Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INVESTIGATING PERFORMANCE OF BONDED CONCRETE OVERLAYS

A abonded concrete overlay (BCO) is a concrete pavement rehabilitation method used to extend the life of an existing concrete pavement. The BCO should bond fully with the existing concrete, leading to a thicker composite pavement section, a much stiffer pavement, and a considerable decrease in pavement stresses. For one project, cost estimates for a BCO were half as much as for full-depth replacement of a pavement. In some cases BCOs have delaminated shortly after construction. This paper proposes a framework for identifying the causes of early age delamination in BCOs. The early age behavior of newly constructed BCOs is examined. The factors affecting the long-term performance of the BCO are the quality of the surface preparation, the materials used in the BCO, and the curing of the BCO. Weather monitoring during BCO construction is recommended. Methods of detecting and mapping delaminations are discussed. Several BCO delamination case studies are analyzed using this framework. The model is useful not only for investigating BCO performance but also for understanding and preparing BCO construction specifications.
Regulatory competition and federalism in Switzerland: Diffusion by horizontal and vertical interaction

The impact of regulatory competition on policy outcomes and particularly on policy innova-tion is widely debated among scientists from different fields as well as among policymakers. In this paper, Swiss cantonal regulation is studied in order to gain further insights into the policy impact of regulatory competition and harmonization. Starting from a theoretical per-spective that particularly emphasizes the beneficial impact of inter-jurisdictional competition on policy innovations, and a discussion of the existing empirical evidence on regulatory com-petition, the development of the common market, regulatory competition and harmonization in Switzerland across time is analyzed. In an econometric analysis of the extent of regulation at the Swiss cantonal level, some indicative empirical evidence on the main determinants of Swiss cantonal regulation is derived.
Knowledge and Determinants of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Adults in Hohoe Municipality, Ghana

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a person consumes at least 400g of Fruit and Vegetable (FV) daily to prevent chronic disease risk. We assessed knowledge of current WHO guidelines and other determinants of FV intake among adults (? 18 years, n = 397) in Hohoe Municipality, Ghana. Face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire adopted from WHO Risk Factor Surveillance System were undertaken. Knowledge of FV daily servings and determinants of intake were evaluated by descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. There was a 99.2% response rate with approximately 9 % of participants correctly stating the WHO daily recommended amount (P = . 296 ) . Most (54%) of respondents’ FV intake was affected by unavailability of desired choice ( P = .050) . Odds of inadequate consumption for persons aware of adequate intake amount was 1.97 (95% CI: 0.64, 6.05, P = .234) higher than persons without awareness. Participants with problems accessing their desired choice of FV had 0.59 odds (95% CI: 0.36, 0.95, P = .030) of consuming inadequate amount compared to those with easy access. Adequate FV intake depends on availability of consumer prefered choice regardless of knowledge of recommendations. Individual home based FV cultivation is relevant for availability of preferred choice and adequate consumption for NCDs risk reductions among Ghanaians.
A Smart Control System of Home Appliances using SMS

This paper is about the development and implementation of a GSM based password protected control system for electrical home appliances that enables to control remotely. GSM module is used for receiving short message service (SMS) from user’s mobile phone that automatically enable the controller to take any further action such as to switch ON or OFF the home appliances such as lights, airconditioners, fans, water pumps, door locks, TVs etc. Hardware of the system has been developed using an Arduino Uno board, a GSM modules, some switching relays and some other easily available electronic components. The driving software has been made using the Arduino IDE. The system is activated when only the user sends the SMS to the controller at home with the exact password. Upon receiving the SMS command, the microcontroller unit will decode the received SMS automatically and controls the electrical home appliances by switching ON or OFF the device according to the user direction. The ON and OFF of the appliances has been controlled by relays and the Arduino board. In addition to the controlling of the common home appliances, a smart water pump control has also been developed. The prototype has been successfully developed and its performance has been studied. It works perfectly and it could provide an effective means of remote controlling and efficient use of energy resource.
Child Health and Schooling Achievement in Bangladesh Structured

