testing has been conducted on C-ring specimens at a range of stresses in a hot corrosion environment. Cracks were observed in C-rings after exposure times greater than 100 h. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) systems were used to image cracks and characterise deposits to improve understanding of the mechanism. Finite element analysis (FEA) has been used to model the stress intensity under test conditions. CMSX-4 specimens subject to static stresses combined with hot corrosion demonstrated significant material degradation (crack initiation and propagation) suggesting a combined stress corrosion mechanism resulting in cracking.
Gearbox Fault Identification and Classification with Convolutional Neural Networks

Vibration signals of gearbox are sensitive to the existence of the fault. Based on vibration signals, this paper presents an implementation of deep learning algorithm convolutional neural network (CNN) used for fault identification and classification in gearboxes. Different combinations of condition patterns based on some basic fault conditions are considered. 20 test cases with different combinations of condition patterns are used, where each test case includes 12 combinations of different basic condition patterns. Vibration signals are preprocessed using statistical measures from the time domain signal such as standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis. In the frequency domain, the spectrum obtained with FFT is divided into multiple bands, and the root mean square (RMS) value is calculated for each one so the energy maintains its shape at the spectrum peaks. The achieved accuracy indicates that the proposed approach is highly reliable and applicable in fault diagnosis of industrial reciprocating machinery. Comparing with peer algorithms, the present method exhibits the best performance in the gearbox fault diagnosis.
Community forest use and dependence for livelihoods in Fako Division, South West Region of Cameroon

This study assessed the extent, patterns and socio-demographic determinants of community forest use and dependence for livelihood in three community forests areas in Fako Division, Cameroon. The data, collected principally through a questionnaire administered to 295 selected community members, was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science 20. The study found that most (61.3%) of the respondents directly use the community forest, principally for fuelwood collection (89.4%), NTFPs harvesting (41.3%), subsistence farming (40%) and timber exploitation (25.7%). Community forest use was significantly predicted by user’s location (p=0.039), gender (p=0.011), primary occupation (p=0.00), level of education (p=0.00), income level (p=0.023), origin (p=0.010) and membership in Community Forest Management Group (p=0.025). Furthermore, it was observed that most (53.1%) of the forest users depended on the forest for 61-100% of their household food, energy and material needs while the sales of forest resources accounted for 61-100% of the monthly income of 57.9% others. The study concluded that community forest resources make up a considerable portion of the livelihood portfolio of many forest-fringe households in the area and recommended among other things improvements in the current land tenure policy to enable local stakeholders to fully embrace participatory forestry and the training of forest users on value adding activities to enhance returns from the commercialization of forest products
Modeling Asymmetry in the Price-Volume Relation: Evidence from Nine Stock Markets

This paper investigates asymmetry in the price-volume relation. An autoregressive distributed lag approach along with a series of coefficient restrictions tests are employed to detect asymmetry in the price-volume relation in nine stock market indices in eight different countries. The results indicate the existence of asymmetric effect and that higher volume is associated more with price increase rather than with price decrease. Possible interpretations, implication and rec-ommendation are presented.
Porous Carbon Anodes for the Supply of Methane during Electrowinning of Aluminium

One of the major downsides of the current aluminium production process is the high amount of CO2 emission. One alternative is to replace the consumable carbon anodes with inert anodes so that oxygen evolves instead of CO2 and PFC emissions. However, so far a sufficiently inert anode has not been found. Another option is to utilize natural gas through porous anodes. This will decrease CO2 emission remarkably and also eliminate PFC emissions and anode effect. The porous anode could be made of carbon or it can be inert. However, the as-mentioned problem still exists regarding porous inert anodes. Therefore, at the moment porous carbon anodes seem to be the best practical option. In this study, porous anodes made of different grades of graphite were used for electrolysis experiments. Also, off-gas analysis was performed to get an insight of the ongoing reactions. Our results show that for some types of graphite anodes, methane participates effectively in the anodic reaction.
End of course grades and End of Course Tests in the virtual environment: A study of correlation

The purpose of this correlational study is to understand the relationship between end-ofcourse grades as assigned by teachers and standardized end-of-course scores earned by students in Algebra, Geometry, Biology, Physical Science, and U.S. History courses at one virtual charter school in the State of Georgia. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation analyses were performed to determine if there is a statistically significant relationship between the numerical score earned in a course and the score earned on the required End of Course Test (EOCT) for subject of study. Separate Pearson Product-Moment Correlation analyses were run for students in disability subgroups. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation analyses provide the researcher with a correlation coefficient, which allowed the researcher to determine the strength of the relationship. McNemar chi squared test on paired proportions were conducted to determine the association between pass rates (earning a 70% or higher) in the course and pass rates (earning a 70% or higher) on the required EOCTs. The results indicated that there is a significant positive correlation between passing a course and passing the mandatory End of Course Test. There was not a significant correlation for students with disabilities in the subjects of Ninth Grade Literature, Geometry and Physical Science. The results also indicated that there was a significant association between passing a course and passing the EOCTS for all subjects except Ninth-Grade Literature.
Analysis of Site Stand Impacts from Thinning with a Harvester-Forwarder System

