Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trajectory Planning Under Stochastic and Bounded Sensing Uncertainties Using Reachability Analysis

Trajectory planning under uncertainty is an active research topic. Previous works predict state and state estimation uncertainties along trajectories to check for collision safety. They assume either stochastic or bounded sensing uncertainties. However, GNSS pseudoranges are typically modeled to contain stochastic uncertainties with additional biases in urban environments. Thus, given bounds for the bias, the planner needs to account for both stochastic and bounded sensing uncertainties. In our prior work we presented a reachability analysis to predict state and state estimation uncertainties under stochastic and bounded uncertainties. However, we ignored the correlation between these uncertainties, leading to an imperfect approximation of the state uncertainty. In this paper we improve our reachability analysis by predicting state uncertainty as a function of independent quantities. We design a metric for the predicted uncertainty to compare candidate trajectories during planning. Finally, we validate the planner for GNSS-based urban navigation of fixed-wing UAS.
Changes in Seed Yield of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in relation to the Seed Rate and Method of Sowing

Inappropriate seed rate and sowing method contribute a significant role in low productivity of sunflowers. So, a study was conducted to assess the effect of different seed rates and sowing methods on the yield of sunflower in Ghodaghodi Municipality ward no. 2, Sandepani, far-west province, Kailali, Nepal, during spring season in 2018. The three different seed rates (8 Kg/ha, 10 Kg/ha and 12 Kg/ha) combined with three different sowing methods (broadcasting, line sowing and ridge sowing). A randomized complete block design in a 3×3 factorial arrangement with three replicates per treatment was applied. The indigenous variety of sunflower was used as a test crop. The highest stem diameter was recorded with the lowest seed rate, which remained unaffected by different sowing methods. Head diameter, seeds per head and thousand-grain weight were maximum in plants receiving seed rate of 8 kg/ha. However, the highest (2.13 t/ha) and the lowest (1.76 t/ha) grain yield were achieved with the seed rates of 10 kg/ha and 12 Kg/ha, respectively. Regarding sowing methods, head diameter, seeds per head, thousand-grain weight and grain yield (2.68 t/ha) obtained in the ridge method were statistically superior over those, obtained in line and broadcasting methods. The interaction effect of seed rate and sowing method on seeds per head suggested that maximum seeds per head were obtained with 8 kg/ha seed sown in the ridge. Our study recommended 8 kg/ha seed rate and ridge sowing of sunflower performed best in grain yield.
Biogas potential determination and production optimisation through optimal substrate ratio feeding in co-digestion of water hyacinth, municipal solid waste and cow dung

Abstract Modelling and optimisation of biogas production from different substrate mixtures is lagging behind in research and development. Current biogas production processes are not fully exploiting co-digestion of multifaceted biomaterials with manures and other biowastes. A model is presented for the determination of biogas production potential from water hyacinth (WH), municipal solid waste (MSW) and cow dung (CD) as well as the subsequent optimisation of the co-digestion mix ratios of these substrates. In this study biogas is assumed to comprise of methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide. Baseline biogas potential yields of 747.4 ml/gVS, 790.83 ml/gVS and 884.24 ml/gVS were obtained from WH, MSW and CD, respectively. A linear programming mathematical optimisation was done. The objective is to find substrate blend ratios in the co-digestion mixture that maximises biogas production. Optimal co-digestion results in percentage substrate blending ratios of for WH, MSW and CD, respectively in a case study. One kilogram of substrate mixture yields of biogas which translates to 124,560 ml/gVS. Co-digestion and optimisation of substrate blend mix proportions increased the biogas output by The biogas fratenity benefits in having an informed optimal co-digestion model that foretells substrate blending ratios.
Use of computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA) for monitoring the effects of glycerol solutions on rabbit spermatozoa motility.

