Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Power optimisation of a point absorber wave energy converter by means of linear model predictive control

This study presents a model predictive control (MPC) scheme for a wave energy converter (WEC); in particular, for a buoy-type point absorber. The WEC is a two-body system which is taut-moored to the sea floor with three cables. Much research has been done recently to achieve optimal operation of WECs. The goal is to maximise the power conversion without violating system limits. In practice, there are physical constraints on position, velocity and the power take-off (PTO) force. MPC is a promising and beneficial approach to achieve this goal. It poses a control formulation including constraints in a natural way. Furthermore, MPC can exploit predictions for the sea motion a standard MPC approach always needs a reference trajectory. For one-body point absorber, an optimal velocity trajectory can be calculated. However, an optimal trajectory is not easily available for the two-body case. The proposed formulation in the presented work does not require an optimal trajectory. For this reason it is possible to apply this MPC scheme to a two-body model as well. This work demonstrates that the proposed control algorithm optimises the power extraction without violating the system constraints. Finally, the performance of MPC is compared to linear passive load control through simulation.
Assessing Environmental Educational Needs of Urban Co-councils of Tehran, Iran

Enhancing environmental perception, awareness and knowledge through education cause to environmentally- friendly behavior. For this reason, assessment of need as a part of educational process is critical for improving urban environmental planning. Therefore, an educational need assessment of cocouncils who are local community representatives is vital towards a sustainable urban management. In this way, the purpose of this descriptive research study was to provide information on the knowledge of the environmental concepts and dimensions, environmental tools and environmental management methods by co-councils in Tehran. Results showed that although they have an average knowledge about the structure and functions of environment, they did not have qualified level of capabilities on understanding how to use some environmental tools e.g. social impact assessment and environmental auditing. Finally, results revealed that the majority of respondents preferred and perceived events, television and publications as important sources of the environmental knowledge.
Canadian academics’ use of predatory journals

Introduction Predatory journals have been acknowledged as an increasing concern in the scholarly literature over the last decade, but research on the subject has been sparse. Research that has focused on predatory journals in the Canadian context has been even rarer, and limited to work focused on a single university. This study explores publishing trends in predatory journals by authors affiliated with Canadian universities. Methods Articles published by authors at 30 Canadian universities, including all universities in the U15, were pulled from select predatory journals. Key data including author affiliation, article type, discipline, and grant information were extracted from the articles. Results All universities in the study were found to have publications in predatory journals. The health sciences accounted for 72% of the publications, and the sciences for 20%. Research articles accounted for 50% of the articles. Opinion, editorial, or commentary pieces accounted for 24% and 19% were review articles. Grant funding was indicated in 34% of the articles, with NSERC and CIHR being top funders. The research-intensive U15 universities were found to publish more in predatory journals than their non-U15 compatriots, even when the universities were of similar size. Discussion Canadian scholars were found to publish in predatory journals, particularly those scholars from the health sciences and research-intensive U15 universities. Grant funding was common, and often came from high profile funders like NSERC and CIHR. This study suggests that policy and education initiatives may be warranted in Canadian contexts, especially in the health sciences and at research-intensive universities.
Protective Effects of Myricitrin and Vitamin E on Nephropathy of Aging Mice Model Induced By D-Galactose

Aim: Aging occurs in cells and tissues due to oxidative stress in physiological conditions. D-galactose (DG) is widely used to cause aging in animal studies. In this study, the renal protective effects of myricitrin and vitamin E in the aging mice model induced by DG was evaluated. Material and Methods: Subcutaneous DG injection was used for induction of the aging model. 72 female mice were randomly divided into six groups: All groups were received DG at 500 mg/kg/d for six weeks. In the last 28 days, the groups treated with myricitrin subcutaneously received 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/d, and the vitamin E group received 100 mg/kg/d by gavage. Urine and plasma albumin, BUN, creatinine levels, MDA, TAC, and kidney histological changes were evaluated. Results: Plasma albumin was significantly decreased (p=0.001), but a significant increase in urine albumin (p=0.001), BUN (p<0.001), and creatinine (p=0.010) levels was observed in the DG group when compared with the control. Also, a significant increase in MDA levels (p=0.002) along with a significant decrease in TAC (p=0.012) was observed. Histopathological changes such as congestion of erythrocytes (p<0.001), infiltration of inflammatory cells (p<0.001), and proximal tubule cell damage (p=0.004) significantly increased, while glomerulus diameter significantly decreased (p=0.038) in comparison to the control. Administration of myricitrin and vitamin E showed a significant ameliorative effect on all studied variables. Conclusion: The improvement effects of myricitrin on DG-induced kidney damage was approximately equivalent to vitamin E. Myricitrin and vitamin E could have beneficial effects on the nephropathy of aging model.
Kittens That Nurse 7 Weeks or Longer Are Less Likely to Become Overweight Adult Cats

