Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Passengers in Single-Vehicle Drunk-Driving Crashes: An Injury-Severity Analysis

Background: Drunk-driving is a major crash risk factor, and crashes resulting from this risky behavior tend to be serious and have significant economic and societal impacts. The presence of passengers and their demographics and activities can influence risky driving behaviors such as drunk-driving. However, passengers could either be an “enabling” factor to take more risks or could be an “inhibiting” factor by ensuring safe driving by a drunk-driver. Objective: This study examines whether the presence of passengers affects the contributing factors of single-vehicle (SV) drunk-driving crashes, by presenting a severity analysis of single- and multi-occupant SV drunk-driving crashes, to identify risk factors that contribute to crash severity outcomes, for the effective implementation of relevant countermeasures. Method: A total of 7407 observations for 2012–2016 from the crash database of the State of Alabama was used for this study. The variables were divided into six classes: temporal, locational, driver, vehicle, roadway, and crash characteristics and injury severities into three: severe, minor, and no injury. Two latent class multinomial logit models—one each for single- and multi-occupant crashes—were developed, to analyze the effects of significant factors on injury severity outcomes using marginal effects. Results: The estimated results show that collision with a ditch, run-off road, intersection, winter season, wet roadway, and interstate decreased the probability of severe injuries in both single- and multi-occupant crashes, whereas rural area, road with downward grade, dark and unlit roadway, unemployed driver, and driver with invalid license increased the likelihood of severe injuries for both single- and multi-occupant crashes. Female drivers were more likely to be severely injured in single-occupant crashes, but less likely in multi-occupant crashes. A significant association was found between severe injuries and weekends, residential areas, and crash location close (<25 mi ≈40.23 km) to the residence of the at-fault driver in multi-occupant crashes. Sport utility vehicles were found to be safer when driving with passengers. Conclusions: The model findings show that, although many correlates are consistent between the single- and multi-occupant SV crashes that are associated with locational, roadway, vehicle, temporal, and driver characteristics, their effect can vary across the single- and multi-occupant driving population. The findings from this study can help in targeting interventions, developing countermeasures, and educating passengers to reduce drunk-driving crashes and consequent injuries. Such integrated efforts combined with engineering and emergency response may contribute in developing a true safe systems approach.
Contribution of private gardens to habitat availability, connectivity and conservation of the common pipistrelle in Paris

Urban sprawl is one of the greatest global changes with major negative impacts on biodiversity and human well-being. Recent policies have acknowledged the value of urban green areas in counterbalancing such impacts. These policies aim to increase the ecological value of green areas, making cities more permeable to natural populations. However, they are largely focused on the role and management of public green areas, ignoring the role and potential of private green areas for urban ecological value. This study aims to evaluate the benefits of considering private green areas for conservation efforts in cities. Using data on bat activity and information on vegetation and building height, we quantify the respective role of public and private green areas in habitat availability and connectivity for the common pipistrelle in the city of Paris, France. Our results show that despite the low proportion of private green areas in Paris (36% of the total green areas), they still contributed up to 47.9% of bat habitat availability and decrease the resistance of the city matrix by 88%. The distribution in the city matrix and vegetation composition of those areas appeared especially beneficial for bat habitat availability and connectivity. The study demonstrates the importance of private green areas in the ecological value of cities in complementing the role of public green areas. Our results confirm the need to develop more inclusive urban conservation strategies that include both public and private stakeholders. Highlights The urban ecological value of private gardens outweighs that of public gardens This is true for both habitat availability and connectivity Biodiversity policies in cities should also focus on private green areas Inclusive conservation strategies are also needed in cities
Sublethal effects of chronic exposure to chlorpyrifos or imidacloprid insecticides or their binary mixtures on Culex pipiens mosquitoes

Mosquitoes represent one of the most significant threats to human and veterinary health throughout the world. Consequently, improving strategies for the control of mosquitoes is essential. In the present study, juvenile Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae), the common house mosquito, are chronically exposed to sublethal concentrations of chlorpyrifos (20% of LC50) and imidacloprid (5% of LC50), both separately and as a mixture. Developmental time, the emergence rate of adults and the expression of five selected genes involved in detoxification and resistance to pesticides are assessed. To assess the effects on oviposition choice, gravid females are forced to oviposit into cups containing water with added chlorpyrifos, imidacloprid or a mixture of both. The time required for the development of second‐ and third‐instar larvae is observed to differ significantly between treatments. Adults of C. pipiens fail to emerge from larvae hatched in both imidacloprid and the binary mixture. The expression of the four quantified detoxification genes differs significantly in third‐larval instars exposed to chlorpyrifos and/or imidacloprid compared with controls. Gravid females also fail to lay eggs on water to which either of the insecticides or the binary mixture is added, although they do lay eggs in cups containing water only. Chronic exposure to sublethal concentrations of chlorpyrifos or imidacloprid has significant adverse effects on development and thus the reproductive fitness of C. pipiens and, accordingly, could be used in the population control of these mosquitoes.
Does public R&D complement or crowd-out private R&D in pre and post economic crisis of 2008?

