Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Safety Benefits of Vehicle-to-Everything Sensor Sharing on Rural Highways Using the Microscopic Simulation Model

Safety is a critical aspect of transportation design and operations. Practitioners utilize various references to ensure that roadways meet safety, operational, and sustainability requirements. Despite this, human error remains as a contributing factor toward unsafe driving behavior and potential crashes. Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) have the potential to enhance traffic safety and operations. Although sensor perception ranges and capabilities pose challenges, the sharing of information via Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication provides CAVs with a potential solution for overcoming sensor limitations. The objective of this study is to use the Simulation of Urban Mobility software to assess safety impacts when using V2X to share sensor-obtained roadway information with a CAV. To this end, this study proposes a novel method for simulating driver behavior that combines car following with consideration of the roadway’s geometric configuration. Several scenarios are utilized to observe the behavior of simulated drivers on a straight tangent approaching a sharp horizontal curve. This study evaluates driver performance using the measured values for longitudinal jerk, lateral jerk, and speed variance. The results of this study indicate that V2X sensor sharing can provide significant benefits to CAV performance and can reduce the safety risk. CAVs receiving sensor-obtained information behave in a manner more akin to their human-driven counterparts in comparison to those receiving basic safety messages. CAVs using sensor-obtained information maintain braking and lateral jerk values within safety thresholds. In addition, speed variance was at its lowest when CAVs utilized V2X sensor information.
Stress Analysis of 3D Generally Anisotropic Elastic Solids Using the Boundary Element Method

The explicit, closed-form expressions of the Green’s functions for generally anisotropic elastic solids in three-dimensions that have been derived using Stroh’s formalism are employed in a formulation of the boundary element method (BEM). Unlike several other existing schemes, the evaluation of these fundamental solutions does not require further numerical integration in the BEM algorithm; they have surprisingly not been implemented previously. Three numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the veracity of the implementation and the general applicability of the BEM for the 3D elastic stress analysis of generally anisotropic solids. The results are compared with known solutions in the literature where possible, or those obtained by another numerical method, namely, the finite element method; in all cases, very good agreement is shown to be achieved.
Physiological Studies and Ultrastructure of Vigna sinensis L. and Helianthus annuus L. under Varying Levels of Nitrogen Supply

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different nitrogen fertilizers (potassium nitrate and/or urea) on shoot parameters, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate, and nitrogen fractions, as well as to conduct transmission electron microscopy, of Vigna sinensis L. (cowpea) and Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower) leaves. A general improvement was recorded in the shoot parameters of the two plants, except for a decrease in the net assimilation rate by treatment of the two plants with 100% potassium nitrate plus 100% urea. The total nitrogen, insoluble protein, and total soluble nitrogen generally decreased in cowpea shoots from the treatments but increased in case of cowpea roots and sunflower shoots and roots. The examination of the ultrastructure changes in cowpea leaves confirmed the presence of two starch granules (in response to 100% potassium nitrate, 100% potassium nitrate plus 100% urea, and the control) and three granules (in response to 50% potassium nitrate plus 50% urea) and the disappearance of the starch granules (in response to 100% urea). Despite the starch granules not being detected in the leaves of the untreated sunflower, the treated plant showed the appearance of the highest number after treatment with 50% potassium nitrate plus 50% urea (2) and the most cell size with the 100% potassium nitrate treatment. Generally, our findings demonstrated that fertilization with 50% potassium nitrate plus 50% urea has the best influence on the growth parameters and nitrogen content in the two plants, but the magnitude of response was more pronounced in case of cowpea plants.
Research on node voltage indices for battery storage management through fuzzy decision making in power distribution networks

This paper presents research on power management of a battery storage system (With the aim of reducing system losses) Without information about loads in a power distribution network with installed renewable energy sources and distributed generation. The poWer management of the storage system used in the research is based on a fuzzy inference system to define the input or output poWer of the battery storage system. The optimization procedure to determine the optimal parameters of the power management system is also provided. Except for the optimal allocation of the battery storage and distributed generation systems, the optimization of the parameters is performed along with the allocation optimization. The whole optimization problem is solved for the annual data of load and generation profiles of renewable sources using hourly values, i.e., the optimization is solved simultaneously for 8760 load and generation data. The optimization problem is solved by co-simulation using the metaheuristic optimization technique. Since the method is based on the use of fuzzy systems and metaheuristic optimization, it represents the implementation of computer intelligence for optimal allocation and energy management problems. The presented method is applied to the test distribution system IEEE with 37 nodes. The achieved reduction in annual energy losses is about 40 % of the losses in the power system without the distributed generation units and the battery storage system.
Red Blood Cell Sedimentation Index Using Shear Stress of Blood Flow in Microfluidic Channel