Simple Summary Most pet cats are separated from the queen during the suckling period and before they are fully weaned. Weaning is characterized by rapid growth and development of the kitten and marks the transition from a fully milk-based diet to a solid-food diet. Early-life feeding is known to influence the development of the digestion system, eating behavior, and dietary patterns. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the suckling period length (SPL) on adult weight status and whether a deficiency during a critical period of development—as a short SPL can be considered - may influence body weight regulation, control of appetite and energy expenditure. Our findings show that a shorter SPL increases the risk of overweight in cats. The odds for overweight was three times lower in cats with a SPL > 6 weeks (OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.10–0.99). The suckling period length (SPL) could be an easy modifiable risk factor in the primary prevention of overweight in cats. Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the suckling period length (SPL) on weight status among adult cats while taking into account putative risk factors. To this end, the body fat percentage of 69 client-owned cats was determined. A body fat percentage of >30% was used for overweight classification. Cat owners were interviewed using a standardised questionnaire to collect information about the SPL, age, breed, sex, feeding amount and frequency, daily playing and outdoor access. SPL was categorized into four groups (0–6, 7–11, 12–16, 17–24 weeks). Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between overweight and SPL after adjusting for identified risk factors. Of the 69 cats, 37 were overweight. The odds for overweight was three times lower in cats with a SPL > 6 weeks (OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.10−0.99). This study identified a possible novel, modifiable early life risk factor for overweight in cats; the SPL. The results of this study indicate that allowing cats to nurse longer than 12 weeks might be a simple intervention to improve cat health and welfare.
DYNAMICS OF DRIVERS' TRUST IN WARNING SYSTEMS

Abstract This paper focuses on how the behavior of drivers in response to warning systems is influenced by their trust in those warning systems. The experimental examinations show that a) false alarms result in a reduction in trust and an increased reaction time to braking, b) a lack of alarms result in a delay in the recognition of hazardous situations, c) excessive trust induces significant delays in such situations and d) a lack of alarms more significantly reduces trust than false alarms do.
Factors Related to Profitability of Agritourism in the United States: Results from a National Survey of Operators

Agritourism is a growing area of the tourism sector with many positive social and economic benefits for farmers, their communities, and for tourists. While researchers have been studying the phenomenon for several decades, factors that lead to profitable outcomes for agritourism operators are still not well understood, hindering the effectiveness of agritourism development and the systems of support available to farmers. Using a survey of 1834 farms and ranches open to visitors in the United States, the goal of this study is to identify the factors that influence the profitability of agritourism operations. This study shows that several factors have positive associations with increased agritourism profitability, such as the number of years of experience of the operator, farm scale (acreage and total farm revenue), providing on-farm product sales, and offering events and entertainment. Off-farm product sales and being a female operator have a negative association with profitability in agritourism. We discuss the implications of our findings on agritourism operators, suggest their utility for tourism planning and rural community development professionals, and offer suggestions for future research.
Numerical Modeling of the Wave-Plate-Current Interaction by the Boundary Element Method

The aim of this work is to propose a numerical study of the interaction of a wave-horizontal plate fixed and completely immersed in a flat-bottomed tank with a uniform current flowing in the same direction as the incident wave. We investigate in particular the effect of the plate at minimizing the impact of the wave on the coast of beaches by studying the free surface elevation and the reflection coefficient, as well as the influence of the various geometrical parameters on the latter, taking into account the presence of the current. The numerical method used in this study is the boundary element method (BEM), and the results obtained will be confronted with experimental and analytical data existing in the literature.
Controlled production planning for Just-In-Time short-run suppliers

