Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Action learning : a guide for professional, management, and educational development

Part 1 Doing action learning: what is action learning and how does it work? types of action learning sets how a set works being a set member being a facilitator. Part 2 Developing action learning skills: a workshop for introducing action learning skills development - the basic skills additional skills. Part 3 The uses of action learning: learning and development using action learning for management development action learning for continuing professional development action learning in higher education action learning - a contribution to individual, organizational and social change.
A review and classification of total quality management research in Australia and an agenda for future research

Over the last decade, Australian organisations have embraced total quality management (TQM) as an effective management philosophy. However, a recent report indicated that there is little evidence of leading Australian researchers working on quality and related areas. Moreover, the perception is that whatever research has been done, it is fragmented and at a low level. In the light of this we conducted an extensive literature search on TQM materials. Our purpose was to provide a systematic analysis of the TQM articles published by the Australian researchers or in the context of Australian organisations. Our analysis led us to conclude that the research has been unbalanced, focusing mainly on case studies and empirical research. Further research is necessary to develop conceptual underpinning and analytical models based on large empirical studies.
Simulation of wind-distorted sprinkler patterns

Single‐sprinkler wind‐distorted distribution patterns are simulated utilizing drop trajectory computations, and compared with measured patterns. It is found that the exact formulation of the drag coefficient of single drops is not critical for applications focusing on water distribution. A drag correction factor, k is introduced to account for the effect of the incidence angle between drag force and orientation of a jet segment. The agreement between measured and computed patterns improves considerably when the proper value of k has been used. Three measures of similarity of computed to measured single patterns are put forth. The most comprehensive measure, denoted by σ, is a normalized sum of squares of differences between the measured and computed local application rates. The values of k that produce the best agreement in terms of σ seem to be an increasing function of the range of a sprinkler. Single patterns computed with the best values of k were used to calculate uniformity coefficients for a realis.
The Effects of Climate Change on Extreme Precipitation Events in the Upper Thames River Basin: A Comparison of Downscaling Approaches

Future changes in climatic conditions from increasing greenhouse gas concentrations will have a major impact on the hydrologic cycle. It is important to understand and predict future changes in temperature and precipitation in order to effectively manage water resources. Atmosphere-Ocean coupled Global Climate Models (AOGCMs) are used widely to predict the effects of greenhouse-gas forcing on global climate conditions. However, their spatial and temporal resolutions are quite large so their outputs must be modified to represent local climate conditions. This process is called downscaling, and there are a variety of tools available to achieve this goal. This study compares three downscaling approaches, namely the Statistical DownScaling Model (SDSM), Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator (LARS-WG), and the K-NN Weather Generator with Principal Component Analysis (WG-PCA). Each weather generator is used to simulate the historical climate for the Upper Thames River Basin in Ontario, Canada for use in a comparison of downscaling tools. Future climate conditions are simulated by LARS-WG and WG-PCA from six different AOGCMs, each with two to three emissions scenarios, for a total of 15 different models. In simulation of historical climate variability, the models generally perform better in terms of mean daily precipitation and total monthly precipitation. LARS-WG simulates precipitation events well but cannot reproduce means and variances in the daily temperature series. SDSM adequately simulates both temperatures and precipitation events. WG-PCA reproduces daily temperatures very well but overestimates the occurrence of some extreme precipitation events. Results are variable for the downscaling of AOGCMs; however, the downscaling tools generally predict a rise in winter, spring and fall precipitation totals, as well as an overall increase in mean annual precipitation in future decades.
Enhancement of galloping-based wind energy harvesting by synchronized switching interface circuits

Galloping phenomenon has attracted extensive research attention for small-scale wind energy harvesting. In the reported literature, the dynamics and harvested power of a galloping-based energy harvesting system are usually evaluated with a resistive AC load; these characteristics might shift when a practical harvesting interface circuit is connected for extracting useful DC power. In the family of piezoelectric energy harvesting interface circuits, synchronized switching harvesting on inductor (SSHI) has demonstrated its advantage for enhancing the harvested power from existing base vibrations. This paper investigates the harvesting capability of a galloping-based wind energy harvester using SSHI interfaces, with a focus on comparing the performances of Series SSHI (S-SSHI) and Parallel SSHI (P-SSHI) with that of a standard DC interface, in terms of power at various wind speeds. The prototyped galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvester (GPEH) comprises a piezoelectric cantilever attached with a square-sectioned bluff body made of foam. Equivalent circuit model (ECM) of the GPEH is established and system-level circuit simulations with SSHI and standard interfaces are performed and validated with wind tunnel tests. The benefits of SSHI compared to standard circuit become more significant when the wind speed gets higher; while SSHI circuits lose the benefits at small wind speeds. In both experiment and simulation, the superiority of P-SSHI is confirmed while S-SSHI demands further investigation. The power output is increased by 43.75% with P-SSHI compared to the standard circuit at a wind speed of 6m/s.
Design methodology for a very high frequency resonant boost converter

