Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
"Multi-Criteria Analysis of the Design Decisions In Architectural Design Process during the Pre-Design Stage"

To understand the importance of rational decision method over the intuitive decisions, an architectural studio project was explored with the design brief as to develop a morphological variation to create the alternatives as design solutions. All those design alternatives have been evaluated by different stakeholders namely the fellow students, faculty members, and post graduate students who are mainly the architects. The objective of the evaluation is to develop an empirical analysis and evaluation of framework for assessing the Architectural Design to check is there a correlation between the different value judgment for intuitive method of decision making and rational method of decision making, of the pre design alternatives. Design studio in architectural education is a traditional process, based on the methodology related to the aims and objectives of those respective studio curriculum, and the experience and expectation of the faculty members as what they wants the students to learn, and expected to synthesis their knowledge gained from other sources and previous studio experiences. One of the weaknesses of the traditional studio practice is that the design exercises were given so much attention to the compositional aspects of design rather than attempting to study complex and multi-criteria approach for those decisions.
Permutation-Based Particle Swarm Optimization for Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling

In the light of particle swarm optimization (PSO) which utilizes both local and global experiences during search process, a permutation-based scheme for the resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) is presented. In order to handle the permutation-feasibility and precedence-constraint problems when updating the particle-represented sequence or solution for the RCPSP, a hybrid particle-updating mechanism incorporated with a partially mapped crossover of a genetic algorithm and a definition of an activity-move-range is developed. The particle-represented sequence should be transformed to a schedule (including start times and resource assignments for all activities) through a serial method and accordingly evaluated against the objective of minimizing project duration. Experimental analyses are presented to investigate the performances of the permutation-based PSO. The study aims at providing an alternative for solving the RCPSP in the construction field by utilizing the advantages of PSO.
A situated and cognitive approach of violin quality

In order to better understand how violinists evaluate violin quality, playing and listening tests were conducted. Three French professional violinists assessed three violins with different qualities. The assessment was conducted orally, with violinists answering open questions regarding the quality of each violin while playing it and then while listening to it played live by somebody else. The violinists were further asked to rank these violins in order of preference. The oral reports were transcribed and linguistically analysed. It first allowed us to identify the linguistic resources in French available to speakers to account for their experience, in particular to describe what appeared as two different entities: the violin and its sound. Secondly, a semantic analysis of the discourses showed that these resources were shared by the participants but were used differently to qualify each violin in the two experiments. In particular, the analysis revealed aspects, like the “ease of playing" or the “projection", which were used frequently in the playing test but very little in the listening test. This can be explained by the fact that, in the listening test, the evaluation is made by relying on the sound only and, therefore, this evaluation is mainly based on the resultant sound without any possible comparison nor control on the nature of the sound and the manner by which it was produced. However such processes of comparison and control on the instrument when producing the sound are essential for the evaluation of the quality of a violin by violinists, as proved by the agency given to the violin in the assessments given during the playing task and the players’ statements regarding what is a “good" or a “bad" violin.
Catching up or getting stuck? Europe's troubles to exploit ICT's productivity potential

In this paper we extend our previous analysis of the comparative productivity performance of Europe and the U.S. to 2004, thereby covering the latest full business cycle. Our main finding is that the slower contribution of ICT to productivity growth in the EU compared to the U.S. has persisted into the early part of the 21st century. The growth differential even increased since 2000, as the U.S. shows strong labour productivity advances in market services. This may be related to a more productive use of ICT in the U.S. However, at industry level we find no support for significant TFP (total factor productivity) spillovers from ICT investment, neither in the U.S. nor in European countries. In the 1980s we even find that ICT investment and TFP growth are negatively related, with at best normal returns in the 1970s and 1990s. We speculate that this U-shaped pattern is driven by ? hard savings? from ICT investment that first lead to earning normal returns, followed by a period of experimentation during which ICT and TFP growth are negatively related. Ultimately, ? soft savings? lead to productivity gains from ICT in line with the marginal cost of ICT. We argue that the realization of productivity effects from soft savings is highly dependent on the competitive process that stimulates complementary innovations and weeds out inefficient users of ICT technology. Europe risks getting stuck in an environment where the productivity gains from soft savings from ICT remain unrealized.
Deformation of soft sediments and evaporites in a tectonically active basin: Bay St. George sub-basin, Newfoundland, Canada