ABSTRACT Research and development expenditure (R&D) generate innovation and contribute significantly to the economic development. Previous studies emphasized the role of public R&D to encourage the technological innovation in the private sector. However, the effect of global economic crisis with respect to the public and private R&D link has been somewhat neglected in the empirical literature. Based on system GMM estimation, we found that public R&D complements private R&D in pre and post economic crisis. However, the strength of their complementary association is found strong in pre-economic crisis. In sum, the results indicate that continuous support to public R&D in pre and post economic crisis accelerate the technological innovation in the private sector. This study implies that public support to R&D is a good strategy for an economy to confront economic crisis effectively by increasing the technological innovation in the private sector. For policy makers, it is suggested that care must be taken while investing in the R&D, the investment is to be based on the ratio between R&D expenditure to number of R&D workers.
Recovery Incidence and Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Some Enteric Bacteria from Well Waters in Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria

The recovery incidence and antibiotic resistance pattern of Escherichia coli, Shigella and Salmonella species in water from 15 different wells located in Iwo, Osun state, were investigated in an effort to determine the potential health risks associated with the consumption of the water. Each well water sample was separately initially cultured in a non-selective pre-enrichment broth for 24 hours, and subsequently, subcultured on sterile Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar for Escherichia coli and Salmonella-Shigella agar for Salmonella and Shigella species, using the pour-plate technique and the microbial counts recorded. With the aid of the disc diffusion method, 0.5 McFarland of each target organism was screened on Mueller-Hinton agar for antibiotic susceptibility profile. Results showed a recovery incidence of E. coli (87%), Salmonella species (80%) and Shigella species (100%). was observed while the microbial counts for E. coli, Shigella and Salmonella species differed significantly in each of the wells sampled. Antibiotic sensitivity profile observed showed 100% isolates of E. coli and Salmonella spp were resistant to augmentin. There were also presence of multi-antibiotic resistance strains with 66.67% of the E. coli isolates resistant to the combinations of cefixime, augmentin and nitrofuration, It is suggested that simple hygienic practice, such as regular disinfection of the wells with chemicals, boiling and filtration of water before drinking would eliminate not only the prevalence of these pathogens but also the spread of both antibiotic and multi-antibiotic resistance traits in the consumed water, hence making it safe for the health of the humans in the study population.
Survival of Children with Acute Leukaemia: A Single Centre Experience

Introduction: Acute leukaemia in children accounts for 25-30% of malignant diagnosis. Survival from acute leukaemia continue to improve. Treatment outcome depends on factors like gender, age at diagnosis, parental education, the initial total white cell count (TWC), cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) infiltration, immunophenotype and treatment response. Objectives: The objectives were to evaluate the survival of children with acute leukaemia who received chemotherapy and identify relevant factors. Methodology: The study was a retrospective record review at the Paediatric Oncology Unit, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (Hospital USM). The data collected depending on pre-set research proforma from the year 1990 to 2010. Survival analysis of each type of leukaemia was completed using multiple Cox regression model. Results: A total of 334 cases were identified, only 283 patients received treatment at Hospital USM. There were 224 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and 59 with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Overall survival (OS) rate at 3 months for ALL and AML were 89.3% and 72.9% respectively. The event-free survival (EFS) rate for ALL at 1, 3, and 5 years were 69.6%, 54.1% and 47.8% respectively. For AML, the EFS rate at 1, 3, and 5 years were 52.0%, 42.4% and 38.1% respectively. Multiple Cox regression model showed children’s age at diagnosis and early response to steroid therapy were the most significant prognostic factors for ALL survival, whereas the spleen size and treatment protocol were the most significant prognostic factors for AML. Conclusion: Survival rate in this study was comparable to developing countries. ALL had better outcome compared to AML.
The influence of academic level and course delivery mode on the use of motivational regulation strategies and learning engagement