This document introduces a design methodology for a resonant boost converter topology that is suitable for operation at very high frequencies. The topology we examine features a low parts count and fast transient response but suffers from higher device stresses compared to other topologies that use a larger number of passive components. A numerical design procedure is developed for this topology that does not rely on time-domain simulation sweeps across parameters. This allows the optimal converter design to be found for a particular main semiconductor switch. If an integrated power process is used where the designer has control over layout of the semiconductor switch, the optimal combination of converter design and semiconductor layout can be found. To validate the proposed converter topology and design approach, a 75 MHz prototype converter is designed and experimentally demonstrated. The performance of the prototype closely matches that predicted by the design procedure, and achieves good efficiency over a wide input voltage range.
The condition monitoring of rolling element bearings using vibration analysis

A brief review on techniques of machine condition monitoring is presented followed by a description and results of a study involving the monitoring of vibration signatures of several rolling element bearings with a view to detecting incipient failure. The vibration data were analyzed and several parameters were assessed with regard to their effectiveness in the detection of bearing condition. It was found that all the parameters were of some value depending on the type of bearing failure encountered. Generally, frequency domain parameters were more consistent in the detection of damage than time domain parameters. However, sufficient evidence is produced to show that it would be unreliable to depend exclusively on any one technique to detect bearing damage.
Long-Distance Travel by Women: Results from the 1995 American Travel Survey

Research on women’s mobility has focused mostly on local travel, partly as a result of data availability. Women’s long-distance travel, defined as trips over 161 km (100 mi) one way, is examined, with data from the 1995 American Travel Survey (ATS). Conducted for the Bureau of Transportation Statistics by the Bureau of the Census, the ATS collected information on the origin, destination, volume, and characteristics of long-distance travel from 80,000 households in the United States. Data are presented on women’s long-distance travel disaggregated by, among other things, trip purpose, trip mode, age, race/ethnicity, and household type. Where possible and appropriate, ATS data are compared with data from 1977, the last time such a survey was conducted. The data show women made fewer long-distance trips than men in 1995 and the disparity between the sexes is virtually unchanged since 1977. About 80 percent of the difference in trip making results from men taking more than twice the number of business trips as women, despite women’s business travel having grown faster than men’s over the past 18 years. Most of the rest of the difference results from men’s greater trip making for outdoor recreation. Differences in long-distance travel behavior can be explained, to a degree, by women’s lower income, lower employment rates, and lower driver’s licensing rate, and because women are more likely to be the primary caregivers for children whether they work outside of the home or not.
Multi-objective Optimization of an Industrial Crude Distillation Unit Using the Elitist Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm

This study provides insights into the optimal operation of one of the most important refinery units, namely, the crude distillation unit (CDU). A steady state model based on (C+3) iteration variables is used to simulate an industrial column. The model is first tuned using some industrial data. The elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is used to solve a few meaningful multi-objective optimization problems. It is observed that current plant operation is sub-optimal and more profit can be realized for the same amount of energy cost using the optimal operating conditions found. Also, it was found that profit can be increased keeping the product properties within acceptable limits. The procedure used is quite general and can be applied to other CDUs.
Perception and Communication of Seismic Risk: The 6 April 2009 L'Aquila Earthquake Case Study

On Monday, 6 April 2009 at 3:32 a.m. (local time), a moment magnitude 6.3 earthquake with an epicenter located near the city of L'Aquila, in central Italy, killed 308 people, injured 1,500, left 22,000 homeless, and temporarily displaced another 65,000. This study examines a sample of the affected population and finds that despite the long list of historical earthquakes that struck the region and the swarm of foreshocks occurring up to four months before the main shock of 6 April, the residents of L'Aquila had a rather low earthquake risk perception and an unjustified confidence in the seismic safety of their houses. This low perception of earthquake risk and ignorance of the real structural resistance of buildings appear to have inhibited the individual and collective propensity to develop emergency plans. This situation was further exacerbated by the lack of clear and forthright communication from the emergency management authorities about the impossibility of precisely predicting earthquakes and about the risks posed by many of the city's old buildings.
COVID-19-Related Abnormal Liver Enzymes Levels: A Retrospective Study