The Bay St. George sub-basin of SW Newfoundland, part of the larger late Paleozoic Maritimes basin, formed under the influence of strike-slip faulting and the movement of evaporites. New stratigraphic correlations between Newfoundland and other late Paleozoic sub-basins illustrate the effects of both basement and salt movement. Coastal outcrops show complex combinations of synsedimentary, salt-related, and tectonic structures. Map relationships and dramatic thickness contrasts in the Tournaisian Anguille Group indicate that a large, concealed, NE–striking normal growth fault (Ship Cove fault) controlled sedimentation; the exposed Snakes Bight fault originated as a hanging-wall splay. Structures formed during, or soon after deposition include soft-sediment folds, boudins, clastic dykes, and millimetre-scale diapiric bulb structures, formed by overpressuring and liquidization of sediment. These suggest that the sub-basin was tectonically active throughout deposition. Evaporite-related deformation is recorded in the Visean Codroy Group and overlying strata. Comparisons between outcrop and subsurface suggests that significant amounts of evaporite were removed from exposed sections by halokinesis and solution. Complex outcrop relationships indicate salt welds, and suggest that units of the upper Codroy and overlying Barachois groups represent fills of minibasins that subsided into thick evaporites. Field relationships suggest tectonic inversion deposition related to E-W dextral strike slip motion that affected the entire Maritimes basin in the Serpukhovian, producing reverse-sense offsets and contractional folds. Many of the structures in the Bay St. George sub-basin, previously interpreted as post-depositional and purely tectonic, were formed by deformation of unlithified sediment and ductile evaporites during basin development.
Managing Maintenance Error: A Practical Guide by James Reason & Alan Hobbs 2003, 183 pages, $34.95 Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company ISBN 0-7546-1590-1

breadth of its information value. The best search mechanism for this volume is its extensive and detailed index. A strength of the volume lies in its vast reference lists containing hundreds of citations that span 40 years of research and design on complex systems and HSI. References include government documents, research journals, and standards published as recently as 2002. The volume focuses on government and very complex systems, although the transition to such commercial applications as product design and health care is made in later chapters. Though rife with models, theories, and overview material, the handbook also contains procedural guidance, practical details, and the "how-to's" needed to apply much of the content. The applications section of the handbook is outstanding and the discussions of cost-benefit analysis, simulation and modeling, and broad organizational issues are excellent. Specific examples of the practical value of this volume are exemplified by 101 safety techniques presented in a concise, comparative table in a chapter on system safety. This handbook is worth the cost and effort to integrate into one's professional knowledge base and personal library. It will be fundamental, if not seminal, to our professional endeavors.
Fluctuations in serum steroid hormone concentrations and body mass during growth and sexual maturation in captive northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus)

Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) have a distinct life history pattern comprising annual terrestrial breeding and oceanic migration, and the physiological changes associated with these patterns are of particular interest for understanding their environmental adaptations. However, owing to their oceanic distribution, limited information is available on the reproductive physiology of wild individuals during the immature stage and the winter migration period. This study aimed to determine the relationships among the seasonal hormone profiles, body growth, age, and pregnancy using monthly serum samples collected over 3–5 years from two male and two female captive individuals during pubescence and sexual maturation. Small increases in the serum testosterone signaled puberty in males aged 3 and 4 years. Thereafter, males showed considerable increases in testosterone during breeding seasons, indicating sexual maturity. Immature female serum progesterone was maintained at low levels, but after pubescence, females showed an increase in serum progesterone in August, the month next to the peak of delivery, followed by a decrease. In non-pregnant females, progesterone did not increase significantly until the next breeding season, but in pregnant females, they increased again from February to March and then gradually decreased. Immature males increased body mass constantly and reached puberty when their body mass exceeded 20 kg, and they showed seasonal weight fluctuations after puberty. These results provide fundamental information for determining sexual maturity and pregnancy in this species based on sex steroid hormones and body mass measurements.
Rhizobium Symbiotic Capacity Shapes Root-Associated Microbiomes in Soybean

