Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PMDC Motor Speed Control Optimization by Implementing ANFIS and MRAC

There are pivotal reasons for PMDC application in industry. Various control structures can be implemented to achieve speed optimization. The paper take into account control structure based on combination of MRAC (Model Reference Adaptive Control) and ANFIS (Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System) for PMDC (Permanent Magnet Direct Current) motor to use advantages of both structures simultaneously. The error signal reduction in MRAC system is modified by means of ANFIS controller. The reason behind is due to smaller rule base for covering any possible situation occurring in real motor applications. Comparison of the above named combination of structures with the previous ones by means of simulation in MATLAB, Simulink proved notable improvement behavioural characteristics of PMDC motor.
Effects of plasterboard joints on the fire performance of cold-formed steel walls

This paper presents the effect of plasterboard joints on the fire performance of cold-formed steel walls. Plasterboard joints are unavoidable. However, they can be arranged in a way that they do not significantly influence the fire performance of cold-formed steel walls. Hence a research study into the effects of plasterboard joints on the fire performance of plasterboard lined cold-formed steel walls was undertaken using both full-scale fire tests and numerical studies. In this study a back-blocking technique was used to eliminate the plasterboard joints being located over the studs. Instead plasterboard joints were used between studs with 150 mm wide plasterboards as back-blocks. Both experimental and numerical results from this study show that the fire resistance rating of single plasterboard lined cold-formed steel walls can be increased by 25% through the use of a back-blocking joint arrangement in comparison to the traditional plasterboard joint arrangement over the studs.
Malpractice as a Leading Cause to Maternal Mortality in Egypt: A Postmortem Statistical Study

Background: Maternal deaths are quite common tragic event in developing countries where the main source of information on the causes of maternal death is clinical records and autopsies. Knowledge about the causes of these deaths are scarce in Egypt. Efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Egypt are mostly not driven by evidence. This autopsy study was performed to assess the cause of maternal mortality including malpractice, thus providing information which plays an important role in improving clinical practice in Egypt. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study was conducted at the Egyptian Forensic Authority (EFMA) in a 5-years perios between January 2008 and December 2012 to investigate maternal mortality cases alleged to be due to malpractice. Results: . The total number of maternal deaths was 114 cases. The majority of cases (n=90, 79.0%) were negative concerning malpractice. Twenty-four deaths (21%) can be attributed to malpractice; 16 due to surgeon faults and 8 anesthesia-related deaths. The main cause of death was obstetric hemorrhage (n=46) followed by respiratory failure (n=30). Out of the 24 cases, 19 were proved to be due to negligence in the form of late intervention, improper preparation, unmanaged complication and unauthorized place of management. Conclusion: Malpractice causes nearly one-fifth of alleged maternal deaths; the most frequenct type of which is negligence. Surgeon errors were double anesthesia related deaths. Hemorrhage was the most common cause of death in malpractice as well as incidental deaths. Quality of obstetric care in Egypt needs further improvement in the aspects of health facilities and care providers.
Managing Teleworkers at a Telecentre: an examination of the Age of Paradox theory

This paper reports a single case study that examined how managers from a public sector organisation supervised their office-based staff who also worked one or two days at a telecentre. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four managers to examine the issues and concerns they have when managing their respective teleworkers. In particular, we also examined the applicability of the Pearlson and Saunders’s Age of Paradox theoretical framework in this context. Preliminary results appear to negate two of the paradoxes suggested by Pearlson and Saunders. Implications of the findings for practice and research are discussed.
Support to internally displaced persons : learning from evaluations : synthesis report of a joint evaluation programme