Background: A new disease called Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) related to SARS-CoV-2 has brought serious attacks to the world. It causes damage to multiple organ systems of the body include liver. Here we intend to shed light on the clinical features its mechanism related to liver damage which caused by COVID-19.Methods: Clinical records and laboratory results were obtained from 138 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who were admitted to Tongji hospital, Wuhan, China from February 8, 2020 to February 18, 2020. Information on clinical features of patients with abnormal liver tests were collected for analysis.Results: Fifty-four (39.1%) and eighty-three (60.1%) patients had abnormal liver enzyme levels on admission and during the course of disease. Hepatocyte type was more common than cholestatic type abnormal. 24(17.4%) patients reached the liver injury standard in the course of disease. Patients with abnormal liver enzyme levels were more likely to be male, had higher levels of inflammation indicators, lower pulse oxygen saturation and lymphocyte count. There is a significantly higher proportion of abnormal liver enzymes levels in the patients which administrated antibiotics during hospitalization, compared with that in the ones without antibiotics therapy (56.6% vs 32.7%). Patients with liver injury was an independent predictor of a poor prognosis (p<0.0001, OR 7.774, 95%CI 2.674-22.599). Conclusions: Liver injury in COVID-19 patients was an independent predictor of a poor prognosis. The COVID-19-related abnormal liver enzymes levels may be considered as the result of secondary liver damage caused mainly by several factors. Hypoxia and disease severity account for the largest proportion.
Exploring Negotiation through Boundary Objects in Global Design Project Networks

Boundary objects have been shown to play an important role in sharing knowledge in and across firms. However, little research has examined whether boundary objects can facilitate emergence of common knowledge across national cultural boundaries. To examine this, we observed 1,428 design review interactions involving U.S. and Indian engineers. We quantitatively analyzed 419 interactions involving engineers and boundary objects and then qualitatively analyzed 67 instances of boundary object–mediated negotiation. We found that boundary objects can play a central role in negotiating complex design knowledge. We then induced a propositional theoretical model of boundary object–mediated negotiation in global design project networks.
Effects of rotor eccentricity on acoustic noise from induction machines

The variations of acoustic-noise power radiated from electric machines, having varying degrees of eccentricity of the rotor in the stator bore, were studied using a specially constructed rig in an anechoic chamber. A series of noise components, which were found in experiments to vary considerably with rotor eccentricity, were identified analytically from the expressions for the mode numbers and frequencies of the magnetic-force waves, taking into account the stator and rotor slotting, eccentricity and iron saturation. A method is presented for calculating the variation of important noise components with eccentricity. The effects on the noise power of different numbers of stator parallel paths and of different ways of connecting them were investigated using specially wound machines. Information is given concerning the choice of parallel paths and connections for noise reduction.
The role of advertising in marketing civil/structural engineering consultancy firms

This paper examines the results of an investigation into the role of advertising in civil/structural consulting engineering service firms in the UK. A questionnaire survey of clients and engineering consultants was undertaken to ascertain the current advertising practices and preferences in the methods and media used. From the survey, the results show that clients and consultants agree on the use of advertising consultants and media to achieve enhanced communication with clients. However, more advertising should be directed towards architects because the majority of clients approach architects first when launching a construction project. The results demonstrate that advertising is necessary, but is not a major factor in the selection mechanism of consulting firms by clients; further market research must be carried out to measure advertising effectiveness.
Investigating Health and Safety in Science Laboratories in Saudi Arabian Secondary Schools

This paper presents the findings of a study that investigated teachers’ perceptions of health and safety risks in science laboratories in secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. It identified the level of knowledge of school staff about health and safety risks and reviewed the current practices in the schools. A mixed methods study design was utilised to investigate the phenomenon. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select male and female teachers from 19 secondary schools in two cities, Jeddah and Riyadh. The survey was developed by adapting items from previous studies. Descriptive statistics and independent t-Test analyses were used to analyse the survey data and present the results. Interview questions, developed from literature, were used to collect qualitative in-depth data and complement quantitative data. The qualitative data was thematically analysed. Quantitative results revealed that there were very few differences in the perceptions of teachers based on gender. When interviewed, most teachers reported they had no knowledge of prudent work practices, lacked training and were not supported by school management and policy makers. Overall the findings indicate that the safety culture in the school laboratories was less well established. The results of this study can have important implications for both school stakeholders responsible for implementing health and safety in school laboratories and the policy makers. The empirical contribution of this paper is founded on the fact that this study is conducted in the context of health and safety risks in science laboratories at secondary school level where there is limited empirical evidence. The adoption of a holistic mixed methods investigation yielded findings which contributed to a better understanding of issues in laboratories and how schools and policymakers can carefully consider practices that support a positive safety culture.
EEG Pattern Analysis for Physiological Indicators of Mental Fatigue in Simulated Air Traffic Control Tasks