Red blood cell sedimentation has been used as a promising indicator of hematological diseases and disorders. However, to address several issues (i.e., syringe installation direction, blood on-off flow control, image-based quantification, and hemodilution) raised by the previous methods, it is necessary to devise a new method for the effective quantification of red blood cell sedimentation under a constant blood flow. In this study, the shear stress of a blood flow is estimated by analyzing an interface in a co-flowing channel to quantify the red blood cell sedimentation in blood syringes filled with blood (hematocrit = 50%). A red blood cell sedimentation index is newly suggested by analyzing the temporal variations in the shear stress. According to the experimental investigation, the sedimentation index tends to decrease at a higher flow rate. A higher level of hematocrit has a negative influence on the sedimentation index. As a performance demonstration of the present method, the red blood cell sedimentation processes of various test bloods were quantitatively compared in terms of the shear stress, image intensity, and sedimentation velocity. It was found that the proposed index provided a more than 10-fold increase in sensitivity over the previous method (i.e., image intensity). Additionally, it provided more consistent results than another conventional sedimentation method (sedimentation velocity). In conclusion, the present index can be effectively adopted to monitor the red blood cell sedimentation in a 10-min blood delivery.
Group counseling with reframing techniques as intervention for handling student glossophobia problems

Humans as social beings always interact with each other. There are some people who experience fear or anxiety when talking to other people in public which is called glossophobia. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of group counseling services with reframing techniques in overcoming the problem of glossophobia or anxiety and fear of public speaking. The sampling technique in this study uses purposive sampling. The data collection technique in this study used a glossophobia questionnaire. The results of this study were group counseling services with reframing techniques were effective in dealing with the problem of glossophobia.
Empowering piano students of Western classical music: challenging teaching and learning of musical interpretation in higher education

ABSTRACT This study aimed to empower piano students and explore their understandings of how teaching and learning of musical interpretation of Western classical music could be developed to foster autonomy and a personal, authentic artistic voice. Two research questions were formulated: How have students experienced teaching and learning of musical interpretation? How do students envision a meaningful organisation of such teaching and learning? The empirical material, created during a participatory action research project with 4 piano students within an artistic bachelor programme, was hermeneutically analysed, and narratives were created and twice negotiated with the students. Their education was described as backwards-looking and not preparing for autonomous learning and musicianship. In contrast, a meaningful organisation was envisioned as collaborative, dialogical, characterised by openness, humility, honesty, and mutual understanding, where musical interpretation is viewed as a complex, ongoing, open-ended process, allowing for multiple, incompatible views, breaking from the master–apprentice model and the current restrictive ideology.
The Effect of Peer Relationships and Cyberbullying Victimization on Young Adults' Propensity to Cyberbully

i List of Tables . iii List of Figures . iv Introduction . 1 Literature Review.4 Research Questions and Hypotheses . 19 Methodology . 24 Results . 34 Discussion . 48 Limitations and Directions for Future Research . 53 Conclusion . 55 References . 56 Appendix A. Survey (with codes) . 63 Appendix B. Frequency Statistics on Individual Survey Items . 67 iii List of Tables Table 1: Comprehensive Correlation Tables – Cyberbullying Victimization . 35 Table 2: Comprehensive Correlation Tables – Quality of Peer Relationships . 35 Table 3: Results of Multiple Regression Model Predicting Cyberbullying Perpetration Using Age, Gender, Ethnicity, and Online Activity . 46 Table 4: Results of Multiple Regression Model Predicting Cyberbullying Victimization Using Age, Gender, Ethnicity, and Online Activity . 47 iv List of Figures Figure 1: Depression Mediation Model (Victimization & Perpetration) . 37 Figure 2: Depression Mediation Model (Quality of Peer Relationships & Perpetration) . 38 Figure 3: Anxiety Mediation Model (Victimization & Perpetration) . 40 Figure 4: Anxiety Mediation Model (Quality of Peer Relationships & Perpetration) . 41 Figure 5: Anger Mediation Model (Victimization & Perpetration) . 43 Figure 6: Anger Mediation Model (Quality of Peer Relationships & Perpetration) . 44
The Role of Resveratrol in Eye Diseases—A Review of the Literature

Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trans-trihydroxystilbene) is a polyphenolic phytoalexin belonging to the stilbene family. It is commonly found in grape skins and seeds, as well as other plant-based foods. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a key role in the initiation and progression of age-related eye disorders (glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration) that lead to a progressive loss of vision and blindness. Even though the way resveratrol affects the human body and the course of many diseases is still the subject of ongoing scientific research, it has been shown that the broad spectrum of anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties of resveratrol has a beneficial effect on eye tissues. In our research, we decided to analyze the current scientific literature on resveratrol, its possible mechanisms of action, and its therapeutic application in order to assess its effectiveness in eye diseases.
Determinants of Susceptibility to Sunk-Cost Fallacy: A Nigerian Case Study

A general economic principle is that when evaluating the costs of a decision, sunk costs should not be considered and that the decision-maker should consider only those costs that are incurred as a result of making that decision. However, both anecdotal and empirical evidence has shown that when making decisions, people are influenced by sunk costs, thereby committing the sunk-cost fallacy. A corpus of research has established that this fallacy occurs among different nations and cultures to differing extents or degrees. However, none of the previous research was conducted on Nigerians. This study, therefore, investigates whether Nigerians, too, commit this fallacy and then identifies factors that affect Nigerians’ susceptibility to the fallacy. Employing a binary logit model, it was found that about 49 per cent of the respondents to questions based on a decision-making vignette committed the sunk-cost fallacy. The results also showed that locus of cost responsibility (whether the cost was borne by the decision maker or another person on behalf of the decision maker) and ethnicity (whether the decision maker is Yoruba or not) were significant determinants of susceptibility to sunk-cost fallacy. This suggests that in Nigeria sunk-cost fallacy is intrapersonal and more prevalent among the Yorubas than among the Hausas or the Igbos. Therefore, the sunk-cost fallacy is ubiquitous and more likely in personal decisions than decisions made on behalf of others.
Age and Time Horizons Are Associated With Preferences for Helping Colleagues

Abstract The present study examined the causal role of time horizons in age differences in worker motivation. Based on socioemotional selectivity theory (SST), we hypothesized that under unspecified time horizons, older workers prefer to engage in emotionally meaningful work activities more so than younger workers. We further hypothesized that when time horizons at work are expanded or limited, age differences are eliminated. We recruited a sample of employees (N = 555) and randomly assigned them to one of three experimental conditions: a no-instruction condition in which time horizons were not specified, an expanded time horizons condition, or a limited horizons condition. We asked participants to choose from among three options for work-related activities: Helping a colleague or a friend, working on a career-advancing project, or working on a project which may take the company in a new direction. Consistent with SST postulates, we found that age was associated with preferences for helping colleagues in the unspecified horizons condition, and that age differences were eliminated when time horizons were extended or limited. As hypothesized, expanding time horizons reduced employees’ likelihood of choosing to help colleagues. Contrary to our hypothesis, limiting time horizons also reduced the likelihood of choosing to help colleagues. Alternative explanations are considered. Findings suggest that age differences in worker motivation are shaped by time horizons and that modification of time horizons can alter work preferences.
Comparison of Three Cardiovascular Risk Scores among HIV-Infected Patients in Korea: The Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort Study

Background We investigated cardiovascular disease (CVD), risk factors for CVD, and applicability of the three known CVD risk equations in the Korean human immunodeficiency virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cohort. Materials and Methods The study parcitipants were HIV-infected patients in a Korean HIV/AIDS cohort enrolled from 19 hospitals between 2006 and 2017. Data collected at entry to the cohort were analyzed. The 5-year CVD risk in each participant was calculated using three CVD risk equations: reduced CVD prediction model of HIV-specific data collection on adverse effects of anti-HIV drugs (R-DAD), Framingham general CVD risk score (FRS), and Korean Coronary Heart Disease Risk Score (KRS). Results CVD events were observed in 11 of 586 HIV-infected patients during a 5-year (median) follow-up period. The incidence of CVD was 4.11 per 1,000 person-years. Older age (64 vs. 41 years, P = 0.005) and diabetes mellitus (45.5% vs. 6.4%, P <0.001) were more frequent in patients with CVD. Using R-DAD, FRS, and KRS, 1.9%, 2.4%, and 0.7% of patients, respectively, were considered to have a very high risk (≥10%) of 5-year CVD. The discriminatory capacities of the three prediction models were good, with c-statistic values of 0.829 (P <0.001) for R-DAD, 0.824 (P <0.001) for FRS, and 0.850 (P = 0.001) for KRS. Conclusion The FRS, R-DAD, and KRS performed well in the Korean HIV/AIDS cohort. A larger cohort and a longer period of follow-up may be necessary to demonstrate the risk factors and develop an independent CVD risk prediction model specific to Korean patients with HIV.
Exhaust Emissions and Physicochemical Properties of n-Butanol/Diesel Blends with 2-Ethylhexyl Nitrate (EHN) or Hydrotreated Used Cooking Oil (HUCO) as Cetane Improvers