Design/methodology/approach: The data set used in this study comes from a survey titled “Micronutrient and Gender Study (MNGS) in Bangladesh”. The survey was administered by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). We control for the potential endogeneity of child health by an instrumental variables approach. Our results indicate that the impact of child health on school achievement will be overestimated if endogeneity of child health is ignored.
ECONOMIC DETERMINISTIC ANALYSIS OF TWO YEARS OLD STEERS PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

The objective of this study was to realize the economic deterministic analysis of steers production system in full cycle, finished in feedlot or cultivated pasture at twenty-four months old, utilizing or not the quality bonus from slaughterhouses. The study was realized using data from meta-analytic survey of studies in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The systems were simulated considering the male and female calves weaned early, at the tree months of age, and finished at the 24 months of age in feedlot or cultivated pasture. After the slaughter, it was realized the economic deterministic analysis. According to financial return indicators net present value (NPV), benefit:cost index (IB:C) and additional return on investment (ROI) only the system in pasture show return at the end of planning horizon, and the internal return rate (IRR), modified internal return rate (MIRR) and discounted payback (PBd), show that this system possesses a higher risk of investment. The feedlot system show negative results as a investment project. The bigger cost center was depreciation, feeding supply and taxes, and the quality bonus shows up an interesting alternative of return, but was not sufficient to render the feedlot system a viable project.
Cross-training for front-line employees in hotel industry. Case study: Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre

Date Author(s) My (Mandy) Nguyen Degree programme Hospitality, Tourism and Experience Management Report/thesis title Cross-training for front-line employees in hotel industry. Case study: Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre. Number of pages and appendix pages Training is widely recognized as one of the core management concerns in hotel industry. Researchers have proved the importance of training in service quality, work productivity, and employee’s career development. New training methods are continuously designed to adapt to the ever-changing environment in hospitality industry. One of the methods is called crosstraining, in which employees are trained to work in more than one department. The aim of the thesis is to research the advantages and challenges of this training for frontline employees in hotel industry. The thesis is conducted in a research-based type with the use of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The thesis commissioner is Holiday Inn Helsinki Centre hotel (HIHCC) located in Helsinki, Finland. A set of preliminary suggestions for a cross-training program in HIHCC is presented in the thesis. It serves as a reference for further development for managers of the hotel. In literature, cross-training is shown to be highly beneficial in hotel industry because it is an effective solution to seasonality, demand variability, and labor shortage. It increases share knowledge and transparency in all departments, which subsequently leads to better service quality and productivity. Multi-skilled employees who have received cross-training are considered great assets to service organizations. On the other hand, cross-training is not for every employee because some people prefer to work sorely in their fields of expertise and it is costly to cross-train all staffs. Therefore the question of how many employees and who are chosen to cross-train should be revised carefully by hotel managers. In order to collect opinions on a cross-training program, the thesis writer interviewed the management board of HIHCC including General Manager, Duty Manager and Managers of Front office, Food and Beverage (F&B) and Housekeeping department. For employees, questionnaires were created and distributed. The results revealed the necessity in HIHCC to organize a cross-training for Reception staff at the Lobby bar and for F&B employees at Meeting and conference. Managers at HIHCC acknowledged the importance of multi-skilled employees and they are willing to develop a cross-department working environment. Cross-training is more preferred in Front office and F&B department; and not all employees chose to work at other departments. A simple cost calculation is also set up to demonstrate the possible financial effect of crosstraining in employee’s hourly cost in HIHCC. The thesis is conducted based on personal experience, books, published articles, reports and academic journals.
Geological Models, Rock Properties, and the 3D Inversion of Geophysical Data

