Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Driving attitudes and risk perceptions of high-frequency speeders: Results of a community attitudes survey

Crashes involving speeding drivers and riders resulted in 59 fatalities in Queensland in 2012, representing 21.1 per cent of the annual road toll. Research has found exceeding the speed limit by just 5km/h doubles the risk of being involved in a casualty crash. As such, frequent speeding even at a low range has the potential to be dangerous. However, despite the evidence of risk, speeding continues to be a pervasive factor on Queensland roads. Speeding remains relatively socially acceptable and is practiced by most drivers on occasion. Correcting this mismatch between the risks associated with speeding and driver behaviour is an essential step in making speeding socially unacceptable. The Department of Transport and Main Roads has conducted an annual community attitudes survey for the past 14 years which is used to track self-reported attitudes to various road safety issues and assist policy makers to develop appropriate interventions to curb negative and antisocial attitudes. This study combined the results of the three most recent surveys, 2010 - 2012 and examined the self-reported attitudes, risk perceptions and behaviour of high frequency speeders (i.e. those who report speeding more than 50 percent of the time). High frequency speeders tended to be younger than low-frequency speeders and held less safe attitudes towards all speeding and speed enforcement items surveyed. The situations in which high-frequency speeders were more likely to report speeding pointed to the fact that the behaviour was often a conscious decision. Risk perceptions of other road safety issues were also investigated. Implications for public policy are discussed.
Should All Patients With HR-Positive HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer Receive CDK 4/6 Inhibitor As First-Line Based Therapy? A Network Meta-Analysis of Data from the PALOMA 2, MONALEESA 2, MONALEESA 7, MONARCH 3, FALCON, SWOG and FACT Trials

Background: We aim to understand whether all patients with hormonal receptor (HR)-positive (+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-negative (−) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) should receive cyclin D-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor-based therapy as a first-line approach. Methods: A network meta-analysis (NMA) using the Bayesian hierarchical arm-based model, which provides the estimates for various effect sizes, were computed. Results: First-line treatment options in HR+/HER2− MBC, including CDK 4/6 inhibitors combined with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) or fulvestrant (F), showed a significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) in comparison with AI monotherapy, with a total of 26% progression risk reduction. In the indirect comparison across the three classes of CDK 4/6 inhibitors and F endocrine-based therapies, the first strategy resulted in longer PFS, regardless of specific CDK 4/6 inhibitor (HR: 0.68; 95% CrI: 0.53–0.87 for palbociclib + AI, HR: 0.65; 95% CrI: 0.53–0.79 for ribociclib + AI, HR: 0.63; 95% CrI: 0.47–0.86 for abemaciclib + AI) and patient’s characteristics. Longer PFS was also found in patients with bone-only and soft tissues limited disease treated with CDK 4/6 inhibitors. Conclusions: CDK 4/6 inhibitors have similar efficacy when associated with an AI in the first-line treatment of HR+ MBC, and are superior to either F or AI monotherapy, regardless of any other patients or tumor characteristics.
Study on Vibration by Electromagnetic Force in the End Portion of Large Capacity Cylindrical Synchronous Machines

A new electromagnetic force analyzing method in end-winding is provided and evaluated by comparing to 3D- FEM electromagnetic analysis. Additionally, estimating method of end-winding vibration on load is suggested by measured data at factory test. Moreover, evaluating method for insulation degradation after operation is offered for large capacity cylindrical synchronous machines, where end-winding portion is the longest and electromagnetic forces on it is the greatest of all rotating machinery.
COTONSIMBAD system : modeling feeding behavior of cotton bollworms for evaluation of crop pest interactions

The indeterminate growth habit of the cotton crop allows yield compensation in specific conditions of fruit shedding. This peculiarity complicates the determination of economic damage thresholds. A single pest population may cause variable damage levels depending on the ability of the crop for compensation. The multiple interactions between the environment, the agronomic practices, the plant growth and the pest population dynamics limit study of thresholds with a classic field experimental approach. Recent progress in the modeling of cotton crop offer new tools for economic threshold studies. SIMBAD model (Simulation of Bollworm Attacks and Damages) simulates the demography of four species of cotton bollworms (Helicoverpa armigera, Diparopsis watersi, Earias biplaga and Spodoptera littoralis) and their damages according to their specific feeding behavior. The linkage of SIMBAD to the crop model COTONS allows an assessment of yield loss due to a bollworm attack, depending on the agronomic practices and the environment characteristics. SIMBAD includes three sub-models, modeling respectively the populations dynamics of bollworms, their feeding preferences and their voracity. The COTONSIMBAD system may be used as a farmer decision-aid tool or as a research tool for study of economic thresholds. (Resume d'auteur)
FUEL3-D: A Spatially Explicit Fractal Fuel Distribution Model