Root-microbiome interactions are of central importance for plant performance and yield. A distinctive feature of legumes is that they engage in symbiosis with N2-fixing rhizobia. If and how the rhizobial symbiotic capacity modulates root-associated microbiomes are still not yet well understood. We determined root-associated microbiomes of soybean inoculated with wild type (WT) or a noeI mutant of Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens USDA 110 by amplicon sequencing. UPLC-MS/MS was used to analyze root exudates. The noeI gene is responsible for fucose-methylation of Nod factor secreted by USDA 110 WT strain. Soybean roots inoculated with the noeI mutant showed a significant decrease in nodulation and root-flavonoid exudation compared to roots inoculated with WT strain. The noeI mutant-inoculated roots exhibited strong changes in microbiome assembly in the rhizosphere and rhizoplane, including reduced diversity, changed co-occurrence interactions and a substantial depletion of root microbes. Root exudates and soil physiochemical properties were significantly correlated with microbial community shift in the rhizosphere between different rhizobial treatments. These results illustrate that rhizobial symbiotic capacity dramatically alters root-associated microbiomes, in which root exudation and edaphic patterns play a vital role. This study has important implications for understanding the evolution of plant-microbiome interactions.
Essential Oils from Spices Inhibit Cholinesterase Activity and Improve Behavioral Disorder in AlCl3 Induced Dementia

The chemical compositions of essential oils (EOs) prepared from six spices including cinnamon, amomum tsao‐ko, cardamom, amomum, black pepper and white pepper were analyzed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which led to identify almost 200 volatile compounds. All EOs of spices showed cholinesterase inhibitory activity. Among them, pepper EO showed most potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 8.54 μg/mL (black pepper EO) and 5.02 μg/mL (white pepper EO). Molecular docking and in vitro validation suggested that 3‐carene, α‐pinene and β‐pinene with IC50 value of 1.73, 2.66, and 14.75 μg/mL, respectively, might be active constituents of spices oil in inhibiting AChE. Furthermore, amomum tsao‐ko EO and amomum EO can improve behavioral disorder in dementia zebrafish induced by aluminum trichloride (AlCl3).
Hibiscus sabdariffa anthocyanins are potential modulators of estrogen receptor alpha activity with favourable toxicology: a computational analysis using molecular docking, ADME/Tox prediction, 2D/3D QSAR and molecular dynamics simulation

Abstract The estrogen hormone receptor (ER) mediated gene expression mainly regulate the development and physiology of the primary and secondary reproductive system alongside bone-forming, metabolism and behaviour. Over-expressed ER is associated with several pathological conditions and play a crucial role in breast cancer occurrence, progression and metastasis. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. or roselle is a rich source of naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds that reportedly have robust estrogenic activity. However, the estrogen-like ingredient of the plant remains ambiguous. This study has screened a library of already recorded and less-explored compounds of Hibiscus sabdariffa for their estrogen receptor binding affinity and safety using a suite of computational methods that include protein-ligand docking, ADME and Toxicity prediction, and 2D/3D QSAR. The study revealed that the estrogen-receptor binding potential of Pelargonidin, Delphinidin, Cyanidin, and Hibiscetin are more efficient than popular breast cancer drugs, Tamoxifen and Raloxifene. Besides, the compounds exhibited favourable toxicological parameters with potent bioactivity towards binding ER-α subunit. Thus, these compounds can serve as prototypes for designing novel Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator molecules with a few structural modifications. This is the first report exploring the phytochemical basis of estrogenic activity of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Modeling of governing response in the Eastern Interconnection

The paper begins with a review of the purpose of governing in interconnected power systems, and the disparity between recorded governing response routinely observed on large electric utility power systems and the ideal governing response that is used in most planning studies. It describes recordings and analyses that AEP (USA) has made in recent years, which offer quantitative insight into the nature and causes of the governing response observed in the Eastern Interconnection (EI) of the United States and Canada. The AEP measurements, simulations of system governing response to a unit trip with comparisons to recordings made of the event and cost analyses of governing margin are used with observations of system governing responses to provide a basis for conclusions and observations. The paper includes some consideration of changes arising from the present restructuring of the utility business to a market-driven system and the impact of decisions on the need to monitor and manage reliability performance of key equipment and overall system performance under the new open, yet more fragmented structure.
Is BREEAM suitable for small and medium refurbishment / maintenance projects?

The introduction of sustainability assessment tools such as BREEAM has changed the way buildings are designed and constructed. If implemented properly, these tools can help to reduce the CO2 emissions during and after the construction of the projects, bringing enormous benefits to the clients and end users as well as the society at large. However, these tools have found little application in most of the small and medium sized refurbishment / maintenance construction projects. Based on literature and practitioners’ opinions and experiences sought through semistructured interviews, the sustainability assessment tool BREEAM has been critically evaluated. This research found that the BREEAM is mainly designed for large new build projects encompassing whole buildings, and it is expensive and time consuming to undertake so it is not suitable for small / medium sized refurbishment / maintenance construction projects. To exacerbate the problem, practitioners for such projects have very limited knowledge and training into using the tool. An alternative sustainability assessment tool in a simpler format and more affordable for assessing such projects is urgently needed. More and better training is also needed for the practitioners to raise their awareness of sustainable development and improve their capability of applying the sustainability assessment tools in their projects.
HCH Removal in a Biochar-Amended Biofilter