Integration of multiple exploration data sets is widely acknowledged to add value to the targeting process, yet is still seldom done rigorously. Geological and geophysical data can be quantitatively reconciled only through their common representation as physical property models. 3D geological models attributed with physical properties may be constr ucted from primary geological data. Geophysical data are transformed to physical property models through inversion. Inversion methods are also able to perturb prior physical property models, under a variety of constraints, such that the updated model is consistent with both the geophysical data and the given constraints. If the initial physical property model, and the inversion constraints, arise from a geological interpretation, then the geophysical inversion directly and quantitatively adds value to the g eological model by forcing its consistency with the geophysical data. The result is a quantitatively integrated exploration model supported by multiple data sets, more certainty in interpretation of exploration data and, consequently, higher quality drill targets. Application of these principles has proven to add value and has been credited with ore discovery. Success in adding value to geological models using the methods of geophysical inversion relies on several technologies working together. These are the technologies of the geological modelling itself, the physical property attribution methods, and constrained inversion. Constraints passed from the geological model to the inversion may take many forms, such as drillhole marker constraints, physical property bounds or multi-variate distributions, direct lithology constraints, or topological constraints. The implementation of each of these technology components into a practical, working system is described.
Change in Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of ARB Processed Ti during Annealing

Ultrafine grained commercial purity titanium (CP-Ti) was fabricated by accumulative roll-bonding (ARB) process up to 6 cycles at ambient temperature. The microstructure was composed of the equiaxed grain structure having a mean grain size of 90 nm and the lamellar boundary structure having a mean lamellar spacing of 70 nm. The specimen ARB processed by 6 cycles were subsequently annealed at various temperatures for 1.8 ks. After annealing at 400 � C, the ARB specimen showed the partially recrystallized microstructure composed of recrystallized grains with grain size of approximately 0.5 mm and the recovered ultrafine structure. After annealing at 500 � C, the microstructure was filled with the equiaxed recrystallized grains having a mean grain size of approximately 2 mm. The mechanical properties of the ARB processed and subsequently annealed specimens were investigated by tensile test. The tensile strength decreased and the total elongation increased continuously with increasing the annealing temperature. It was found that the tensile strength decreased linearly with increasing the total elongation in a strength-ductility balance plot, which was significantly different from the cases of Al and the interstitial free (IF) steel where the strength-elongation balance showed a trade-off relationship. The result indicates that ultrafine grained Ti has an excellent strength-ductility balance compared with Al and IF steel. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.ME200710]
Species composition and temporal activity of Arctiinae (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in two cerrado vegetation types

Arctiinae moths include nearly 11,000 species worldwide, of which approximately 700 species occur in the Brazilian Cerrado. The aim of this study was to describe the species composition of Arctiinae, as well as the variation in annual and nightly moth activity, in two Cerrado vegetation types. We sampled moths one night per month from September 2008 to June 2009, in the gallery forest and in the cerrado sensu stricto in the Jardim Botânico de Brasilia. We collected 395 tiger moths belonging to 65 morphospecies; 74% of the species belonged to the tribe Arctiini and 26% to Lithosiini. Thirty-one species (47.7%) occurred only in the gallery forest, 13 (20%) occurred only in the cerrado sensu stricto, and 21 (32.3%) occurred in both vegetation types. Additionally, we found the greatest species richness between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. , and these hours were associated with 21 and 22 species, respectively. Most species (51.8%) were active for up to three hours during the night. In general, the species composition differed between the dry and rainy seasons, and the similarity of the fauna also varied hourly. Based on our results, we suggest that rapid inventories of Arctiinae be performed in both rainy and dry seasons, and sampling should be carried out the entire night.
The influence of environmental variables on spatial and temporal phytoplankton dissimilarity in a large shallow subtropical lake (Lake Mangueira, southern Brazil)

AIM: The uneven distribution of organisms in aquatic ecosystems is generally attributed to environmental heterogeneity in both space and time, reflecting the occurrence of appropriate environmental conditions and the availability of resources to biological communities. The aim of this study was to understand how the dissimilarity of the phytoplankton community in a large subtropical shallow lake is related to environmental dissimilarities. METHODS: Biotic and environmental data were gathered at 19 sites along the 90-km length of Lake Mangueira. Sampling was carried out quarterly during 2010 and 2011, totaling 152 sampling units. The relationship between phytoplankton dissimilarity and the dissimilarity of environmental variables was assessed by the BioEnv analysis. MAJOR RESULTS: There is a significant relationship between phytoplankton dissimilarity and environmental dissimilarity. The model that best explained the dissimilarity of phytoplankton among the sampling units included pH, turbidity and nitrate. CONCLUSIONS: The dissimilarity of phytoplankton was related to the dissimilarity, which were directly associated to the variability of conditions and resources in space and time in Lake Mangueira.
Fertilization effects on the chemical composition and In vitro organic matter digestibility of semi-natural meadows as predicted by NIR spectrometry.

