Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FOOD-RELATED COPING STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY SOME HOUSEHOLDS DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IN NIGERIA

As part of the measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Nigeria during the early stages of the pandemic, a lockdown of movements within and from outside the country was declared by the federal government. This article presents findings on food-related coping strategies adopted during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria. A cross sectional survey using an online based questionnaire received responses from 883 households regarding information on food consumption, health seeking behaviour and food coping strategies during the COVID-19 lockdown. Food Coping Strategy Index (FCSI) was computed from the data received based on standard methods. Analysis and presentation of data was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. The key findings show that daily mealtimes generally reduced from an average of 3 to 2 times. The storage capacity of households showed an average of 2-week food stock of staples, and most of the respondents had started reducing either their usual portion sizes or frequency of meals in order to cope with food shortages. As regards health seeking behavior, older respondents were more likely to take prophylactic medication (p<0.004) and there was a higher preference for fruits and Vitamin C as prophylactic items. A negative correlation between FCSI with mealtime during COVID-19 lockdown (p<0.000) and monthly income (p<0.000) was observed. The findings presented provide information for policy intervention in the areas of social safety nets and palliatives disbursement in the event of similar lockdown restrictions in the future.
Early arrhythmia recurrence after cryoballoon ablation in atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Early arrhythmia recurrence within the 3‐month blanking period is a common event that historically has been attributed to reversible phenomena. While its mechanistic links remain obscure, accumulating evidence support the argument of shortening the blanking period. We aimed to elucidate the association between early and late arrhythmia recurrence after atrial fibrillation cryoablation.
The Aperture Illusion can Occur with “3-D” Displays and Active Control: Implications for Minimally-Invasive Surgery

When a moving contour is viewed through a circular aperture, observers misperceive the contour's direction of motion. This aperture illusion is relevant to minimally-invasive surgery because surgeons view anatomical tissues through a reduced field-of-view. In prior studies of the illusion, observers passively viewed simple computer-generated displays of moving lines. Here, it is demonstrated that the illusion can occur with displays created with a 3-D laparoscopic simulator, and when participants actively control the movement of a surgical grasper. However, the illusion was smaller with active control than with passive viewing, and was smaller with a rectangular aperture than with a circle or octagon. The implication is that navigation during MIS may improve when surgeons (rather than assistants) actively control the camera, and when the aperture that frames the laparoscopic image is rectangular. Future studies of this kind will improve the design of image-guided technologies and reduce complications during MIS.
Network Bending: Expressive Manipulation of Generative Models in Multiple Domains

This paper presents the network bending framework, a new approach for manipulating and interacting with deep generative models. We present a comprehensive set of deterministic transformations that can be inserted as distinct layers into the computational graph of a trained generative neural network and applied during inference. In addition, we present a novel algorithm for analysing the deep generative model and clustering features based on their spatial activation maps. This allows features to be grouped together based on spatial similarity in an unsupervised fashion. This results in the meaningful manipulation of sets of features that correspond to the generation of a broad array of semantically significant features of the generated results. We outline this framework, demonstrating our results on deep generative models for both image and audio domains. We show how it allows for the direct manipulation of semantically meaningful aspects of the generative process as well as allowing for a broad range of expressive outcomes.
IMPLEMENTASI KEBIJAKAN REFOCUSING DAN REALOKASI APBD TAHUN ANGGARAN 2020 PADA MASA PANDEMI COVID-19 DI KOTA BENGKULU PROVINSI BENGKULU

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana pelaksanaan refocusing dan realokasi Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Daerah Tahun Anggaran 2020 di Kota Bengkulu, serta hambatan yang dihadapi dan upaya yang di lakukan pemerintah daerah dalam rangka refocusing dan realokasi APBD. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif deskriptif dengan pendekatan induktif, serta menggunakan teknik observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pelaksanaan refocusing dan realokasi APBD di Kota Bengkulu tidak sesuai dengan waktu yang telah ditentukan, akan tetapi sudah sesuai dengan target yang ditetapkan. Dalam pelaksanaannya terdapat beberapa hambatan di antaranya terdapat kegiatan yang sudah berjalan akhirnya ditunda, terbitnya peraturan baru dalam waktu yang singkat serta lemahnya respons terhadap arahan terbaru Pemerintah Pusat. Upaya yang dilakukan Pemerintah Daerah dengan berkoordinasi dengan perangkat daerah, meningkatkan intensitas pemeriksaan kebijakan baru, serta menetapkan percepatan pengumpulan hasil penyesuaian oleh perangkat daerah.
A mixed project-based learning framework: preparing and developing student competencies in a French Grande Ecole