Following a proposal made by Sweden at a meeting of the EC Humanitarian Aid Committee (HAC) in May 2003, a group of representatives of donor organisations agreed to undertake a collaborative evaluation process focussing on the theme of and the collaborative response, and when does the need for assistance end? These critical issues are discussed in detail in the report and recommendations on how to deal with them are presented. The views and interpretations expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the organisations commissioning this study. A summary version (23 pages) of this report is also available. 3 Preface In May 2003, representatives of four donor organisations, the Danish and Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO), agreed to undertake a collabora-tive evaluation process focussing on the theme of support to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The objective of the process was to 'to draw out key, system-wide lessons and thereby improve the provision of humanitarian assistance and protection to IDPs in the future'. An informal grouping 'the IDP Evaluation Group' was formed to steer the process, chaired by the Head of the Evaluation Department of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By the autumn of 2003 the initial grouping had expanded to also include representatives the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI), OCHA, UNHCR and WFP. The approach adopted for planning and managing this collabora-tive exercise has been deliberately light and informal. This has meant it could be finalised within a relatively short timescale , and has facilitated donor participation. Despite some weaknesses this collaborative approach has proved popular with all the participating agencies. It could serve as a useful model for future evaluations if applied with more rigour and discipline. The model has the following positive attributes: It encourages a broader perspective beyond the programming of a single donor. It is very much in alignment with the Good Humanitarian Donorship initiative that aims to increase the accountability and consistency of donors within the functioning of the wider humanitarian system. And it has the potential to push forward policy debates, which could be truly evidence-based. This synthesis is based on 17 reports covering operations in ten Colombia) contain the largest IDP populations in the world. Seven critical issues are identified: …
Nutritional and sensory properties of mouflon x Sarda lamb meat

Suckling lamb is a typical foodstuff of the Mediterranean dairy sheep breeding. The milk lamb produced in Sardinia is much appreciated for its organoleptic characters. Nevertheless, since it is fed with ewe-milk, it has production costs that are not entirely repaid by market prices. A greater exploitation occurred since PGI (geographical indication) was accomplished, but an improvement could be attained also through crossbreeding between dairy and meat breeds. The aim of this research was to determine nutritional and sensory traits of the lamb meat obtained from the crossbred between Mouflon and Sarda sheep breed. Ten carcasses of the crossbred were compared to ten carcasses of pure Sarda breed. All the carcasses were classified for weight, quality, meat color and fat class. The acidic profile was determined on intramuscular and depot fat using gaschromatography. Sensorial investigation was performed on meat after cooking, using an affective method. Data were submitted to statistical analysis. Crossbred meat is leaner and it provides a lower caloric intake (P<0.01). Fatty acid profile of fat depots were similar between the two groups, while as regards the composition of intramuscular fat, Sarda lambs had a higher percentage of MUFA (P<0.01) and lower nutritional indexes. Consumer test indicated a clear preference (P<0.01) for crossbred meat, that has a stronger taste, even though it is slightly less tender. On the whole, data pointed out a good nutritional quality for meat of both genotypes, but crossbred meat has better sensorial characteristics.
Sensitivity analysis in systems biology modelling and its application to a multi-scale model of blood glucose homeostasis

Biological systems typically consist of large numbers of interacting components and involve processes at a variety of spatial, temporal and biological scales. Systems biology aims to understand such systems by integrating information from all functional levels into a single cohesive model. Mathematical and computational modelling is a key part of the systems biology approach and can be used to produce composite models which describe systems across multiple scales. One of the major diculties in constructing models of biological systems is the lack of precise parameter values which are often associated with a high degree of uncertainty. This uncertainty in parameter values can be incorporated into the modelling process using sensitivity analysis, the systematic investigation of the relationship between uncertain model inputs and the resulting variation in the model outputs. This thesis discusses the use of global sensitivity analysis in systems biology modelling and addresses two main problem areas: the application of sensitivity analysis to time dependent model outputs and the analysis of multi-scale models. An approach to the analysis of time dependent model outputs which makes use of principal component analysis to extract the key modes of variation from the data, is presented. The analysis of multi-scale models is addressed using group-based sensitivity analysis which enables the identication of the most important sub-processes in the model. Together these methods provide a new methodology for sensitivity analysis in multi-scale systems biology modelling. The methodology is applied to a composite model of blood glucose homeostasis that combines models of processes at the sub-cellular, cellular and organ level to describe the physiological system. The results of the analysis suggest three main points about the system: the mobilisation of calcium by glucagon plays a minor role in the regulation of glycogen metabolism; auto-regulation of hepatic glucose production by glucose is important in regulating blood glucose levels; time-delays between changes in blood glucose levels, the release of insulin by the pancreas and the eect of the hormone on hepatic glucose production are important in the possible onset of ultradian glucose oscillations. These results suggest possible directions for further study into the regulation of blood glucose.
Stitching at the boundaries : Vietnamese garment industry workers in transnational spaces