Efforts to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of fuels treatments are hampered by inconsistencies between the spatial scale at which fuel treatments are implemented and the spatial scale, and detail, with which we model fi re and fuel inter- actions. Central to this scale inconsistency is the resolution at which variability within the fuel bed is considered. Crown fuels are characterized by clumps of fuel separated by gaps between needles, between branches, and between trees. A growing body of evidence suggests that this variability plays an important role in how fi re spreads. A new system currently in development for representing fuels with higher detail, called FUEL3-D, is presented. FUEL3-D is designed to both facilitate fundamental fuel and fi re science research and to provide detailed guidance to managers in the design and evaluation of fuel treatments. Unlike existing fuel models that do not deal with spatial structure or variability within the fuelbed, FUEL3-D represents fuels with spatially ex- plicit detail; individual branches on individual trees are resolved and quantifi ed using fractal geometry and allometric relationships. Fuels can be summarized to 3-D pixels, at any scale, as input to advanced physical numerical fi re behavior models such as FIRETEC and WFDS. FUEL3-D can thus be used to represent fuels before and after treatment with much greater detail than has been possible before. Model develop- ment, preliminary validation against destructively-sampled crown fuels data sets, and current research inquiries are discussed.
Lactobacillus acidophilus-Fermented Germinated Brown Rice Suppresses Preneoplastic Lesions of the Colon in Rats

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a cancer associated with chronic inflammation. Whole grains and probiotics play a protective role against CRC. Fermented grains are receiving increased attention due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. Our previous study found that a combination of germinated brown rice (GBR) with probiotics suppressed colorectal carcinogenesis in rats. However, the cancer-preventive effect of probiotic-fermented GBR has not been reported. This study investigated the preventive effect and possible mechanism of GBR fermented by Lactobacillus acidophilus (FGBR) on colorectal carcinogenesis in rats induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). DMH/DSS treatment induced preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF), elevated serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β, as well as decreased pro-apoptotic Bax expression. GBR and FGBR reduced the primary ACF number and decreased TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β levels. GBR and FGBR at the 2.5% level increased pro-apoptotic cleaved caspase-3 and decreased anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expressions. FGBR at the 2.5% level further reduced the number of sialomucin-producing ACF (SIM-ACF) and increased Bax expression. These results suggest that FGBR may inhibit preneoplastic lesions of the colon via activating the apoptotic pathway. This fermented rice product may have the potential to be developed as a novel dietary supplement for CRC chemoprevention.
Efficacy and safety of colchicine in inflammatory skin diseases: a retrospective, monocentric study in a large tertiary center

Abstract Introduction: Colchicine is an ancient, but rarely used drug. Little data exist on its efficacy and safety in patients suffering from skin diseases. The objective of our study was to determine whether colchicine showed favorable efficacy and safety in our patients during the last 20 years. Methods: The hospital database was searched for patients treated with colchicine in the last 20 years (January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2017). Overall, total of 41 patients were included in our study. Results: In 63.4% of all patients, either a complete response or an improvement of disease was observed. Adverse events occurred rarely. Discussion: Colchicine is an effective and safe treatment.
Channel Probing for an Indoor Wireless Communications Channel

CHANNEL PROBING FOR AN INDOOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL Brandon Rosel Hunter Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Master of Science The statistics of the amplitude, time and angle of arrival of multipaths in an indoor environment are all necessary components of multipath models used to simulate the performance of spatial diversity in receive antenna configurations. The model presented by Saleh and Valenzuela [1], was added to by Spencer et. al. [2], and included all three of these parameters for a 7 GHz channel. A system was built to measure these multipath parameters at 2.4 GHz for multiple locations in an indoor environment. Another system was built to measure the angle of transmission for a 6 GHz channel. The addition of this parameter allows spatial diversity at the transmitter along with the receiver to be simulated. The process of going from raw measurement data to discrete arrivals and then to clustered arrivals is analyzed. Many possible errors associated with discrete arrival processing are discussed along with possible solutions. Four clustering methods are compared and their relative strengths and weaknesses are pointed out. The effects that errors in the clustering process have on parameter estimation and model performance are also simulated.
A systematic review to investigate student performance and their learning experiences within integrated healthcare curricula