Motivational regulation strategies have been used as active forms of promoting motivation in online and classroom learning. Based on the motivational regulation model combining both contextual and individual factors, this study examined how students’ academic levels (undergraduate vs. graduate) and the type of course delivery mode (online vs. traditional face-to-face) influence their uses of eight motivational regulation strategies and three types of engagement. A total of 190 students consisting of 95 undergraduate students and 95 graduate students participated in this study. The results of two-way multivariate analysis of variance show that students use different sets of motivational regulation strategies depending upon their academic levels and course delivery modes. Also, graduate students showed significantly higher engagement in all three types than undergraduate students did. The findings provide practical implications for designing a customised motivational support system with specific sets of motivational regulation strategies for students in different academic levels and course delivery modes.
SAUDI WOMEN BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THE ACCEPTANCE OF INDUSTRIAL SMALL BUSINESS

The aim of this research was to canvass Saudi women’s opinions about behavioral beliefs, i.e., attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on their behavioral intention and hence adopting the small business initiative. Following the descriptive method, adopting the planned behavior theory PBT, a questionnaire consisted of 15 items was adapted to measure the variables of the research, i.e., three predictors, which are attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, one mediating variable, which is behavioral intent and one dependent variable, which is the actual behavior. The questionnaire was electronically administered. A total of 724 questionnaires was collected in 2019. The results indicated that attitudes towards the behavior, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control had significant effects on behavioral intention, which in turn affect the target behavior. Behavioral intention had shown a mediating effect on the relationship between predictors and the response variable. Consequently, decision-makers are required to conduct awareness campaigns in order to promote the involvement in small businesses in the community, raising women’s attitudes towards this type of business via success stories and full government support. Their perceived behavioral control can be enhanced through training to acquire business-related skills.
Machine Learning in Tropical Cyclone Forecast Modeling: A Review

Tropical cyclones have always been a concern of meteorologists, and there are many studies regarding the axisymmetric structures, dynamic mechanisms, and forecasting techniques from the past 100 years. This research demonstrates the ongoing progress as well as the many remaining problems. Machine learning, as a means of artificial intelligence, has been certified by many researchers as being able to provide a new way to solve the bottlenecks of tropical cyclone forecasts, whether using a pure data-driven model or improving numerical models by incorporating machine learning. Through summarizing and analyzing the challenges of tropical cyclone forecasts in recent years and successful cases of machine learning methods in these aspects, this review introduces progress based on machine learning in genesis forecasts, track forecasts, intensity forecasts, extreme weather forecasts associated with tropical cyclones (such as strong winds and rainstorms, and their disastrous impacts), and storm surge forecasts, as well as in improving numerical forecast models. All of these can be regarded as both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity is that at present, the potential of machine learning has not been completely exploited, and a large amount of multi-source data have also not been fully utilized to improve the accuracy of tropical cyclone forecasting. The challenge is that the predictable period and stability of tropical cyclone prediction can be difficult to guarantee, because tropical cyclones are different from normal weather phenomena and oceanographic processes and they have complex dynamic mechanisms and are easily influenced by many factors.
Between ecological convictions and practical considerations – profiles and motivations of residents in car-free housing developments in Germany and Switzerland

Abstract. Automobility still dominates transport and space in most European cities. However, more and more initiatives are being taken to encourage a transition towards low-carbon mobility. One of these is car-free housing, where residents commit to living without a private car. This paper addresses their profiles and motivations based on a questionnaire survey ( N=571 ) and interviews ( N=50 ) in nine housing developments in Germany and Switzerland. Residents are characterised by an overrepresentation of families and people with a high level of education, two population groups that are usually more motorised than average. Their motivations and long-term commitment to living car-free can be explained by not only practical reasons (e.g. availability of alternative modes) but also ecological awareness and social values (as shown by the importance of cooperative housing). This paper sheds light on these urban laboratories where the principles of a post-car system are implemented.
Influence of Menstrual Cycle Phases on Neural Excitability in the Primary Somatosensory Cortex and Ankle Joint Position Sense

Introduction: Ankle sprain (AS) is one of the most common injuries among women engaged in competitive sports and recreational activities. Many studies have shown that several factors contributing to AS are influenced by the menstrual cycle. Despite the finding that abnormal joint position sense (JPS) is one of the major risk factors of AS, the alteration of the JPS throughout the menstrual cycle and its associated neural mechanisms remain unclear. Objective: This study aimed to examine whether the menstrual cycle phases affect neural excitability in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and JPS. Methods: Fourteen right-footed women participated in this study. Somatosensory-evoked potential and paired-pulse inhibition (PPI) were measured to assess S1 excitatory and inhibitory functions. Ankle JPS was measured using an active joint position matching method. Menstrual syndrome was evaluated using the menstrual distress questionnaire. All assessments were conducted in the follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases. Results: The two main findings of this study were as follows: First, PPI decreased in the ovulatory phase than in the follicular phase. This may have been the reason for estrogen altering the neural inhibition and facilitation balance throughout the menstrual cycle. Second, JPS was not changed during the menstrual cycle. Conclusion: In conclusion, phases of the menstrual cycle affect the neural excitability in S1 as shown by the decreased PPI in the ovulatory phase, and the ankle JPS was unchanged throughout the menstrual cycle.
Fruit of Lepidaploa (Cass.) Cass. (Vernonieae, Asteraceae): anatomy and taxonomic implications