*This article is free to read on the publisher's website* This paper explores the interfaces between the transnational politics of labour and the experiences of Vietnamese women garment workers both in Vietnam and as migrants to other countries. As the global industries have come to organise much of the contemporary economic system, so too have they crossed national boundaries in search of cheap labour. At the same time enclaves of migrant disadvantage within the multi-ethnic nation-states of the developed world have also provided workers for the manufacture of clothing. In the case of Australia, these workers are mostly home-based and not in factories. In this paper I explore Vietnamese women's different incorporations into the garment industry in various locations – in Australia, in Vietnam, and in American Samoa. In so doing, I provide an analysis of the links between gender, global power relations and the contradictory space of transnational exchange.
Risk prediction models for hip fracture: parametric versus Cox regression

Hip fracture is a public health burden due to high morbidity, mortality and cost. Risk prediction models can aid clinical decision-making by identifying individuals at risk. Objective: To build risk prediction model for incident hip fracture using Weibull regression and compare this with Cox regression model. Method: The Study of Osteoporosis prospectively collected risk factors were used to build a risk prediction model for first hip fracture using Threshold regression with Wiener process. Similar predictors were fitted using Cox regression for comparison. Results: There were 632 first hip fractures. Age, bone density, maternal and personal prior fractures were significant risk factors for hip fracture. Weibull had better goodness of fit, higher D-statistic and R-squared values than the exponential. Models did not differ in c-index and ten-fold cross validation showed similar areas under the ROC curves. Conclusion: Parametric and Cox models were comparable. External validation of the prediction model is required.
Earthquake-Induced Soil Pressures on Structures

The earthquake-induced pressures on soil-retaining structures are investigated. The study was motivated by the lack of suitable earthquake design data for relatively rigid structures on firm foundations in situations where the foundation, structure and retained soil remain essentially elastic. Pressures and forces on the walls of a number of idealized wall-soil problems are analyzed. The solutions obtained are evaluated for a range of the important parameters to give results useful for design. In the idealized problems the soil is represented by an elastic layer of finite length bonded to a rigid foundation or rock layer. The wall or structure is represented by a rigid element resting on the rock layer and is permitted to undergo rotational deformation about the base. The mass or moment of inertia of the structure and its rotational stiffness are included as parameters in the idealization. Static and dynamic solutions are obtained using both analytical and finite element methods. Solutions are evaluated for the assumption of perfectly rigid behavior of the wall. The general solution for the deformable wall case was developed by superposition of the solution for the perfectly rigid case and solutions derived for displacement forcing of the wall structure. The assumption of linear elastic behavior of the wall- soil system is likely to be approximately satisfied in situations where a building or other large civil engineering structure is founded on firm soil or rock strata. In contrast to the linearly elastic assumption made in this study, the commonly used Mononobe-Okabe method employs the assumption of sufficiently large wall deformations to induce a fully plastic stress condition in the soil. It was concluded that both the elastic theory and the Mononobe-Okabe method have valid applications in the design of wall structures subjected to earthquake motions, but that because of significant differences in the solutions obtained from each method, care is required in selecting the most appropriate method for a particular situation.
Nomogram for Predicting Survival in Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of Prostate

Background: Few studies on predicting survival in patients with histology of mucinous adenocarcinoma of the prostate have been done.Objective: Nomogram is a mathematical model in which various important factors are combined to predict a specific end point. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of clinical factors in patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma and to construct nomogram to predict the survival rate. Design,Setting,and Participants: A nomogram was designed to predict the survival rate of 356 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma selected from the surveillance, epidemiology and final results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate models of the cohort were done firstly.And then a model of nomogram that included age, race, grade, stage M and chemotherapy were constructed to predict the 3-year and 5-year survival of prostate cancer patients with histology of mucinous adenocarcinoma. Based on different time, we designed two nomograms.Results and limitations: After the discrimination and calibration, C-index was 0.8138. The specificity was 86.12%, sensitivity was 55.89% for 3-year nomogram . Its survival was 91.49% and AUC was 0.7467. The specificity was 82.42%, sensitivity was 54.83% for 5-year nomogram. Its Survival was 86.73% and AUC was 0.7555. Respectively, which indicated relative good discrimination of the nomogram. Conclusions: This clinical model shows a high ability to predict the survival rate of mucinous adenocarcinoma patients with histologically prostate cancer, making this model a novel and attractive model for predicting the survival rate of patients.
Host-based Detection and Prevention of Black Hole Attacks by AODV-ICCSO Algorithm for Security in MANETs