Emerging engineers need to rely on a whole body of scientific and technical knowledge, but also on a wide set of competencies. For engineering schools a competency objectives approach requires specific pedagogical methods. Some competencies based on skills and attitudes are difficult to develop through traditional teaching, so in 2003 our institution implemented a project-oriented framework combining pedagogical methods such as project-based learning, active pedagogy and traditional teaching paradigms. In practice, each semester students work in groups on a competency-controlled project lasting over 100 hours per student. Although comparisons between various pedagogical methods are difficult and sensitive, numerous internal signals confirm the validity of several aspects of our mixed option.
Factors Influencing Web 2.0 Technology Usage Among Academics: A Case Study of Two South African Tertiary Institutions

The usage of Web 2.0 tools in education affords many benefits, which include increased access to educational resources, and the ability to collaboratively create and use content. Despite the benefits of Web 2.0 tools in higher education, the technology has not been widely used by academics in South Africa. Thus, the purpose of this research is to investigate the extent of usage and the factors that play a role in the usage of Web 2.0 tools among academics at two South African higher education institutions. A case study research strategy was adopted to fulfil the objectives of the study. This paper reports on the quantitative approach used to conduct the study. A questionnaire was administered to collect data from the target population. The results revealed that individual factors, organisational factors, perceived usefulness and perceived quality characteristics are significant predictors to the usage of Web 2.0 tools. The study has practical implications for academic stakeholders in private higher education for the integration of Web 2.0 technology into their teaching practice.
Neoadjuvant Treatment Lowers the Risk of Mesopancreatic Fat Infiltration and Local Recurrence in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

Simple Summary After the implementation of an in-depth histopathological pancreas protocol, curative resection rates for pancreatic head cancers have drastically dropped. Standardized extended resections using embryo-anatomic landmarks (MPE), have recently been prooved to increase margin-negative resection rates. The mesopancreatic fat, excised during these extended resections, was infiltrated in the majority of the patients. Neoadjuvant treatment is an emerging topic of interest for pancreatic cancer patients. It remains unclear if these extended resections are still warranted in patients after neoadjuvant treatment. Neoadjuvant treatment lowered the risk for mesopancreatic fat infiltration and patients were less prone to local recurrence and margin positive resections when compared to patients after upfront surgery. However, the majority of the patients are yet diagnosed with mesopancreatic fat infiltration, justifying this extended approach synergistically with the treatment strategies for colorectal cancer. Abstract Background: Survival following surgical treatment of ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDAC) remains poor. The recent implementation of the circumferential resection margin (CRM) into standard histopathological evaluation lead to a significant reduction in R0 rates. Mesopancreatic fat infiltration is present in ~80% of PDAC patients at the time of primary surgery and recently, mesopancreatic excision (MPE) was correlated to complete resection. To attain an even higher rate of R0(CRM−) resections in the future, neoadjuvant therapy in patients with a progressive disease seems a promising tool. We analyzed radiographic and histopathological treatment response and mesopancreatic tumor infiltration in patients who received neoadjuvant therapy prior to MPE. The aim of our study was to evaluate the need for MPE following neoadjuvant therapy and if multi-detector computed tomographically (MDCT) evaluated treatment response correlates with mesopancreatic (MP) infiltration. Method: Radiographic, clinicopathological and survival parameters of 27 consecutive patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy prior to MPE were evaluated. The mesopancreatic fat tissue was histopathologically analyzed and the 1 mm-rule (CRM) was applied. Results: In the study collective, both the rate of R0 resection R0(CRM−) and the rate of mesopancreatic fat infiltration was 62.9%. Patients with MP infiltration showed a lower tumor response. Surgical resection status was dependent on MP infiltration and tumor response status. Patients with MDCT-predicted tumor response were less prone to MP infiltration. When compared to patients after upfront surgery, MP infiltration and local recurrence rate was significantly lower after neoadjuvant treatment. Conclusion: MPE remains warranted after neoadjuvant therapy. Mesopancreatic fat invasion was still evident in the majority of our patients following neoadjuvant treatment. MDCT-predicted tumor response did not exclude mesopancreatic fat infiltration.
Predictor versus response permutation for significance testing in weighted regression and redundancy analysis

In testing an overall null hypothesis, it does not matter whether to permute the response variables (Y) while keeping the predictors fixed or to permute the predictor variables (X) while keeping the response variables fixed. However, in weighted (univariate and multivariate) regression and in partial tests these options yield different results. This paper defines and evaluates by simulation ordinary and standardized versions of X- and Y-permutation for tests which encompass the existing Double Semi-Partialling, here called Collins-Dekker, and Freedman-Lane permutation methods. When the error variance is inversely proportional to the weights, the standardized permutation methods (which use standardized residuals) are most powerful, as expected, but otherwise they can be extremely liberal. In contrast, ordinary X-permutation (which permutes the residuals of X given any covariates ‘as is’) is by far the most robust against variability in the weights and against the error variance-weight relationship and is thus recommended for general use.
Modeling of horns and enclosures for loudspeakers

