Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distributed Event-Triggered Circle Formation Control for Multiagent Systems with Nonuniform Quantization

This article focuses on circle formation control problem of multiagent systems based on event-triggered strategy under limited communication bandwidth. In such system, each agent can only perceive the angular distance of its nearest neighbor in the counterclockwise direction, and the angular distance of the nearest neighbor in the clockwise direction needs to be obtained by communicating with each other. In order to address the aforementioned problem, a novel distributed algorithm based on the combination of nonuniform quantitative communication technology and event-triggered control is proposed. Sufficient conditions on circle formation control are derived under which the states of all agents can be confirmed to converge to some desired equilibrium point. Different from the traditional uniform quantization communication framework, nonuniform quantization can be beneficial for handling small signals and improving the performance of multiagent systems concerned. Furthermore, under the proposed policy, all the designed quantizers do not emerge saturated. Numerical simulation results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Beyond the Socio-Economic Impact of Transport Megaprojects

For more than two decades, scholars have been escalating asymmetric information issues in megaproject management linking them to enhanced public debt concerns. Most megaprojects turn out to be a burden on economy when constructions are completed. Authorities, meanwhile, continue to promote the advancement of megaprojects with overly optimistic public messages on expected socio-economic benefits. A combination of expertise in the topic, in-depth literature analysis, independent cost-benefit reassessment, and empirical survey of related documentation of three EU transport megaprojects shows political implications to be the essential causes of information asymmetries in megaproject management. Socio-economic over-estimations imply to be useful for obtaining and securing funding commitments at the political level, but then the real project value is often omitted from the assessment. This work takes a wider, strategic approach beyond the usual socio-economic reasoning. The article argues that socio-economic assessment practice is too narrow to grasp the full potential impact of a megaproject. Therefore, a strategic assessment should be performed by public authorities along with an appropriate funding mechanism. This work contributes to science by suggesting a direction to more constructive discussions between scholars and politicians that could lead to more effective future decisions on the overall sustainability of economies.
Exploring Critical Pedagogy in an Indonesian Higher Education: Possibilities and Challenges

The prior and recent literature on the second and foreign language education has touched upon a number of discussion regarding Critical Pedagogy (CP). CP is generally defined as an approach to teaching and curriculum that seeks to understand and the historical and socio-political context of schooling and pedagogical practices that aim not only to change the schooling, but also the wider society. This case study aimed to investigate the perspective of teachers towards CP in an Indonesian higher education in order to see the possibilities and the challenges of applying CP in this particular context. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data to five teachers, and the data was analysed using a thematic analysis. The result of this study revealed that while some of the teachers were in favour of implementing CP, the others seemed to be rather pessimistic due to some constraints they had in the classroom. Some strategies, e.g. problem posing techniques were found to be essential to engage the students in critical dialogue with the teachers. It is hoped that this research can shed new light on to what extent CP can be implemented in certain educational contexts and on possible challenges that teachers may face in the process.
Palaeolake sediment records reveal a mid‐ to late Younger Dryas ice‐sheet maximum in Mid‐Norway

We present a revised chronology of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet’s glacial maximum during the Younger Dryas (Tautra event) in Mid‐Norway. Sediment records from palaeolakes near Leksvik show the occurrence of thick, laminated silt units with numerous dropstones between organic‐rich units and indicate that a proglacial lake was dammed between the Tautra ice margin and a local spillway. Ash beds and several radiocarbon‐dated plant macrofossil samples from corresponding stratigraphical sequences in different basins provide robust chronological constraints for the timing and duration of the proglacial lake and, consequently, the Tautra event. The existing chronological constraints on the Tautra event suggest that the glacial episode occurred at 12.9–12.6 ka. Our new chronology indicates that the Younger Dryas ice‐sheet re‐advance culminated close to 12.1 cal. ka BP, maintained this position for a maximum of 700 years and started retreating inland at c. 11.4 cal. ka BP. Our revised age for retreat from the Younger Dryas glacial maximum thus differs from the existing deglaciation chronology by approximately a thousand years, and hints at a similar late Younger Dryas glacial maximum throughout most of southern Norway.
DETERMINANTS OF TAX CAPACITY AND TAX EFFORT IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT Literature posits that numerous economic and institutional factors limit the amount of taxes that a country can raise. Against this background, the substantive aim of this study was to assess the determinants of tax capacity and tax effort in the SADC. A multi-step procedure was followed to estimate determinants of tax capacity and tax effort using stochastic tax function and unbalanced panel data for 13 SADC countries.1 1 The SADC countries included Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The study disentangled the error term to estimate the random effects separately from tax effort to capture the time-invariant country-specific effects. Further, tax effort was classified as persistent (long-run) and transient (short-run). The study was able to estimate the determinants of tax effort and to rank each member state or country according to its tax effort. The quantitative analysis indicate that financial deepening, economic development and trade openness influence tax capacity, while corruption and inflation influence tax effort. The SADC region has low persistent tax effort, implying that improving tax administration has superseded tax policy reforms. This result is augmented by the fact that tax legislation efforts were largely successful in tax administration but rather limited given tax policy.
The Effect of FoMO as a Mediator of Big-Five Personality Relationship with Problematic Internet Use Among Emerging Adulthood