Currently, n-butanol is a promising oxygenate (potentially of renewable origin) to be used in blends with conventional diesel fuel in compression ignition engines. However, its poor ignition quality can drastically deteriorate the cetane number (CN) of the blend. In the present work, the effects of adding n-butanol to ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) were assessed, aiming at simultaneously eliminating its negative effect on the blend’s ignition quality. Concentrations of 10% and 20% (v/v) n-butanol in ULSD fuel were studied. As cetane-improving agents, a widely used cetane improver (2-ethylhexyl nitrate—EHN) and a high-CN, bio-derived paraffinic diesel (hydrotreated used cooking oil—HUCO) were used. The initial investigation of ignition quality improvement with the addition of either EHN or HUCO produced four “ignition quality response curves” that served as mixing guides in order to create four blends of identical ignition quality as the baseline ULSD fuel. These four blends (10% and 20% v/v n-butanol in ULSD fuel, with the addition of either EHN or HUCO, at the cost of ULSD volume share only) were evaluated comparatively to the baseline ULSD fuel and a 10% (v/v) n-butanol/90% ULSD blend with regards to their physicochemical properties and the effect on the operation and exhaust emissions of a stationary diesel engine.
Virtual Reality–Based Rehabilitation as a Feasible and Engaging Tool for the Management of Chronic Poststroke Upper-Extremity Function Recovery: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background A growing number of stroke survivors are left with little to no rehabilitation services upon discharge from stroke rehabilitation, although arm deficits may persist or develop from disuse once rehabilitation services have ceased. Virtual reality (VR)–based rehabilitation, combined with new technologies such as telerehabilitation, including serious games using VR environments that encourage users to practice functional movements from home with minimal supervision, may have an important role to play in optimizing and maintaining upper extremity (UE) function. Objective The primary objective of this study is to determine the extent to which a 1-month intervention using a VR-based serious game is effective in improving UE function compared with an evidence-based home exercise program. A secondary objective is to assess the feasibility of implementing the intervention for chronic stroke rehabilitation in participants’ homes. Methods A total of 51 chronic stroke participants were randomized to treatment (n=26, 51%; Jintronix system) or standard care (n=25, 49%; standardized Graded Repetitive Arm Supplementary Program kit home program) groups. The participants were evaluated at baseline (before), immediately after the intervention (after), and at follow-up (4 weeks). The primary outcome measure was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for UE (FMA-UE). Secondary outcome measures included the Stroke Impact Scale and an abridged version of the Motor Activity Log-14. Self-reported number of sessions was logged for the standard care group. Results No statistically significant differences between groups were found across measures. Overall time effects were found for the FMA-UE (P=.045), specifically between preintervention and postintervention time points for both groups (P=.03). A total of 9 participants in the treatment group reached or surpassed the minimal clinically important difference in scores for the FMA-UE, with 7 (78%) of them having baseline low or moderate arm function, compared with 3 (33%) participants in the standard care group. Furthermore, 56% (9/16) of the participants in the treatment group who actively engaged with the system reached the minimal clinically important difference for the FMA-UE, compared with none for the 0% (0/10) less-active participants. Conclusions These findings suggest that UE training for chronic stroke survivors using virtual rehabilitation in their home may be as effective as a gold standard home exercise program and that those who used the system the most achieved the greatest improvement in UE function, indicating its relevance to being included as part of ongoing rehabilitation services. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02491203; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02491203 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1016/j.cct. 2015.12. 006
Structure of the population or economic conditions? Determinants of spending on social protection in the European Union

The paper examines the relationship between dependent variables (spending on social protection and spending on social protection benefits) and variables that capture the economic structure of the population and economic activity on the example of panel data of 26 European Union (EU) countries (except for Bulgaria and Croatia) over the years 2000-2017. In particular, the economic structure of the population is analysed by the age dependency ratio, while economic activity is expressed by the real GDP per capita growth rate and the unemployment rate. Regardless of the estimation technique for specifications with variables transformed to first differences, the results of the study indicate a statistically significant association between the dependent variables and the macroeconomic conditions of the EU countries. By contrast, the relationships between the dependency ratios and the dependent variables are positive but generally statistically insignificant, although EU countries are undergoing advanced processes of population ageing.