In the face of growing global competitiveness it is necessary for US manufacturers to manage their limited resources in quite the opposite manner of the way they have been managed in the past. Just-In-Time (JIT) is a practice which, by eliminating waste, improving quality, and increasing productivity, has helped manufacturers meet the competition. The core requirement of JIT in practice, however, is the timely delivery of quality products. This requirement has exerted significant economic pressure on short-run JIT suppliers that provide low-volume, diversified products. This paper presents a means by which JIT methods and Statistical Process Control may be applied jointly to short run production in an environment with demand uncertainties. The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to examine the cost structure of short-run production, (2) to propose the application of controlled production planning, and (3) to discuss the effect of controlled production planning on the cost structure of JIT suppliers. This study examines the economic impact of JIT demands on the cost structure of short-run production and proposes Controlled Production Planning (CPP) for generating signals for delivery failures or overproduction plans. Establishing CPP minimizes short-term production plan fluctuations, reduces inventory based on the market situation, and reduces the total cost of production. Using a computer simulation we demonstrate that CPP is a viable method for achieving these inventory and production goals. Based on this proposal, three inventory strategies are recommended to short-run suppliers in order to minimize their operating costs under different business conditions. The first strategy uses CPP to determine an inventory cap that requires the maintenance of an average level of stock as a lower control limit to cope with short-run demand fluctuation. This strategy is applicable to a business condition with high product quality and low flexibility to respond to fluctuating demands. The second strategy is zero inventory exercised by sole suppliers offering standard products. The third strategy is a flexible production system combined with zero inventory, which is applicable to suppliers facing strong competition without the market position to absorb their production surplus.
Interactive socio-scientific inquiry for promoting scientific literacy, enhancing biological knowledge, and developing critical thinking

ABSTRACT Biology education emphasises producing scientifically literate students, mastering biological knowledge, and developing critical thinking. However, in reality, biology instruction only focuses on academic achievement in the Indonesian biology curriculum. Previous research has found that scientific inquiry is a practical approach to improve academic achievement and scientific literacy. Interactive socio-scientific inquiry (ISSI) was developed based on a distinctive inquiry approach. The ISSI uses socio-scientific issues as a learning context and uses digital technology as an interaction platform. This research used a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test non-randomised control group involving 196 tenth-grade students. The findings revealed substantial differences in learning outcomes between ISSI students with conventional and classroom discussion teaching methods. The ISSI students have significant enhancements in scientific literacy, biological knowledge, and critical thinking. These findings suggest the utility of using socio-scientific issues (to be criticised and resolved) and digital technology (with its interactive involvement as a learning interaction platform) to complement inquiry in biology teaching. The ISSI is an alternative method to support biology teaching in becoming more creative and encourages secondary school students to be more critical in learning content.
Age and diabetes control in an HIV-endemic country: is there an association?

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in South Africa (SA) is 12.80% and is rising, while that of HIV infection remains the highest globally (13%). Literature varies on the associations between glycaemic control and age in patients living with DM (PLWD). Through effective anti-retroviral treatment (ART), HIV-infected patients can now live longer and develop co-morbidities as experienced by HIV-uninfected patients. Identification of challenges faced in diabetes control within the various age groups would help in developing strategies that can be implemented in order to provide effective diabetes care to patients as they age. Objectives: This study aimed to determine an association between age and diabetes control in an HIV endemic area. Methods: Data from standardised clinic sheets were used from the DM clinic at Edendale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. Statistical analysis was done. Results: This study had 957 PLWD with 146 PLWD who were HIV-infected (PLWDH). Older age was associated with improved mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels after adjusting for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (r = −0.141, p < 0.001; before adjustment: r = −0.108; p = 0.001). HIV-infected patients had lower mean HbA1c levels than their HIV-uninfected counterparts while age was positively associated with patients’ BMI (r = 0.246, p < 0.001). PLWDH with a mean HbA1c > 7% were significantly younger than those with HbA1c ≤ 7% (47.38 years vs. 52.77 years, p = 0.013). GFR declined with age: PLWD with GFR < 60 ml/minute were significantly older than those with GFR ≥ 60 ml/minute (62.72 years vs. 48.30 years, p < 0.001), this remaining significant after factoring in for HIV infection and hypertension. Conclusion: Younger PLWD have poorer glycaemic control and are likely to develop diabetes-related complications later in life. Notably, younger PLWDH also had poorer glycaemic control, which places them at increased cardio-metabolic risk from sequelae of both the HIV infection and DM. This study highlights that more emphasis needs to be placed on diabetes education and management in the younger age categories of both PLWD and PLWDH.
Reconstruction of Complete Bilateral Maxillary Defects With Free Flaps

Abstract: Reconstruction of complete bilateral maxillary defects (CBMDs) can be challenging due to the extensive loss of bone and soft tissues. This is a retrospective case series of 46 consecutive patients with CBMDs that were reconstructed with different micro-vascular free flaps. The authors aimed to evaluate the surgical outcomes and discuss the different reconstruction options in this case series. Thirty-six patients underwent reconstruction following ablation surgery for malignant tumors, 6 for benign tumors, 3 patients were treated for osteomyelitis, and 1 patient underwent free flap reconstruction for posttraumatic defects. Free fibula flap (n = 26) is the most commonly used reconstruction method in this case series, which was used in all defect types. This is followed by anterolateral thigh flap (n = 10), 5 rectus abdominis myocutaneous free flap, 3 radial forearm free flaps, and 2 composite free flaps. In this series, 44 free flaps survived, whereas only 2 flaps were lost. All patients could resume a soft diet postoperatively. Reconstruction of CBMDs with vascularized free flaps is a safe and reliable procedure.
Relative Weights of Temporal Envelope Cues in Different Frequency Regions for Mandarin Vowel, Consonant, and Lexical Tone Recognition