Objective: This study was designed to identify potential neurophysiologic markers and patterns of mental fatigue among air traffic controllers in their work environment.Background: The monitoring of mental fatigue in air traffic controllers has been of interest as their tasks involve high cognitive workload and are also critical to the safety of the public.Method: High-density electroencephalogram (EEG) was used to record 2-hour long air traffic control studies in eleven participants. Participants were asked to perform realistic tasks in a simulation, to operate a virtual air traffic control system. Fourier Transforms were used to estimate EEG power spectrum, statistical tests were implemented to reveal EEG spatial pattern changes caused by the time-on-task. The concept of mental state transition was introduced to study the development of certain mental states which are related to the mental fatigue. Results: The observation of EEG spectral data over a period of time revealed statistically significant changes spatially localized to central and parietal cortices. Rhythmic EEG activity within theta, alpha, and beta bands indicates transitions among mental states, which appear to be promising indicators for the development of mental fatigue. Mental fatigue indicated by the transition of mental states was estimated to approximately 70 minutes after the time on task. Application: This study can build the foundation to develop promising technologies for real time monitoring of mental fatigue, which will increase public safety and proper human resource planning.
Accommodating Thickness in Origami-Based Deployable Arrays

The purpose of this work is to create deployment systems with a large ratio of stowed-to-deployed diameter. Deployment from a compact form to a final flat state can be achieved through origami-inspired folding of panels. There are many models capable of this motion when folded in a material with negligible thickness; however, when the application requires the folding of thick, rigid panels, attention must be paid to the effect of material thickness not only on the final folded state, but also during the folding motion (i.e., the panels must not be required to flex to attain the final folded form). The objective is to develop new methods for deployment from a compact folded form to a large circular array (or other final form). This paper describes a mathematical model for modifying the pattern to accommodate material thickness in the context of the design, modeling, and testing of a deployable system inspired by an origami six-sided flasher model. The model is demonstrated in hardware as a 1/20th scale prototype of a deployable solar array for space applications. The resulting prototype has a ratio of stowed-to-deployed diameter of 9.2 (or 1.25 m deployed outer diameter to 0.136 m stowed outer diameter). © 2013 ASME
Prevalence of husband antenatal care attendance and associated factors among husbands whose wives gave birth in the last twelve months in Enebsiesarmider District, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018.

Background Globally, husband attendance of skilled maternal ANC care remains a challenge to safe motherhood. Even though husband attendance in antenatal care is one of the strategies for enhancing reproductive and sexual health in Ethiopia, the magnitude of husband attendance in ANC is not well investigated in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess husband antenatal care attendance and associated factors among husbands whose wives gave birth in the last twelve months prior to the study in Enebsiesarmider district, Northwest Ethiopia.Methods A Community-based cross-sectional study was employed to assess husband antenatal care attendance and associated factors among husbands whose wives gave birth in the last twelve months in Enebsiesarmider district, Northwest Ethiopia. The study was conducted from February 10-March 10, 2018. A total of 402 participants were involved in the study. Multi stage sampling method was used to recruit study participants. Data were collected using structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Data were entered using epi Data software and exported to SPPS for analysis. Descriptive statistics including mean, proportion were used to describe study variables. Binary and multivariable logistic regression was employed to describe variables in relation to the outcome variable.Result: The prevalence of husband antenatal care attendance was found to be 31.8% [95%CI, 27.4-36.3]. Attending secondary education and above [AOR 1.93, 95%CI, 1.14-3.26], good antenatal care knowledge [AOR 3.30, 95%CI, 2.02-5.39] and hadn’t health system barriers [AOR 2.32, 95%CI, 1.35-4.00] were statistically associated with husband antenatal care attendance.Conclusion Husband ANC attendance was found to be low in the study area. Regional health department shall design behavioral change interventions to reducing health system pitfalls towards ANC in the study area, furthermore, enabling all pregnant women to be booked for ANC and providing invitation letter to their husbands in the subsequent ANC visits seems essential to initiate husband ANC attendance.