Internet use in Indonesia continues to increase every year. The terminology that is often heard from the negative impact of internet use is problematic internet use (PIU), The phenomenon of fear of missing out (FoMO) is thought to be a mediator between problematic internet use and big-five personality traits. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of FoMO as a mediator of the relationship between big-five personality traits and problematic internet use (PIU) on emerging adulthood. The method used in this research is descriptive quantitative method. Participants in this study were men (N = 200) and women (N = 200 people), aged 18-25 years, namely emerging adulthood with a total number of 200 participants, and active in using the internet every day. The measuring instruments used in this study were the problematic internet use (PIU) scale, the personality scale and the fear of missing out (FoMO). The results obtained by the researchers were that extraversion personality traits did not affect FoMO (a = -0.318, p < 0.000), and FoMO significantly affected PIU (b = 10.638, p < 0.000). Trait extraversion affects PIU via FoMO (c = -5.809, p < 0.000). Then agreeableness affected FoMO significantly negatively (a = -2.127, p < 0.000), and FoMO affected PIU significantly (b = 10.045). The agreeableness trait affected PIU via FoMO was significantly negative (c = -5.623). Trait conscientiousness affected FoMO significantly negatively (a = -2.026, p < 0.000), and FoMO affected PIU significantly (b = 10.059, p < 0.000). Trait conscientiousness affected PIU via FoMO (c = -5.001, p <0.000). Neuroticsm traits affected FoMO significantly (a = 5.690, p < 0.000), and FoMO effectd PIU significantly (b = 8.782). Neuroticsm traits affected PIU via FoMO significantly (c = -5,392). Meanwhile, trait openness has no effect on PIU through FoMO.
Soil grain size analysis by the dynamometer method – a comparison to the pipette and hydrometer method

Abstract The aim of the presented work was to compare the results of grain size distribution measurement by an innovative dynamometer method, developed by the authors, with results obtained by the pipette and hydrometer methods. Repeatability of results obtained in the dynamometer method was also determined. The content of three fractions with equivalent diameters <0.002 mm, 0.002–0.063 mm and 0.063–2.0 mm was measured. The results were compared using ordinary linear regression and additionally in the repeatability analysis by RMA (reduced major axis regression). It was found that the proposed dynamometer method is characterized by good result repeatability with no systematic errors when compared with the pipette method. The RMSE (root mean square error) value when referring to the pipette method calculated for the three fractions considered in total was 4.9096 and was lower than the analogous for the hydrometer method, which amounted to 5.4577. Values of determination coefficients in the comparison of dynamometer method and pipette method are within the range of 0.9681–0.9951 for the different fractions. It was found that slightly larger differences in relation to the pipette method occurred for the fractions <0.002 mm and 0.002–0.063 mm, and smaller for the fraction 0.063–2.0 mm. Similarly, greater differences between repetitions in the dynamometer method were observed for the fraction <0.002 mm, and smaller for the 0.063–2.0 mm fraction. Possible sources of errors in the dynamometer method were discussed, as were proposals for their reduction.
Moral metaphorical effect of cleanliness on immoral workplace behaviors

Cleanliness connotes cleanness, hygiene, and beauty. Physical cleanliness is also a metaphor for moral purity, as proposed in recent literature. However, cleanliness means not only physical cleanliness but also environmental cleanliness. The article proposes that environmental cleanliness and physical self-cleanliness may metaphorically influence immoral behaviors in the workplace, and their effects may be different. The current study conducted a 2 (environmental cleanliness: clean vs. dirty) × 3 (self-cleanliness: hands-cleansing vs. face-cleansing vs. non-cleansing) between-subjects field experiment with employees as participants in a Chinese enterprise. One-hundred-seventy-seven employees volunteered to participate in the experiment. It was found that a clean workplace, rather than physical self-cleansing, renders harsh moral judgment regarding immoral workplace behaviors. The participants were less willing to accept immoral workplace behaviors in a clean environment than in a dirty environment, while self-cleanliness (hands-cleansing or face-cleansing vs. non-cleansing) had no significant influence on employees’ moral judgments of immoral workplace behaviors. In addition, the significant effects of environmental cleanliness were found in all the ten dimensions of immoral workplace behaviors. The findings reveal the metaphorical association between environmental cleanliness and the concept of higher social moral norms, and confirm that environmental cleanliness is a key factor leading to moral metaphorical effects. This result provides unique insight to the social significance of environmental cleanliness, and has important implications to prevent immoral workplace behaviors. A theoretical framework is proposed to explain why environmental cleanliness is more likely to affect moral judgment involving organizational interests than self-cleanliness. Considering most previous research has been done with samples of college students, this study is especially valuable through a field experiment on actual employees.
Synthesis of Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles with Eco-Friendly Processes Using Ganoderma lucidum Extract and Evaluation of Their Theranostic Applications