The use of a harvester-forwarder system for commercial thinning operations in a Douglas-fir plantation had little detrimental impact on the residual stand. Less than five percent of the sample trees in the residual stand exhibited damage from the thinning operation. Trails occupied less than 20 percent of the harvested area with significant portions of the developed trail, over 13 percent of the harvested area, in lightly disturbed harvester trails. Trail spacing was consistent and averaged 26 metres between trails for the area studied. Changes in bulk density were greater for harvester trails, increasing an average of 25 percent in the first 10 centimetres of soil depth. Bulk densities on forwarder trails averaged 20 percent greater than measurements on adjacent control sites for the first 10 centimetres of soil depth. These bulk density values, when compared against magnitudes from the literature, suggest that little site damage was caused by thinning operations with this system.
What Are the Chances? fMRI Correlates of Observing High and Low-Probability Actions

Cognitive scientists often use probabilistic equations to model human behavior in ambiguous situations. How, where, and even if such probabilities are represented in the human brain remains largely unknown. Here, we manipulated the probability of simple bottle-pouring action based on two considerations, the relative fullness of two glasses and the relative distance between the two glasses and the bottle. Whole brain functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure brain activity while participants viewed probable and improbable pouring actions. Improbable actions elicited increased activity in the theory of mind (ToM) network, commonly found active when trying to grasp the intentions of others, whereas probable actions elicited increased activity in the human mirror neuron system (hMNS) and areas associated with mental imagery and memory. These data provide novel insight into the brain mechanisms humans use to distinguish between high and low-probability actions.
The Effects of Group Sandplay Therapy on Peer Attachment, Impulsiveness,and Social Anxiety of Adolescents Addicted to Smart Phones

This study examined whether group sandplay therapy was effective in improving adolescents’ peer attachment and decreasing their impulsiveness and social anxiety. The study had a pretest-posttest control group design and both the experimental group and the control group were composed of sixteen students from A Middle School. The experimental group was comprised of four subgroups with four members each who received group sandplay therapy once per week for 90 minutes per session. The results of this study showed that group sandplay therapy was effective in improving the peer attachment of adolescents addicted to smart phones and decreasing their Impulsivity and social anxiety. Therefore, it has potential as a therapeutic program for adolescents.
Knowledge attitude and behaviour towards dietary salt intake among Bangladeshi medical and nonmedical undergraduate students

Background: High dietary salt is intertwined with high blood pressure and can lead to cardiovascular diseases. Bangladeshi population is habituated with high salt intake including added salt use during meal which is also noticeable among doctors and faculties. Again, there was no any information among Bangladeshi medical and nonmedical students addressing this issue. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and behavior about dietary salt among Bangladeshi medical and nonmedical undergraduate students as well as also to compare findings. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted among 280 medical and nonmedical undergraduate students in Dhaka city with equal number of students from each group. Medical students were from MBBS and physiotherapy background, whereas nonmedical students were from business, law, engineering and pharmacy background recruited by purposive sampling technique for institutions and respondents both. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire developed with the help of WHO Modified Salt Module of STEPS Questionnaire. Data were managed accordingly and analyzed by SPSS-21 in terms of both descriptive and comparative statistics. All of the ethical issues were maintained accordingly prior to collection of data from each respondents. Results: Men dominated in both groups (medical, 59.3% and nonmedical, 64.3%) and the mean age of the respondents was 22.0±2.0 and 21.8±1.9 years in medical and nonmedical group respectively. Medical students possessed more knowledge and showed more positive attitude towards dietary salt intake than the nonmedical students. There were significant differences between the groups regarding the perception on health effect of salt (p, 0.005) and importance of lowering salt (p, 0.040). Nonmedical students were significantly more habituated in practicing added salt (p, 0.001) and high salt contained processed food (p, 0.012) than the counterpart. Conclusion: Medical students had better knowledge, attitude and less practicing habit towards dietary salt. Yet, health education program is needed for both groups especially for the nonmedical group regarding to encourage less dietary salt practice.
Cytogenetic study of two species of the family Pimelodidae (Siluriformes) collected in lago Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