Fil: Marques, Danilo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Botanica del Nordeste. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botanica del Nordeste; Argentina
Fecal Microbial Population and Growth in Broiler Fed Organic Acids and Palm Fat-Composed Diet

Organic acids (OA) are natural constituents of plant and animal tissues and their uses as feed additives are now being studied worldwide. Organic acids consisted of different acids and mixtures of several acids have an antimicrobial function and promote the growth performance of animals. The current experiment was designed to study the inhibitory activity of the organic acids, palm fat (PF), a combination of organic acids-palm fat (OAPF) against various pathogens and investigate the performance in dietary inclusion of OAPF in broilers. A feeding trial was conducted to determine the growth performance and microbial population in the dietary inclusion of OAPF in broilers. A total number of 96 one-day-old chickens (Cobb 500) were used in this study and divided into two treatment groups with six replicates per treatment. The treatment group was T1 (diet without OAPF) and T1OA (diet with OAPF). The differences among treatment means were tested using an independent t-test. The results showed that T1OA had approximately two-fold inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli E-30 compared to T1. Broilers fed diet supplemented with OAPF had higher (p<0.05) final body weight (BW) and total weight gain (WG) compared to broilers fed T1. Broiler fed with T1OA had lower (p<0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) than T1. Inclusion of OAPF in the diet also increased (p<0.05) the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and reduced (p<0.05) Enterobacteriaceae (ENT) cell population. The inclusion of OAPF in the diet showed significantly improved nutrient digestibility and had a beneficial effect on the growth performances of the broiler chickens with a positive effect on the bacterial population in GIT.
Comparison of Two Different Intrusion Techniques (An in Vitro Study)

Aims: This study was aimed to compare the effects of two different techniques on the position of maxillary incisors during the intrusive movement. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of two groups, the utility intrusion arch and continuous intrusion arch groups. Upper typodont arch of class II division I was used and the arches were activated to deliver 60 gram of force. Pre and postoperative digital images were taken and analyzed using Autodesk AutoCAD softwareTM. For each group six parameters were measured and compared. A significance value of 0.05 was predetermined. Results: Significant difference was found in vertical change of estimated midpoint of root position, axial inclination, anteroposterior position of incisal edge, relative contribution of torque and protrusion to the change in inclination and insignificant difference in vertical change of incisal edge position. Conclusions: Maxillary incisors intrusion with a minimal protrusion could be achieved with the continuous intrusion arch technique.
Fatigue Flexural Performance of Short-Span Reinforced Concrete T-Beams Considering Overloading Effect

Traffic volume increase and higher proportion of heavier trucks have raised the potential risk of fatigue failure of short-span reinforced concrete beams. To investigate the fatigue behavior of short-span reinforced concrete beams with and without the overload effect, nine 5 m reinforced concrete T-beams were cast and tested. Two beams were tested under static loading to determine the ultimate strength; the remaining seven beams were subjected to cyclic loading with constant-amplitude load ranges. In addition, two of the seven beams were subjected to instant overloading. It was observed that the typical failure mode under cyclic loading was the fatigue fracture of tensile reinforcing bars. The introduction of instant overloading resulted in a remarkable reduction of fatigue life. Among all the parameters, the stress range of the reinforcing bars showed the highest effect on the fatigue life. In the end, the fatigue safety provisions in the current reinforced concrete beam design codes were evaluated based on the fatigue limits and S-N curves.
Information Security Culture Model for Malaysian Organizations: A Review

The establishment of Information Security Culture (ISC) has been recommended for improving employees’ information security in the organization. To date, there is still no clear guidance or model for assessing and cultivating ISC for Malaysian organizations, despite some Malaysian-based studies being carried out. In order to shed light to this issue, we reviewed all ISC models developed in Malaysian context to identify models for particular types of organization in Malaysia. Three major databases of Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar were systematically exhausted and we found only six papers from 2000 to 2018 that met our selection criteria. Our analysis revealed that there is a lack of validated ISC models have been produced for particular types of organization. The current model only applicable to healthcare, library and public organizations in Malaysia. In addition, there is a lack of consistency in terms of ISC factors used in the ISC models and there is no common set of factors could be applied for all type of Malaysian organization. This review has amplified the need for a more thorough and in-depth studies for ISC model in Malaysian context.