Background: Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (i.e.) MANETs are gaining rapid fame in recent days and are considered as very significant because of their easier implementation and growing property. Various types of attacks are prone to damage the networks due to the elastic property possessed by the network. And among different categories of attacks that can affect MANETs, black hole attack is considered as the commonly occurring one within a MANET. Chicken Swarm Optimization (CSO) algorithm is one among the technique used for the detection of black hole attacks occurring in the MANETs. But the CSO algorithm possesses some disadvantages and necessity rises for overcoming the weakness in the CSO algorithm. Objective: Therefore, in this research paper, to address the black hole attack in MANET, an Improved Crossover Chicken Swarm Optimization (ICCSO) algorithm and the concept of Enhanced Partially-Mapped Crossover operation proposed and the best fitness values obtained. Methods: In ICCSO algorithm, parameter initialization is carried out in step 1 of the algorithm, where the attacked nodes and non-attack nodes are created separately with the aid of parameters like PDR (i.e.) Packet Delivery Ratio and RSSI (i.e.) Received Signal Strength Indicator. Further, If the node is affected by any attack, then the nodes are discarded and the data is transmitted through the non-attacked node. Routing is carried by a protocol of AODV.Results: The effectiveness of the algorithm proposed in the work is evaluated using various performance measures like packet delivery ratio (PDR), end-to-end delay (EED) and throughput. The performance measures are compared with a different state of the art routing protocols and it can be inferred that the proposed methodology comes up with improved results.
Sunflower Commercialisation in Singida Region: Pathways for Livelihood Improvement

Sunflower commercialisation in Singida Region, Tanzania has been successful. The successes include increased oilseed production, expanding processing capacity and declining rural poverty. Policies and efforts by development agents to promote sunflower commercialisation have increased the number of actors and service providers. Accumulation from sunflower and other enterprises, including livestock, have not only improved livelihoods, but also contributed to household economic diversity. This paper examines the interactions between activities involved in sunflower production and other livelihood strategies. For example, the paper examines local dynamics in policy and business contexts that have shaped livelihood options available and people’s choices of which option they undertake, and the corresponding outcomes, and reasons for such commercialisation trajectories. The study aims to inform local, regional, and national strategies, to pursue more inclusive and sustainable agriculture development, and widen options and pathways for men and women in Mkalama and Iramba districts of Singida Region.
Error Exponents for Capacity-Achieving Signaling on Wideband Rayleigh Fading Channels

We have previously presented the exponent for an upper bound on the error probability of a “peaky” signaling scheme that achieves the capacity of the Rayleigh fading channel under an average power constraint in the limit of infinite bandwidth. In the present work, we complement this result with a lower bound. We find that the exponents of the upper and lower bounds coincide in the wideband limit and therefore yield the reliability function of the Rayleigh fading channel using peaky signaling. We illustrate the behavior of the reliability function and the upper and lower error probability bounds with some numerical examples.
Proceedings of the Second ACM-IEEE international symposium on Empirical software engineering and measurement

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Second International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM 2008) in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Empirical software engineering and measurement are important sub-disciplines aimed at advancing software engineering towards an engineering discipline. They focus on measurement in order to better understand, control, and improve software development processes, and on empirical studies to better model products and processes and understand process products. The 1st ESEM was held in Madrid in September 2007. Although this is only the second ESEM symposium, this series continues the long tradition of two high-quality conference series. ESEM resulted from the merger of the IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering (ISESE) and the IEEE International Software Metrics Symposium (METRICS). ISESE was held five times, first in Japan in 2002 and last in Brazil in 2006. As its name suggests, ISESE's primary goal was to disseminate knowledge on and from experimental research on software engineering. METRICS is a long-standing conference series, which was held first in the United States in 1999 and last in Italy in 2005. METRICS' foremost objective was to disseminate knowledge on and from research on software metrics. ESEM 2008 is part of the week-long Experimental Software Engineering International Week (ESEIW) in Kaiserslautern, Germany. It is an honor to welcome this conference to Kaiserslautern. Kaiserslautern has evolved into one of the premier centers for software & systems research in Europe. About 800 scientists and engineers -- spread across 3 departments of the University of Kaiserslautern and several institutes -- are working on advancing the state of the art in our field. The institutes include a Max-Planck Institute on Software Systems, two Fraunhofer Institutes -- for Industrial Mathematics (ITWM) and Experimental Software Engineering (IESE) -- and the German Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). I invite you to learn more about any of these institutes during your stay. We have a full two-day program of three parallel tracks on each day including two keynotes, technical papers, short papers, and a panel (please see the message from the Program Chairs for details).