Management of livestock grazing in highly-productive mountain meadows is an important aspect for the economic viability and the environmental impact of a grassland-based farm. The main aim of this study was to build near infrared models to determine the chemical composition and in vitro organic matter digestibility of Romanian meadow forages. The treatments were organic and mineral fertilizer combinations, and forage samples were obtained from three fertilization experiments conducted in the Apuseni Mountains; these samples were analysed using classical and NIR methods. The samples were scanned in the NIR wavelength band. The CRA-W Gembloux ‘local’ calibration models were validated with Romanian meadow forages and then used in order to predict the forage quality of samples. A second objective of the study was to determine the effects of fertilization on forage quality. The results showed a decrease in crude protein content from the NPK treatment (150:75:75), which can be explained by a reduction of Fabaceae plants with this treatment from 17.25% of the populations in the control (semi-natural meadow not fertilized) to 6.25% in the fertilized plots. The decrease in protein content and in vitro organic matter digestibility was related to a reduced Fabaceae presence. Our recommendation is to use mineral fertilization with NPK doses less than 100:50:50 to improve meadow productivity; meanwhile organic fertilization can also be used to complement and maintain biodiversity and forage quality.
Herbal Treatment of Oligomenorrhea with Sesamum indicum L.: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Oligomenorrhea (defined as infrequent menstrual flow at intervals of 36 days to 6 months or 5–7 cycles in a year) is mostly managed with hormone therapy; however, there is an increasing demand for alternative medicine treatments in this field. This study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of Sesamum indicum L. in inducing menstrual bleeding in women with oligomenorrhea. Materials and Methods: A single-blind clinical trial was performed on 56 cases of oligomenorrhea, admitted to Beheshti hospital clinic. Patients randomly received treatment for a week either in the sesame or progesterone group and then were followed for 8 weeks. Menstrual bleeding occurrence, waiting period, volume of blood flow, severity of pain, uterus temperament, menstruation in the next episode and side effects were assessed by interview. Results: Twenty-seven patients (mean age 29.42 ± 8.99 years) and 29 patients (mean age 26.63±5.63 years) were enrolled in the sesame and progesterone groups, respectively. Seventy and two percent and 93.10% of the patients in the sesame and progesterone groups experienced menstrual bleeding (P=0.012) on an average of 10.38 and 11.88 days (P>0.05) respectively. Volume of blood flow and severity of pain were not increased in both groups. Fifty percent and 6% of the patients in the sesame and progesterone groups experienced on-time menstruation in the next (drug-free) episode of menstruation, respectively (P= 0.016). Conclusion: Although the rate of bleeding following sesame consumption was lower than progesterone-treated group, it seems that the response rate is high enough to suggest more assessments in the future; moreover, in the sesame group, the rate of menstruation in the next drug-free episode was significantly higher than the progesterone group. Therefore, sesame, as a well-tolerated, partially effective choice in inducing and maintaining regular bleeding, could be considered in the patients who are not suitable candidates for hormone therapy. [GMJ.2016;5(3):114-121]
Changes in microbiological attributes of a red latosol under different cropping systems