The target of our study was to evaluate the effect of pure glycerol on rabbit spermatozoa motility parameters in vitro. Semen samples of New Zealand White rabbit breed were used in the experiment. After processing, the semen samples were stored in the laboratory at 37°C in thermostat. For in vitro culture pure (PG) glycerol (2, 5, 10%) diluted in physiological saline were used. Each of prepared samples was evaluated using Computer Assisted Semen analyzer (CASA) system. The total spermatozoa motility ranged in experimental groups in range 22.82 – 57.09%, and these values were significantly lower compared to control group (74.51 – 84.94%). This decrease was dependent on glycerol concentration used in the study as well as on the period of culture. The values in groups with pure glycerol showed time and dose dependent decrease mainly after 3 hours of culture. Results of our study clearly demonstrate negative effect of pure glycerol in higher concentrations on spermatozoa motility parameters.
Dealing with the Size Effect in Insulating Liquids. A Volume Effect, an Area Effect or even a Particle Effect?

Insulating liquids play an important role as insulating media in various high voltage applications and infrastructure installations. The dielectric strength of an insulating liquid depends on the experimental conditions (in case of laboratory testing) and/or the service conditions (in case of apparatuses in service). One of the main factors affecting the dielectric strength of insulating liquids is the so-called size effect, i.e. the effect of the size of the electrodes, of the size of the liquid volume under stress and of the gap spacing between the electrodes. All the aforementioned parameters are investigated in the context of the present short review. Keywords-insulating liquids; liquid dielectrics; transformer oil; dielectric strength; volume effect; gap effect; area effect
Luminescent phosphate sensor based on upconverting graphene quantum dots

ABSTRACT In this paper, we have presented a novel graphene quantum dots based upconversion fluorescent sensor for detection of phosphate. The upconversion fluorescence of graphene quantum dots with emission wavelength at 407 nm was quenched by rare earth ion, Eu3+ in proper concentration. The quenching constant is calculated from Stern–Volmer equation. Importantly, quenched fluorescence of graphene quantum dots-Eu3+ could be recovered with the addition of phosphate based on a competition mechanism, which provides a turn-on sensing strategy for phosphate assay. The recovered fluorescence is proportional to the concentration of phosphate. The linear range for the detection of phosphate was 1 to 12 µM with a detection limit of 100 nM. The proposed sensing system has been successfully used for the assay of phosphate in real river water samples, indicating the practical potential.
First Emergency Hemodialysis Session at the Nephrology Department of the Teaching Hospital of Yopougon: About 146 Cases

Context: Due to the late referral of the pads to the nephrologist and the lack of medical follow-up, many patients are admitted with complications from kidney disease requiring the urgent start of hemodialysis sessions. Purpose: Study the profile of emergency hemodialysis patients in order to ease their management. Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study carried out at the Nephrology Department of the Teaching Hospital of Yopougon from January 1st to December 31st, 2016. This study included all patients who had received a first session of hemodialysis in an emergency context. Results: We collected 146 patients with an average age of 39.80 ± 14.55 years and a sex ratio of 0.6 for men. Before admission, patients were known as hypertensives (63.9%), followed by CKD (23.9%) and HIV-infected (8.2%). The main clinical signs were hypertension (64.3%), edema (44.5%) and coma (30.1%). Anemia was observed in 97.2% of cases and it was less than 8 g/dl in 57.5%. Kidney failure was chronic in 75.3% and acute in 24.6%. Chronic nephropathies were glomerular (54.1%), vascular (20.5%). The main indications for hemodialysis were encephalopathy (33.5%), severe uremia (28%), acute pulmonary edema (19.8%), persistent anuria (11.6%) and hyperkalemia (5.4%). The vascular approach was a catheter in 97.2% (femoral site in 53.4% and jugular in 43.8% and arteriovenous fistula in 2.7%). Death was observed in 17.8%. In univariate analysis, age > 65 years (p = 0.04), coma (p = 0.004) and acute kidney failure (p = 0.02) were associated with the risk of death, and in multivariate analysis, only coma (p = 0.024, OR = 5.88) seemed to be associated with mortality risk for our patients. Conclusion: Hemodialysis in an emergency situation is a common practice in the Teaching Hospital of Yopougon and mainly concerns patients with CKD.
A Theoretical Study of the Flow of Blood in a Capillary with Permeable Wall