This study evaluated the efficiency of two biofilter systems, with and without biochar chambers installed, at degrading and removing HCH and its isomers in natural drainage water. The biochar biofilter proved to be 96% efficient at cleaning HCH and its transformation products from drainage water, a significant improvement over classic biofilter that remove, on average, 68% of HCH. Although iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, such as Gallionella and Sulfuricurvum, were dominant in the biochar bed outflows, they were absent in sediments, which were rich in Simplicispira, Rhodoluna, Rhodoferax, and Flavobacterium. The presence of functional genes involved in the biodegradation of HCH isomers and their byproducts was confirmed in both systems. The high effectiveness of the biochar biofilter displayed in this study should further encourage the use of biochar in water treatment solutions, e.g., for temporary water purification installations during the construction of other long-term wastewater treatment technologies, or even as final solutions at contaminated sites.
Morbidity profile of under-5 slum dwellers of Amritsar city: A descriptive cross-sectional study

Context: Children living in slums are deprived from basic necessities. Unhygienic environment and deficient nutrition hinder their growth and make them more prone to infectious diseases. Aims: To study morbidity profile of under-5 children and determine social epidemiological factors associated with it. Settings and Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study in urban slums of district Amritsar. Methods and Material: In total, 400 households each from four slums (1600 in total) were randomly selected. One to one interview with mother of each under 5 was conducted and information was recorded on pretested performa. Height and weight with haemoglobin estimation was done for each child. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics (frequencies and proportions) and univariate logistic regression was applied to determine factors associated with under nutrition. Results: Out of 1136 under-5, 50, 45 and 8% were stunted, underweight and wasted. Severe malnutrition was seen among 23%. In total, 79% had anaemia. About 69% suffered from one or more infectious disease in last 3 months. Anaemia, birth order >2, lower socio-economic status and suffering from any infectious disease in last 3 months were associated with malnutrition. Conclusions: Severe malnutrition and anaemia was high among under-5 of urban slums and 69% suffered from infectious disease in last 3 months emphasizing on addressal of health needs of under-5 residing in urban slums.
Research on the Mechanical Strengths and the Following Corrosion Resistance of Inner Steel Bars of RPC with Rice Husk Ash and Waste Fly Ash

In this paper, the slump flow and mechanical strengths (compressive and flexural strengths) of the reactive powder concrete (RPC) with rice husk ash (RHA) and waste fly ash (WFA) were investigated. The following corrosion resistance of steel bars-reinforced specimens was researched. The ultrasonic sound, the mass loss rate, the electrical resistance, and the electrical resistance time history curves were determined to reflect the corrosion resistance of steel bars. The influence of NaCl freeze–thaw cycles and dry–wet alternations was considered. Results showed that the addition of RHA and WFA demonstrated a negative effect on the fluidity of fresh RPC. The fluidity of fresh RPC with WFA was lower. Moreover, RHA and WFA could effectively improve the mechanical strengths of hardened RPC, and the enhancing effect of RHA was higher. The increasing dosage of RHA could improve the corrosion resistance of steel bars in RPC when the specimens were exposed to the environment of NaCl freeze–thaw cycles and dry–wet alternations. However, when WFA was added, the effect was the opposite. The steel bars in RPC corroded more seriously when the specimens were exposed to the environment of NaCl dry–wet alternations than the environment of NaCl freeze–thaw cycles.
The sharing of disinformation in cross-national comparison: analyzing patterns of resilience

ABSTRACT Although the problem of disinformation is on the rise across the globe, previous research has found that countries differ in the extent of widespread disinformation. In this study, we examine the willingness to disseminate disinformation across six countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.). We use a model by Humprecht et al. (2020) to study to what degree various systemic-structural factors influence individual behavior and contribute to resilience to disinformation. We draw on uniformly collected primary survey data and use regression analyses to examine which factors may explain citizens’ decisions to not further propagate disinformation. The results of our cross-national study show that resilience factors are country-specific and are highly dependent on the respective political and information environments. While in some countries extreme ideology weakens resilience, in others low education can have such an effect. Cross-national resilience factors include heavy social media use, the use of alternative media, and populist party support. We discuss what kind of tailored measures in combating online disinformation are needed to improve social resilience across different countries.