It is shown that the “Webster” horn equation is an exact consequence of “one-parameter” or “1P” wave propagation. If a solution of the Helmholtz equation depends on a single spatial coordinate, that coordinate can be transformed to another coordinate, denoted by ξ, which measures arc length along the orthogonal trajectories to the constant-ξ surfaces. Webster's equation, with ξ as the axial coordinate, holds inside a tube of such orthogonal trajectories; the cross-sectional area in the equation is the area of a constant-ξ cross-section. This derivation of the horn equation makes no explicit assumption concerning the shape of the wavefronts. It is subsequently shown, however, that the wavefronts must be planar, circular-cylindrical or spherical, so that no new geometries for exact 1P acoustic waveguides remain to be discovered. It is shown that if the linearized acoustic field equations are written in arbitrary curvilinear orthogonal coordinates and approximated by replacing all spatial derivatives by finite-difference quotients, the resulting equations can be interpreted as the nodal equations of a three-dimensional L-C network. This “finite-difference equivalent-circuit” or “FDEC” model can be truncated at the boundaries of the simulated region and terminated to represent a wide variety of boundary conditions. The presence of loosely-packed fibrous damping materials can be represented by using complex values for the density and ratio of specific heats of the medium. These complex quantities lead to additional components in the FDEC model. Two examples of FDEC models are given. The first example predicts the frequency response of a moving-coil loudspeaker in a fiberglass-filled box, showing the effects of internal resonances. Variations of the model show how the properties of the fiberglass contribute to the damping of resonances and the shaping of the frequency response. It is found that viscosity, rather than heat conduction, is the dominant mechanism of damping. The second example addresses the classical problem of radiation from a circular rigid piston, and confirms that a free-air anechoic radiation condition with oblique incidence can be successfully represented in the FDEC model.
Slot ripples in alternator e.m.f. waves

A review of the literature of the subject shows the wide acceptance of the view that slot ripples in the open-circuit e.m. f. waveform of salient-pole synchronous machines are caused by the interaction of rotor permeance harmonics with those set up by the stator slot-openings. It is shown in the paper that this is usually only a secondary cause and that these ripples are due primarily to stator slot-frequency currents flowing in secondary circuits on the rotor; as a consequence the ripples may be generated with either a smooth or salient-pole rotor. It is further shown that e.m. f. ripples may be generated not only when the stator slots per pole-pair are even but also when they are odd or fractional. These e.m. f. ripples may correspond to the fundamental or a higher harmonic of the flux-density variation due to the stator slot-opening. Expressions are derived for the frequencies of the ripples in the special cases, such as turbo-alternators and synchronous motors with smooth-slotted rotors, where the squirrel-cage winding is placed in uniformly-indexed slots. Various methods for reducing or suppressing these ripples are discussed and corresponding formulae derived. The paper concludes with a detailed examination of a number of oscillograms and the appropriate data of the machines to which they refer.
Thoracic response and injury with belt, driver side airbag, and force limited belt restraint systems

Abstract The performance of belt, airbag, and force limited belt restraint systems for the driver were compared using frontal sled tests. Nine human cadaver and six dummy sled tests were conducted at 56 km/h using a test buck representing a mid-size vehicle. Subject instrumentation included upper and lower chestbands to measure local thoracic deformations and sternal and spinal accelerometers to record torso deceleration. Following the sled tests, radiographs and autopsy results were used to correlate cadaver injury with measured engineering parameters and dummy response. Chest compression, acceleration, change in curvature and Viscous Criteria were evaluated for all occupants. Occupant kinematics were determined from analysis of high speed film. Local differences in the chest loading behavior among the restraint systems were identified using the chestband contours. The results of the research indicate that improvements in thoracic occupant protection may be achieved with the use of force limited belt and.
What Makes a Good School Inspector? A Case Study of Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Perceptions of School Inspectors

A school inspector ’s characteristics are important in ensuring that the school inspection process goes well as this may lead to the school ’s improvement while preventing the occurrence of side effects. This study aims to explore teachers ’ and school administrators’ perceptions of school inspectors after experiencing school inspections. Using qualitative case studies, nine participants from two schools were interviewed. This study discovered that the participants had positive perceptions of school inspectors. Through thematic analysis, four descriptions of school inspectors’ characteristics emerged, namely ‘friend ly and kind’, ‘helpful communication style’, ‘understanding and considerate’ and ‘provide recognition’. The positive demeanour of school inspectors was found to be valuable in minimising stress and fear amongst inspectees while making the inspection process easier and more meaningful, as well as enabling the participants to learn and improve their work. This study recommends that school inspectors have positive attitudes and approaches to conducting inspections as this can make the process easier for inspectees and encourage them to be positive about the process while limiting unwanted effects like stress. Finally, future studies should explore the relationship between school inspectors’ characteristics and school s’ improvements as the outcome of school inspections.
Testing a Nonveridical Aircraft Collision Avoidance System: Experiment 2