Background Integrated curricula is being adopted within healthcare programmes with a growing number of curriculum evaluations being undertaken and reported. A framework exists to guide educationalists in the planning, design and implementation of integrated curricula. It is unknown how widely utilised this framework has been to inform curricula development. This study presents a systematic appraisal of the evidence on how healthcare students experience and perform within integrated interventions and aims to assess how the context of the curriculum has influenced these outcomes. Methods Six electronic databases: Medline, Embase, Scopus, Psych-INFO, CINHAL and ProQuest were systematically searched in September 2018. Studies reporting on undergraduate healthcare students providing feedback, or performing at terminal assessment after experiencing integrated curricula were included. The assessments were categorised by the learning domain they aimed to test. Studies were assessed for methodological quality and risk of bias using a critical appraisal checklist. Studies were appraised against the implementation framework to facilitate contextual understanding of the intervention and findings. Results Forty studies from programmes in medicine, pharmacy and dentistry met the inclusion criteria and were included. Interdisciplinary level integration was most widely adopted, with a wide range of teaching and learning strategies employed in the delivery. Assessments testing higher learning domains, e.g. application and analysis of knowledge, were more commonly reported. Students appear to perform similarly or conservatively better after experiencing integrated education, however adopted study designs preclude the deduction of a direct causal relationship. Students report generally positive feedback on their integrated experiences, claiming the development of a wide range of skills. However, authors provide insufficient detail about the integrated educational developments to best inform future educationalists on the best systems for curriculum integration. Conclusions There is an impetus in research purporting best practices in curriculum integration, however, more standardised, evidence-informed design and reporting of interventions and outcomes are required to strengthen evidence in this area.
INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF FORMALDEHYDE INHALATION ON TXNIP AND NF-ΚB LEVELS IN RAT KIDNEY

Exposure to excessive formaldehyde (FA) has harmful effects on mammalian tissues. The aim was to investigate levels of oxidative stress in rat kidney due to chronic mild FA exposure. Sixteen female adult albino Wistar rats divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental animals were exposed to FA by inhalation to 10 ppm FA for 12 weeks, subchronic exposure. Kidney tissue Thioredoxin Interacting Protein and Nuclear factor-κB p105 levels were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The glutathione, malondialdehyde and advanced oxidation protein products levels were measured with the spectrophotometric methods. Serum albumin, creatinine, and urea concentrations were measured with enzymatic colorimetric assay. Compared to the control group, kidney GSH concentrations were significantly decreased in the FA group (P=0.015), while serum MDA concentration showed a significant increase (P=0.002). There was also a statistically insignificant decrease in tissue TXNIP and MDA and insignificant increase in tissue NF-κB p105 and AOPPs concentrations. Moreover, there was a strong positive correlation between tissue MDA and NF-κB p105 (r=0.841, P=0.001). Formaldehyde appears to cause cellular toxicity through oxidative damage because of disruption to oxidant/antioxidant system homeostasis. Subchronic administration of mild dose FA via inhalation to rats does not affect particular parameters on the apoptotic
Human Resources Management and Innovation : Exploring the Connection

Innovation is paramount to success. Over time firms must maintain their ability to innovate in order to maintain their competitive edge. In this paper we explore the role human resource management has in nurturing and enhancing the innovative capability of the firm. To explore HRM activities, functions and processes that enhance or impede innovativeness we conducted a literature review. Following this review, 10 propositions have been made that link HRM to both incremental and radical innovativeness respectively. Our results include suggestions for empirical studies to validate our propositions as well as some managerial implications.
ACTUALIZATION OF THE JEAN PIAGET COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT THEORY IN LEARNING

This article aims to look at Jean Piaget's actualization in the learning process, especially those related to theories about cognitive development. The method used in this research is literature review, the data of which is obtained from a variety of related literature, both directly and indirectly, which are studied with a theoretical and philosophical approach. The results of this study found that Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development was quite influential in the world of education. In addition, in the process of education to get good results all components, especially educators must adjust to the development of students, and should always give an appreciation of all forms of positive actualization of students so that it has an impact on the cognitive development of students.
Theory of fusion plasmas : joint Varenna-Lausanne international workshop, Varenna, Italy, 25-29 August 2008

The Joint Varenna-Lausanne International Workshop on Theory of Fusion Plasmas takes place every other year in a place particularly favorable for informal and in depth discussions. Invited and contributed papers present state-of-the art researches in theoretical plasma physics, covering all domains relevant to fusion plasmas. This workshop always allows a fruitful mix of experienced researchers and students, to allow for a better understanding of the key theoretical physics models and applications, such as: theoretical issues related to burning plasmas; anomalous transport (turbulence, coherent structures, microinstabilities), RF heating and current drive, macroinstabilities, plasma-edge physics and divertors, and fast particles instabilities.
Exploring stages/phases and gates as a project management approach for South African clean development mechanism projects