A cytogenetic study was conducted on specimens of Parapimelodus nigribarbis and Pimelodus maculatus collected in the lago Guaiba drainage, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The two species had a diploid number of 56 chromosomes, with P. nigribarbis showing a karyotype of 20m + 20sm + 4st + 12a with FN of 100, and P. maculatus showing a karyotype of 24m + 20sm + 6st + 6a with FN of 106. NORs were demonstrated in both species in only one pair of subtelocentric chromosomes, in the terminal region of the long arm, which was coincident with C- banding and CMA 3 staining, while DAPI staining was negative in these regions. Parapimelodus nigribarbis had a greater number of heterochromatic bands than did P. maculatus, which were distributed mainly in the terminal regions, where the latter species showed an interstitial band on the short arm of the first metacentric pair. C-banding plus CMA 3 demonstrated heterochromatin that was associated with GC-rich NORs in both P. nigribarbis and P. maculatus, although other fluorescent regions were also observed in the former species. With C-banding plus DAPI, various chromosomal regions were stained in the two species, along with interstitial staining in P. maculatus, indicating that heterochromatin contained a greater quantity of AT-rich regions. Exemplares de Parapimelodus nigribarbis e Pimelodus maculatus coletados na bacia do rio Guaiba, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, foram analisados citogeneticamente. As duas especies apresentaram um numero diploide de 56 cromossomos, com P. nigribarbis mostrando um cariotipo de 20m + 20sm + 4st + 12a, NF igual a 100; e P. maculatus com 24m + 20sm + 6st + 6a e NF igual 106. As NORs foram evidenciadas em apenas um par de cromossomos subtelocentricos, na regiao terminal do braco longo, nas duas especies estudadas, sendo coincidentes com a banda C e CMA 3 ; o DAPI nestas regioes se mostrou negativo. Parapimelodus nigribarbis apresentou um maior numero de bandas heterocromaticas do que P. maculatus, distribuidas principalmente em regioes terminais, sendo observada nesta ultima especie uma banda intersticial no braco curto do primeiro par metacentrico. Banda C + CMA 3 evidenciou em P. nigribarbis e P. maculatus a heterocromatina associada a NOR rica em GC, sendo encontrada na primeira especie outras regioes fluorescentes. Com banda C + DAPI varias regioes cromossomicas foram observadas nas duas especies, inclusive a porcao intersticial encontrada em P. maculatus, revelando que a heterocromatina possui uma maior quantidade de regioes AT ricas em sua composicao.
Yield Responses of Black Spruce to Forest Vegetation Management Treatments: Initial Responses and Rotational Projections

The objectives of this study were to (1) quantitatively summarize the early yield responses of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) to forest vegetation management (FVM) treatments through a meta-analytical review of the scientific literature, and (2) given (1), estimate the rotational consequences of these responses through model simulation. Based on a fixed-effects meta-analytic approach using 44 treated-control yield pairs derived from 12 experiments situated throughout the Great Lakes—St. Lawrence and Canadian Boreal Forest Regions, the resultant mean effect size (response ratio) and associated 95% confidence interval for basal diameter, total height, stem volume, and survival responses, were respectively: 54.7% (95% confidence limits (lower/upper): 34.8/77.6), 27.3% (15.7/40.0), 198.7% (70.3/423.5), and 2.9% (−5.5/11.8). The results also indicated that early and repeated treatments will yield the largest gains in terms of mean tree size and survival. Rotational simulations indicated that FVM treatments resulted in gains in stand-level operability (e.g., reductions of 9 and 5 yr for plantations established on poor-medium and good-excellent site qualities, resp.). The challenge of maintaining coniferous forest cover on recently disturbed sites, attaining statutory-defined free-to-grow status, and ensuring long-term productivity, suggest that FVM will continue to be an essential silvicultural treatment option when managing black spruce plantations.
Environmental factors affecting the early life history of bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli in Great South Bay, New York

For bay anchovy Anchoa m~tchilli, 3 life-history parameters were studied in Great South Bay during late spring and summer of 1987 and 1988: intensity of spawning, larval growth rates, and egg and larval mortality rates. Duratlon of peak spawning season was h ~ g h l y correlated (p < 0.01) with larval food abundance in the fleld (copepod nauplli + copepodite and adult cyclopolds + copepodlte calanoids), but not correlated with sallnlty or temperature Cohort mortality rates determined throughout the spawning season were lower in the middle of the peak spawning season (when food availability was maximum) and higher at the beglnlng and end of the spawning season Since the duratlon of the high mlcrozooplankton abundance is so short (4 to 5 wk) and because of the hlgh energy requirements of young bay anchovy, ~t is proposed that adult bay anchovy spalvn dunng the season of inaxlmum food availabil~ty thus enhanc~ng offspr~ng survival When the effects of the type of habitat were analyzed on a local scale, no difference was found between eelgrass and unvegetated areas In. (1) egg or larval density, (2) larval growth rates, (3) egg and yolk sac larvae mortalltles Mortality rates of older larvae (> 3 d old), however, were higher In eelgrass beds than in unvegetated areas. Slnce ~nlcrozooplankton abundances were not different among stations, Increased mortality rates in the vegetated areas seem to result from higher levels of predation This suggests that the hypothesis that vegetated areas are used as preferential zones for spawning and nursing may not be aplicable to bay anchovy When the 3 population parameters studled are considered on a latitudinal basis, it was found that (1) duration of spawning season In Great South Bay is among the shortest reported in the literature, and decreased with increasing latitude; (2) average mortality rates were similar to those reported for populations located at other areas; (3) average larval growth rates tended to be higher in Great South Bay in spite of the lower temperatures during the spawning season. Possible interrelationships among these trends in life-history traits are discussed, and future lines of research on population differentiation are proposed