Objectives: Mandarin-speaking users of cochlear implants (CI) perform poorer than their English counterpart. This may be because present CI speech coding schemes are largely based on English. This study aims to evaluate the relative contributions of temporal envelope (E) cues to Mandarin phoneme (including vowel, and consonant) and lexical tone recognition to provide information for speech coding schemes specific to Mandarin. Design: Eleven normal hearing subjects were studied using acoustic temporal E cues that were extracted from 30 continuous frequency bands between 80 and 7,562 Hz using the Hilbert transform and divided into five frequency regions. Percent-correct recognition scores were obtained with acoustic E cues presented in three, four, and five frequency regions and their relative weights calculated using the least-square approach. Results: For stimuli with three, four, and five frequency regions, percent-correct scores for vowel recognition using E cues were 50.43–84.82%, 76.27–95.24%, and 96.58%, respectively; for consonant recognition 35.49–63.77%, 67.75–78.87%, and 87.87%; for lexical tone recognition 60.80–97.15%, 73.16–96.87%, and 96.73%. For frequency region 1 to frequency region 5, the mean weights in vowel recognition were 0.17, 0.31, 0.22, 0.18, and 0.12, respectively; in consonant recognition 0.10, 0.16, 0.18, 0.23, and 0.33; in lexical tone recognition 0.38, 0.18, 0.14, 0.16, and 0.14. Conclusion: Regions that contributed most for vowel recognition was Region 2 (502–1,022 Hz) that contains first formant (F1) information; Region 5 (3,856–7,562 Hz) contributed most to consonant recognition; Region 1 (80–502 Hz) that contains fundamental frequency (F0) information contributed most to lexical tone recognition.
Safety assessment of the Sanctuary of Vicoforte, Italy

In order to evaluate safety assessment of the Sanctuary of Vicoforte, Italy, a series of non-destructive tests were carried out for diagnostic inspection of its deterioration. Delamination of stone finishing and fresco painting were detected. Dynamic ambient vibration test was carried out and the relevant modes of vibration were identified resorting to the stochastic subspace identification method. The first two natural frequencies of the Sanctuary of Vicoforte were estimated to be about 1.93 Hz and 2.07 Hz in East-West and North-South directions, respectively. Therefore, the dome seems to be vulnerable to severe earthquakes characteristic of the local seismicity such as we experienced in recent years.
Occupational Stress and Psychological Health of Employees of University Libraries in Osun State, Nigeria

This study examined the influence of occupational stress on the psychological health of the employees of university libraries in Osun State, Nigeria. A random sample of 32 participants from selected university libraries in Osun State, Nigeria. The result of the hypothesis revealed a weak positive correlation between occupational stressors and psychological health status (N = 32, r = 0.427, p = 0.015). The test also shows a weak positive correlation between the level of occupational stress and psychological health status (N = 32, r = 0.493, p = 0.004). The study concluded that employees who do not experience work-related stress would enjoy good health. The study also recommended that the management of university libraries should ensure that they provide mentorship, funds, Internet facilities, and encouragement to their employees to ensure a stress-free work environment so that library employees would continue to enjoy good health.
Results of Lisfranc’s Surgery in Athletic Patients

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 SUMMARY Background. Early detection and treatment of Lisfranc injuries in the athletic population is paramount for successful return to sport as well as outcome. The present study evaluates surgical interventions for these types of injuries as well as return to activity (RTA), function and post-operative degenerative joint disease. Methods. The data from nineteen patients prospectively followed from 2008 through 2016 presented. Of these patients, six (31.6%) were treated with suture-button fixation, seven (36.8%) with metallic screws and plates and six (31.6%) with bioabsorbable screws. The average RTA was 24.0 ± 10.3 weeks. The post-operative Roles and Maudsley (RM) score was 1.2 ± 0.4. 21% of the patients were noted to have joint space narrowing at the final post-operative x-ray. Hardware removal was performed in six (31.6%) patients. Results. All of the patients were able to return to their sporting activities. Conclusions. Based on the current study, anatomic reduction showed to be the highest predictor of surgical outcome, regardless of fixation technique, consistent with previous studies. ORIF of Lisfranc injuries in the athletic population provides safe and predictable results with good medium-term outcomes.