A hydrodynamical theory of the steady slow motion of blood through a capillary with a permeable wall is presented. It is assumed that the exchange of fluid across the capillary wall obeys Starling's hypothesis, that is, the rate of flow per unit area of the wall surface is proportional to the difference between the pressure of the fluid within and outside of the capillary. It is further assumed that the rate of flow across the capillary wall is very small. Blood is regarded as a homogeneous Newtonian fluid. The expressions for the velocity and pressure distributions within the tube and the volume of the fluid flowing per unit time across a cross section of the tube are obtained. In order to see the motion of the fluid particles, the streamlines are also obtained. Discussions are made from physiological point of view.
EFFECTS OF INTERVENING LOAN TO DEPOSIT RATIO ON PROFITABILITY

Government banks have a higher level of trust in society, as most of these shares are owned by the Government. Ratio used to assess a bank’s performance is the Return on Asset ratio. Each bank will try to keep its Return on Asset ratio consistently rising and the Non Performing Loan ratio consistently falling. But the phenomenon is that the ratio of Return on Asset and Non Performing Loan at the Government Bank fluctuated from 2014 to 2019. I will therefore examine the factors that affect the ratio of Return on Assets and Non-Performing Loans to government banks. In this study, the ratios used were Non Performing Loan, Net Interest Margin, Capital Adequacy Ratio as an independent variable, Loan to Deposit Ratio as an intervening variable and Return on Asset on its dependent variables. The result that the Variable Loan to Deposit Ratio mediates the relationship between Net Interest Margin and Return on Asset.
Study on prevalence of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus and high level Gentamicin resistance among Enterococcus isolates in a Pediatric tertiary care hospital

Vancomycin resistance and high level aminoglycoside resistance in Enterococci has limited its treatment, as Enterococci are susceptible to only narrow spectrum of antibiotics. VRE is known to cause hospital acquired infections. This study was aimed to determine prevalence of vancomycin resistance and HLG resistance among Enterococci in a Pediatric hospital. 310 spp was isolated between Jan 2018- May 2020 from pediatric patients from various samples. Among them 206 (66.5%) isolates were , 104 (33.5%) isolates were spp including . Most of the isolates were from urine (68%). High Level Gentamicin (HLG) resistance was seen in 69% of the isolates. Vancomycin resistance (VRE) was seen in 29 (9.4%) isolates. HLG resistance among VRE was 79% (23/29), all of them were sensitive to Linezolid. 17 of the VRE isolates were from urine sample and 15 (88%) of these isolates were sensitive to Nitrofurantoin. 90% (26/29) of the VRE isolates were isolated from nosocomial infections. 58% of VRE isolates were
The Effect of Enterprise Architecture Deployment Practices on Organizational Benefits: A Dynamic Capability Perspective

In recent years, the literature has emphasized theory building in the context of Enterprise Architecture (EA) research. Specifically, scholars tend to focus on EA-based capabilities that organize and deploy organization-specific resources to align strategic objectives with the technology’s particular use. Despite the growth in EA studies, substantial gaps remain in the literature. The most substantial gaps are that the conceptualization of EA-based capabilities still lacks a firm base in theory and that there is limited empirical evidence on how EA-based capabilities drive business transformation and deliver benefits to the firm. Therefore, this study focuses on EA-based capabilities, using the dynamic capabilities view as a theoretical foundation, and develops and tests a new research model that explains how dynamic enterprise architecture capabilities lead to organizational benefits. The research model’s hypotheses are tested using a dataset that contains responses from 299 CIO’s, IT managers, and lead architects. Based on this study’s outcomes, we contend that dynamic enterprise architecture capabilities positively enhance firms’ process innovation and business–IT alignment. These mediating forces are both positively associated with organizational benefits. The firms’ EA resources and specifically EA deployment practices are essential in cultivating dynamic enterprise architecture capabilities. This study advances our understanding of how to efficaciously de-lineate dynamic enterprise architecture capabilities in delivering benefits to the organization.
When the gift is halfhearted: A socio-cultural study of ambivalence in a charity sport event