The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in microbiological attributes of soils under different growing systems. Three cropping systems were evaluated (1) no-tillage system (NTS); (2) conventional tillage system (CTS); and (3) newly scarified no-tillage system (SNTS). The three systems were maintained for 20 years. In addition, a primary forest (PF) fragment was used as a reference. Soil samples were collected at depths of 0.0-0.1 m, 0.1-0.2 m, and 0.2-0.3 m. The following variables were measured: microbial biomass carbon (MBC); soil respirometry (RESP) using the fumigation and incubation method; microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) using fumigation and extraction; metabolic quotient (qCO2) using the RESP-MBC ratio; and number of spores (NS) of mycorrhizal fungi by plate counting of spores extracted from the soil by wet sieving. Treatments were arranged in a completely randomized block design with five replicates. The different management systems affected the soil microbiota, especially in the superficial layer of 0.0-0.1 m. At a depth of 0.0-0.2 m, the PF presented significantly higher values for all analyzed attributes, except for NS. There were no significant differences in the studied characteristics between the NTS and SNTS at the three depths, indicating that scarification performed only once in the NTS was not sufficient to produce changes in soil microbiological attributes. However, the adoption of the CTS for 20 years promoted a decrease in MBC and MBN. RESP and NS were not significantly different between the cropping systems. Principal component analysis indicated a significant difference in microbiological characteristics between the PF and the areas under management. Therefore, different growing systems change the soil microbiota, and the lower the degree of tilling (NTS and SNTS), the smaller the changes in soil microbiological attributes. Soil preparation practices used in conventional tilling negatively affect soil microbial biomass, decreasing the levels of MBC and MBN.
The relationship between psychological empowerment and psychological strain among clinical nurses in educational hospitals

مقدمه: تنشهای روانی جزء اجتناب ناپذیری از حرفه پرستاری بوده که میتواند پیامدهای مهمی را همانند نارضایتی پرســتاران و افت کیفیت مراقبت بهدنبال داشــته باشند. در این میان توانمندی روانشناختی پرستاران از طریق افزایش کارایی، انگیزه شغلی و بروز رفتارهای خالقانه در آنها خواهد توانست نقش مهمی در کاهش تنشهای روانی آنها در محیطهای درمانی داشته باشد. هدف: مطالعه حاضر با هدف تعیین ارتباط بین توانمندی روان شناختی و تنشهای روانی در پرستاران بیمارستانهای آموزشی شهرکرد انجام شده است. مــواد و روشها: مطالعه حاضر پژوهش توصیفی- تحلیلی بوده که بر روی 200 نفر از پرســتاران بیمارستانهای آیت الله کاشانی و هاجر شهرکرد در بهمن ماه )1392 )انجام شده است. پرستاران به روش نمونهگیری سهمیهای انتخاب شدند. دادهها با استفاده از پرسشنامههای توانمندی روان شناختی اسپریتزر )1995 ,Spreitzer )و تنش روانی اوسیپو )2001,Osipow )که دارای پایایی محاسبه شده به روش آلفای کرونباخ )90/0 )بودند؛ جمعآوری و توســط نرم افــزار Spss16 و آزمونهای آماری توصیفی و تحلیلی)تی تست، آنالیز واریانس و ضریب همبستگی پیرسون( مورد تجزیه و تحلیل قرار گرفتند. یافتهها: نتایج حاکی از آن اســت که فقط بعد »معنــیداری کار« از میان ابعاد مختلف توانمندی روان شناختی با تنش روانی رابطهی معنیداری داشته است)05/0>P . )میانگین نمرهی توانمندی روان شــناختی و تنش روانی در پرستاران نیز در حد متوسط به باالبوده است. نتیجهگیری: با توجه به اهمیت بعد »معنیداری کار« از میان ابعاد مختلف توانمندی روان شــناختی میتوان گفت که ارتقاء احساس ارزشمند بودن در پرستاران و همچنین در نظر گرفتن راهکارهایی برای افزایش این احساس میتواند در کاهش تنش های شغلی در آنان و اثر بخشی بیشتر آنان در سیستمهای بهداشتی نقش مهمی داشته باشد.
Periodic Bouncing Solutions for Nonlinear Impact Oscillators

Abstract We prove the existence of a periodic solution to a nonlinear impact oscillator, whose restoring force has an asymptotically linear behavior. To this aim, after regularizing the problem, we use phase-plane analysis, and apply the Poincaré-Bohl fixed point Theorem to the associated Poincaré map, so to find a periodic solution of the regularized problem. Passing to the limit, we eventually find the “bouncing solution” we are looking for.