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plant extract, the cost-effective solution, and the abundance and environmental issue have been gaining much attention to scientists. Ganoderma lucidum (GL) commonly known as Lingzhi in Chinese and Reishi in Japanese, with a proven anticancer benefit, is discovered in the buffer zone of Bach Ma National Park, Nam Dong district, Thua Thien Hue province. In this work, the AgNPs were synthesized in a simple and effective biochemical reduction process using GL which is one of the biological organisms, as a reducing and stable agent. The optimum conditions of various experimental parameters such as pH, reaction time, concentration, and temperature were investigated. Obtained AgNPs were characterized by UV-Vis, FTIR, SEM, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of AgNP/GL materials and GL aqueous extraction on the antiproliferative activities of HepG2 and MCF-7 cells were studied. The novel AgNP/GL-based multicomponent suspension is a key compound that could find a good application in the medical and pharmaceutical sciences.
The Relationship of Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Intentions of University Students: The Mediating Effect of Attitudinal Factors

The study intended to examine the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions of students studying business education in different universities. More over the mediating effect of attitudinal factors on the relationship of intended variables was also explored. Six hundred graduate students were surveyed through a questionnaire from three public universities. The findings displayed that entrepreneurship education was significantly affecting entrepreneurial intentions of the students. Attitudinal factors have a strong mediation for entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions of higher education students. It can be concluded that entrepreneurial curricula and instruction along with attitudinal factors can add significantly to advance entrepreneurial intentions of students. It is suggested that the students of higher education, may be exposed towards entrepreneurship knowledge through regular instructional process, seminars and workshops to enhance their entrepreneurial capacities.
A balanced view of mindfulness at work

Mindfulness has grown from an obscure subject to an immensely popular topic that is associated with numerous performance, health, and well-being benefits in organizations. However, this growth in popularity has generated a number of criticisms of mindfulness and a rather piecemeal approach to organizational research and practice on the subject. To advance both investigation and application, the present paper applies The Balance Framework to serve as an integrative scaffolding for considering mindfulness in organizations, helping to address some of the criticisms leveled against it. The Balance Framework specifies five forms of balance: 1) balance as tempered view, 2) balance as mid-range, 3) balance as complementarity, 4) balance as contextual sensitivity, and 5) balance among different levels of consciousness. Each form is applied to mindfulness at work with a discussion of relevant conceptual issues in addition to implications for research and practice. In order to appreciate the value of mindfulness at work researchers and practitioners might want to consider both the benefits and potential drawbacks of mindfulness. This paper presents a discussion of both the advantages and possible disadvantages of mindfulness at work organized in terms of the five dimensions of an organizing structure called The Balance Framework.
Embracing to Creating Curriculum: Levels of Engagement Among Student Teachers

This qualitative study explored the experiences, and specifically the challenges, of white elementary student teachers in an urban setting. One of the most interesting findings from this study involved the varied levels of engagement with the school curriculum. Although every Urban Student Teacher (UST) embraced the curriculum, data showed multiple levels of involvement defined as critiquing, tinkering, and creating. While challenging, USTs who created units of study found ownership of the curriculum satisfying. The aim, then, is for teacher educators to encourage student teachers to embrace challenges that come with teaching and view them as a way to learn.
Does CEO Power Backfire? The Impact of CEO Power on Corporate Strategic Change

In today’s dynamic economic environment, enterprises must maintain sensitivity and flexibility when responding to the market through continuous strategic change. Anchored in the approach–inhibition theory of power, this study explores the relationship between CEO power and corporate strategic change and examines the moderating effects of company underperformance and product market competition. The study uses data from all A-share listed companies in China during 2006–2017. The results indicate that first, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between CEO power and corporate strategic change. Appropriate centralization of CEO power helps promote corporate strategic change, whereas excessive centralization hinders strategic change. Second, low underperformance strengthens the inverted U-shaped relationship between CEO power and strategic change. Finally, high product market competition strengthens the inverted U-shaped relationship between CEO power and strategic change.
A Provable and Privacy-Preserving Authentication Scheme for UAV-Enabled Intelligent Transportation Systems