Taking a culturally sensitive approach, we set out to explore the social response to, and the cultural adoption of, charity sport events in Israel, where this phenomenon is relatively new and understudied. We show that charity sport events participation is accepted with mixed feelings: participants are motivated by their novice athletic aspirations and love for bike riding, and by their emotional connection to the cause, but at the same time are reluctant to fundraise and donate due to socio-cultural barriers. Using a qualitative, exploratory, single case study design, and relying on the literature of charity sports events, we show that in contrast to the extant distinction between philanthropic givers’ motivations and non-givers’ barriers, participants in charity sport events experience simultaneous motivations for and barriers to their own philanthropic giving. Although they strongly identify with their role as bike riders, and are motivated to take part in a challenging ride, they struggle with the roles of fundraiser and philanthropist that are inherent components of charity sports events. The combination of these experiences yields the experience of ambivalence towards philanthropic giving, which we accordingly term as ambivalent philanthropy.
Modeling Thermodynamics of Fe-N Phases: Characterisation of Ɛ-Fe2N1-z

Long-range ordering of nitrogen on the sublattice of octahedral interstices of the Fe sublattice of e-Fc 2 N 1-x was described by application of the Gorski-Bragg-Williams approach. The model was fitted to experimental nitrogen absorption data. Thus determined probabilities for Fe atom surroundings were verified successfully with Mossbauer spectroscopy. Using a synchrotron source, the occurrence of X-ray diffraction superstructure reflections was analysed.
Coexistence of clinically significant obstructive sleep apnea with physician-diagnosed asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A population study of prevalence and mortality

Abstract RATIONALE: Despite potential importance, the epidemiology of coexisting obstructive sleep apnea and asthma (OSA/asthma) or OSA and COPD (OSA/COPD) has not been well studied. OBJECTIVES To access the trends in prevalence and mortality of coexisting OSA/asthma or OSA/COPD among individuals 35-years or older in Ontario, Canada. METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS: We conducted a population-based study using provincial health administrative data. Validated case definitions were used to identify individuals with physician-diagnosed asthma or COPD. Individuals with clinically significant OSA were those who initiated positive airway pressure treatment. Age- and sex-standardized annual prevalence and mortality rates were estimated and compared from 2009 to 2015. Generalized linear models were used. MAIN RESULTS: The standardized prevalence increased from 0.42% to 0.66% for OSA/asthma and from 0.23% to 0.35% for OSA/COPD from 2009 to 2015. The standardized all-cause mortality rates remained stable over time. Both coexistence conditions were associated with higher mortality than OSA alone. Adjusting for age, sex and calendar year, mortality was modestly but statistically significantly higher for OSA/asthma than asthma alone (OR = 1.03; 1.00–1.06) with the highest OR noted in 35-49 years old group (1.85; 1.63–2.09). There was no statistical difference in all-cause mortality among individuals with coexisting OSA/COPD compared to patients with COPD alone. In women only, OSA/COPD was associated with a modestly higher mortality than COPD alone (OR = 1.05; 1.01–1.09). CONCLUSIONS In this population-based study of coexisting clinically significant OSA and chronic lung disease, we report population prevalence and mortality, including their age and sex distribution. These findings can alert health care providers and policymakers to the large and increasing burden of these coexisting conditions and high-risk groups.
The organizational inclusion turn and its exclusion of low-wage labor