Veridical displays represent realistic scenes. State spaces are nonveridical displays representing n-dimensional information based on arbitrary coordinate axes plus variables such as color and shading. Here, flight performance using only a veridical cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI) was compared to performance augmented by a 4D state space-based collision avoidance system (CDTI+4CAS). Twelve general aviation pilots flew scenarios with the task of deviating as little as possible from course while still maintaining standard enroute separation from traffic. The CDTI+4CAS condition showed performance superiority over the CDTI-only condition for five of five dependent measures of maneuver efficiency, four of four measures of maneuver safety, and six of nine measures of workload.
Effect of Microstructure and Hardness on Cavitation Erosion and Dry Sliding Wear of HVOF Deposited CoNiCrAlY, NiCoCrAlY and NiCrMoNbTa Coatings

Metallic coatings based on cobalt and nickel are promising for elongating the life span of machine components operated in harsh environments. However, reports regarding the ambient temperature tribological performance and cavitation erosion resistance of popular MCrAlY (where M = Co, Ni or Co/Ni) and NiCrMoNbTa coatings are scant. This study comparatively investigates the effects of microstructure and hardness of HVOF deposited CoNiCrAlY, NiCoCrAlY and NiCrMoNbTa coatings on tribological and cavitation erosion performance. The cavitation erosion test was conducted using the vibratory method following the ASTM G32 standard. The tribological examination was done using a ball-on-disc tribometer. Analysis of the chemical composition, microstructure, phase composition and hardness reveal the dry sliding wear and cavitation erosion mechanisms. Coatings present increasing resistance to both sliding wear and cavitation erosion in the following order: NiCoCrAlY < CoNiCrAlY < NiCrMoNbTa. The tribological behaviour of coatings relies on abrasive grooving and oxidation of the wear products. In the case of NiCrMoNbTa coatings, abrasion is followed by the severe adhesive smearing of oxidised wear products which end in the lowest coefficient of friction and wear rate. Cavitation erosion is initiated at microstructure discontinuities and ends with severe surface pitting. CoNiCrAlY and NiCoCrAlY coatings present semi brittle behavior, whereas NiCrMoNbTa presents ductile mode and lesser surface pitting, which improves its anti-cavitation performance. The differences in microstructure of investigated coatings affect the wear and cavitation erosion performance more than the hardness itself.
Placement of effective work-in-progress limits in route-specific unit-based pull systems

Unit-based pull systems control the throughput time of orders in a production system by limiting the number of orders on the shop floor. In production systems where orders can follow different routings on the shop floor, route-specific pull systems that control the progress of orders on the shop floor by placing limits on the number of orders in (parts of) a routing, have shown to be effective in controlling throughput times. This is because route-specific pull systems are able to create a balanced distribution of the amount of work on the shop floor, which leads to shorter and more reliable throughput times. The placement of limits on work-in-progress in a route-specific pull system determines to a large extent the workload balancing capability of such a system. This paper shows how the placement of work-in-progress limits affects the workload balancing capability and thereby the throughput time performance of a route-specific unit-based pull system, namely POLCA.
Evaluation of the effects of Canadian climate conditions on the MEPDG predictions for flexible pavement performance

This study aims to investigate the quality of the recently developed Canadian climatic database and the effect of climatic factors on flexible pavement performance using the mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG). Two hundred and six Canadian climatic files were used to carry out the analysis. Freezing index and frost depth from the MEPDG were compared with the data available in Canadian databases. The sensitivity of pavement performance to climate conditions, predicted using the MEPDG, was also studied. The pavement performance predicted using the virtual weather station and existing weather station data was compared. From the pavement performance sensitivity study, it was found that the asphalt concrete, total pavement rutting and international roughness index show sensitivity to climate changes. It was also found that differences in the quality and duration of data for close-by stations can result in variation in the predicted performance. Overall, the study assists with facilitating the implementation of the MEPDG in Canada.
Unstiffened Strip Approach for Perforated Wall Studs

Local buckling behavior of cold‐formed steel wall studs with rectangular web perforations is investigated experimentally and analytically. Stub column tests on short sections not subject to overall buckling are examined. The unified effective width approach to local buckling presented in the 1986 Specification for the Design of Cold‐Formed Steel Structural Members of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) is modified to model the perforated section. The web is idealized as two unstiffened elements extending the length of the member. In addition, the current AISI stub column‐based empirical approach and a “simplified” method used by some designers are examined. In the simplified approach, perforation effects are ignored unless the perforation is located in a portion of the web that is at least partially effective. Comparisons made between predictions of post‐buckling strengths using the unstiffened strip approach and the stub column test results show the unstiffened strip model to be a useful design .