In this article, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are expected to play a key role in improving the safety and reliability of transportation systems, particularly where data traffic is nonhomogeneous and nonstationary. However, heterogeneous data sharing raises plenty of security and privacy concerns, which may keep UAVs out of future intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Some of the well-known security and privacy issues in the UAV-enabled ITS ecosystem include tracking UAVs and vehicle locations, unauthorized access to data, and message modification. Therefore, in this article, we contribute to the sum of knowledge by combining the hyperelliptic curve cryptography (HECC) techniques, digital signature, and hash function to present a privacy-preserving authentication scheme. The security features of the proposed scheme are assessed using formal security analysis methods, i.e., real-or- random (ROR) oracle model. To examine the performance of the proposed scheme, a comparison with other existing schemes has been carried out. The results reveal that the proposed scheme outperforms its counterpart schemes in terms of computation and communication costs.
Subdivision Collocation Method for One-Dimensional Bratu’s Problem

The purpose of this article is to employ the subdivision collocation method to resolve Bratu’s boundary value problem by using approximating subdivision scheme. The main purpose of this researcher is to explore the application of subdivision schemes in the field of physical sciences. Our approach converts the problem into a set of algebraic equations. Numerical approximations of the solution of the problem and absolute errors are compared with existing methods. The comparison shows that the proposed method gives a more accurate solution than the existing methods.
Components of working capital and profitability in Saudi Arabian companies

The study examines the influence of the cash conversion cycle (one of the components of working capital) on the firm profitability measured in terms of return on equity (ROE), return on assets (ROA), Tobin’s q, and gross operating profit (GROP) in the manufacturing sector of Saudi Arabia. The study selects a sample of 100 companies from nine industrial sectors listed on the Tadawul Stock Exchange starting from 2008 to 2019. A pooled regression is estimated to report the empirical results. The results report a positive and significant association between the components of working capital in terms of cash conversion cycle and the firm profitability in terms of ROA, ROE, and Tobin’s q, except for the GROP, where there is a negative and significant relationship. The study reports that the growth in firm performance is associated with supplier’s financing terms and inventory ordering cost. The results also show that larger firms are more profitable than smaller firms. Hence, the current study confirms the formulated hypothesis of having a significant association between the components of working capital and firm profitability.
Language Test Misuse

ABSTRACT During the past two decades, an increasing number of European countries have introduced language requirements for residency, citizenship, and sometimes even for entry to the country and family reunification. As a result, democratic rights as well as basic human rights have come to depend upon an individual’s ability to obtain a certain score on a language test and the consequences of failing may be detrimental. In the field of language testing, this use of language tests is often referred to as test misuse, yet the term lacks a precise definition in the literature. In this paper we propose a definition of test misuse in relation to language tests for migration purposes and focus particular attention on low-literate adult migrants for whom the requirements pose a considerable barrier. The main purpose of this paper is to address the question why language tests are being misused in migration policies, exploring linguistic, political as well as test theoretical explanations. We suggest that a more central role of test misuse in validity theory is essential in order to remedy its lack of research focus in our field.
G-Doping-Based Metal-Semiconductor Junction

Geometry-induced doping (G-doping) has been realized in semiconductors nanograting layers. G-doping-based p-p(v) junction has been fabricated and demonstrated with extremely low forward voltage and reduced reverse current. The formation mechanism of p-p(v) junction has been proposed. To obtain G-doping, the surfaces of p-type and p+-type silicon substrates were patterned with nanograting indents of depth d = 30 nm. The Ti/Ag contacts were deposited on top of G-doped layers to form metal-semiconductor junctions. The two-probe method has been used to record the I–V characteristics and the four-probe method has been deployed to exclude the contribution of metal-semiconductor interface. The collected data show a considerably lower reverse current in p-type substrates with nanograting pattern. In the case of p+-type substrate, nanograting reduced the reverse current dramatically (by 1–2 orders of magnitude). However, the forward currents are not affected in both substrates. We explained these unusual I–V characteristics with G-doping theory and p-p(v) junction formation mechanism. The decrease of reverse current is explained by the drop of carrier generation rate which resulted from reduced density of quantum states within the G-doped region. Analysis of energy-band diagrams suggested that the magnitude of reverse current reduction depends on the relationship between G-doping depth and depletion width.