As most scholarly work on the conceptualization of organizational inclusion seems to be implicitly based on contexts of high-wage labor, this article investigates whether the common themes of organizational inclusion as identified by Shore et al. (2018) also align with the low-wage labor context. Our respective analysis identifies several mismatches between the current conceptualizations of organizational inclusion and the needs and interests of low-wage workers. Consequently, we offer suggestions for adapting these conceptualizations: by paying attention to (1) material and physical safety next to psychological safety, (2) opportunities of non-task-oriented involvement in the workgroup and (3) the recognition and accommodation of low-wage workers’ voices and needs. Furthermore, we argue to extend the scope of scholarly work on organizational inclusion by taking into account the broader (historical) social order and different stakeholders who influence the organizational processes of inclusion and exclusion. By engaging with the current “inclusion turn” and providing adaptations, this article contributes to a less “exclusive” conception of organizational inclusion as well as outlines where the organizational inclusion approach might come up against its own limits.
Robust LQR Control for PWM Converters with Parameter-Dependent Lyapunov Functions

This paper presents a novel framework for robust linear quadratic regulator (LQR)-based control of pulse-width modulated (PWM) converters. The converter is modeled as a linear parameter-varying (LPV) system and the uncertainties, besides their rate of change, are taken into account. The proposed control synthesis method exploits the potential of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), assuring robust stability whilst obtaining non-conservative results. The method has been validated in a PWM DC–DC boost converter, such that it has been shown, with the aid of simulations, that improved robustness and improved performance properties can be achieved, with respect to previously proposed approaches.
Compassionate Flexibility and Self-Discipline: Student Adaptation to Emergency Remote Teaching in an Integrated Engineering Energy Course during COVID-19

The global pandemic of COVID-19 brought about the transition to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) at higher education institutions across the United States, prompting both students and the faculty to rapidly adjust to a different modality of teaching and learning. Other crises have induced disruptions to academic continuity (e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes), but not to the same extent as COVID-19, which has affected universities on a global scale. In this paper, we describe a qualitative case study where we interviewed 11 second-year Integrated Engineering students during the Spring 2020 semester to explore how they adapted to the transition to remote learning. Our results revealed several student challenges, how they used self-discipline strategies to overcome them, and how the faculty supported students in the classroom through a compassionate and flexible pedagogy. Faculty members showed compassion and flexibility by adjusting the curriculum and assessment and effectively communicating with students. This was especially important for the women participants in this study, who more frequently expressed utilizing pass/fail grading and the personal and gendered challenges they faced due to the pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis, we found that a key element for supporting students’ well-being and success is the faculty members communicating care and incorporating flexibility into their courses.
Use of a looped hollow fiber sampler as a deyice for nondestructive soil solution sampling from the heterogeneous root zone

Abstract Information on the water and nutrient dynamics in the root zone is essential for appropriate soil management and fertilizer application, since the root zone is the area where soil and plant interact. It is especially important to study the dynamics of the soil solution composition and concentration because many previous studies on the mineral nutrition of plants grown in soil suggested that plant roots take up nutrients from the soil solution. It is, therefore, necessary to develop an appropriate apparatus for the collection of soil solutions from the heterogeneous root zone.
Young people’s experiences of sexual and reproductive health interventions in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

ABSTRACT Despite efforts to address HIV-infection, adolescents and young peoples’ (AYP) engagement in interventions remain suboptimal. Guided by a risk protection framework we describe factors that support positive and negative experiences of HIV and SRH interventions among AYP in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, using data from: community mapping; repeat semi-structured individual interviews (n = 58 in 2017, n = 50 in 2018, n = 37 in 2019–2020); and group discussions (n = 13). AYP who had appropriate and accurate HIV-and SRH-related information were reported to use health-care services. Responsive health-care workers, good family and peer relationships were seen to be protective through building close connections and improving self-efficacy to access care. In contrast to cross-generational relationships with men, alcohol and drug use and early pregnancy were seen to put AYP at risk. Policies and interventions are needed that promote stable and supportive relationships with caregivers and peers, positive social norms and non-judgemental behaviour within clinical services.