Climate change is a global problem that is at least partially caused by human induced greenhouse gas emissions. Various initiatives were developed in the 1990‟s to incentivise greenhouse gas emission reductions below legal limits. One of these systems is the Kyoto Protocol‟s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). In these incentive schemes parties can sell (the Seller) their greenhouse gas emission reductions to other parties (the Buyer) who need to offset their emissions. Emission reduction incentivised projects have technical aspects, financial aspects and regulatory requirements. The complexity of emission reduction schemes are further increased due to the levels of scrutiny and diverse sources of scrutiny that a project undergoes. As a developing country South Africa (SA) has a lot to gain by the successful implementation of CDM projects. Unfortunately very few successful CDM projects exist in South Africa. It was then the aim of this research to explore why there are so few projects and what are the current CDM project management approaches followed for CDM projects in SA? During the investigation aspects of the project management landscape of SA CDM projects were structured by means of a stage/phase and gate approach. This was done to aid in addressing the specific requirements of CDM projects and to combine this with the limited real world experience of successful CDM projects in SA. A stage/phase-gate model was developed because of the Exploring stages/phases and gates as a PM approach for South African CDM projects iii model‟s ability to manage risk per stage/phase and overall risks, as well as the ability of these models to assist in portfolio management. Various research methods were used to develop the final proposed stage/phase and gate project management model (Model β). These methods included over and above literature reviews: Two rounds of questionnaires to develop the model; Interviews with individual experts through identified cases to validate the first version of the model; and Interaction with the South African Clean Development Industry Association to validate the second version of the model. Model β should not be seen as a stationary model. The model should rather be adapted by each emission reduction project developer to suit the developer‟s company specific requirements. Furthermore the evolving regulatory environment of emission reduction systems will lead to the continued adapting and updating of Model β. The model could then be useful for: Project developers to plan and execute their projects; and Buyers or Investors in projects as to quickly ascertain current project status and progression. It is envisaged that applying Model β, or a derivative, will: Manage risk due to increased project management through a stage/phase and gate approach; Decrease project development time and ensure all required outputs are achieved quicker; and Due to decreasing development time, costs could be managed better.
Performance evaluation of academic libraries: implementation model

This paper describes an action model to measure the performance of libraries. The proposed model is based in the CAF – Common Assessment Framework, the Balanced Scorecard and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The recommended performance indicators are based in the ISO 11620:1998, Adm1:2003 and ISO 2789:2003. The relative weights for each performance measure are calculated using the AHP. The AHP computes the weights of the performance measures in two steps: • Comparing (pairwise) the performance measures under each criterion; • Comparing (pairwise) the major criteria of the proposed model. The main purpose of this model is to improve the performance of libraries and to develop benchmarking techniques. The model was tested using the opinion of ten university librarians. According to the data, the most important criteria, by decreasing order of importance, are: customer satisfaction, impact on society, leadership and financial perspective.
Re-engineering the construction delivery process: The Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville – A Case Study

The recently constructed Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville is reviewed as a case study in research into re-engineering the construction delivery process. The project involved an innovative approach to the procurement of a public building and resulted in a highly successful outcome. Several key areas which were identified as contributing to the success of this project need to be investigated further to establish their role in contributing to the success of other construction industry projects.
Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing of a Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) System That Conforms to the Japanese Standard

Dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) systems, designed to enhance the efficiency of highway travel, have been proposed for operation in the 5850– to 5925-MHz band. The successful operation of these communication systems depends upon their compatibility with high-power search and tracking radars that operate at or near this frequency band and are a potential source of interference. This report presents the methods and results of a series of interference tests performed by the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences to determine the electromagnetic compatibility of a DSRC system and high-power 5-GHz radars.
Delayed Intrathoracic Gastric Perforation after G-POEM for Treating Post-Operative Refractory Gastroparesis：A Case Report and Review of Literature

Background: Gastric peroral endoscopic pyloromyotomy(G-POEM) is introduced as a strategy to treat post-operative refractory gastroparesis. An intrathoracic gastric perforation is a rare complication of G-POEM. Case presentation: This report described the case of a patient who suffered with an intrathoracic gastric perforation about 10 days after a G-POEM procedure. A review of the PUBMED literature indexed in English with the key words of perforation and G-POEM was performed and the results were considered. The results indicated that delayed perforation was a rare complication after G-POEM. Overeating may cause the severe intrathoracic gastric dilation and perforation. Furthermore, successful nonsurgical management after G-POEM complicated by delayed perforation could be a highly feasible option, if intensive conservative treatments were used. Conclusions: Delayed perforation after G-POEM treating post-operative refractory can lead to severe mediastinal and thoracic infections. Fully prepared before the G-POEM procedure and effective suture instrument during the procedure may reduce the incidence of perforations. If perforation occurs after G-POEM, conservative treatment can be chosen if a patient’s general situation allows. However, the choice of surgical treatment must not be ignored if the patient's overall condition deteriorates.