Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disaggregated Empirical Analysis of Determinants of Urban Travel Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A disaggregate approach is proposed for estimating travel-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the individual level by using an in-depth multiday activity-based survey in Quebec City, Canada. A random-effect model is then estimated to quantify the impact on emissions of individual and household socioeconomic characteristics as well as urban form and transit supply indicators. The model results are obtained in terms of total individual emissions and by trip-end activity purpose such as work, leisure, and shopping. According to the results, female respondents produced, on average, emissions that were 22% lower than those of men. Evidence of economies of scale was found within households in the production of travel GHG emissions. A couple would produce only 64% more emissions than a single person. It was found that both urban form and transit supply around the residence have a significant impact on GHG emissions, though this impact is relatively limited; this finding implies that drastic land use changes would be required to significantly cut travel emissions. For example, a 10% increase over the mean in residential or job density would lower emissions by less than 2%. This result is consistent with recent studies examining the relationship between travel and land use.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL, FINITE ELEMENT, HEAT TRANSFER MODEL OF TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION IN GRAIN STORAGE BINS

ABSTRACT A three-dimensional, heat conduction problem in cartesian coordinate system was solved using the finite element method for predicting the temperature distribution in grain storage bins. The program can handle linear and quadratic hexahedron elements with 1, 2, or 3 point Gauss quadrature in each plane. The model can simulate the temperatures in filled grain bins of any shape and at any location, if the hourly weather data (solar radiation, wind velocity, and ambient air temperature) for the location and the grain temperatures at the start of simulation are available. Other input data required for the model include the three dimensional grid data of a linear or quadratic hexahedron element, and the thermal properties of grain, bin wall material, soil and air. Temperatures predicted by the model were in very good agreement with the measured temperatures in two 5.56 m diameter bins containing rapeseed and barley, respectively, located near Winnipeg. Temperatures predicted by the model in 3.0 m and 4.0 m tall rapeseed bulks of various diameters were compared with the temperatures predicted by 2D finite difference and 3D finite difference models. The temperatures predicted by the 3D finite element model and the 3D finite difference model were nearly identical for different locations in the grain bulks. Three dimensional finite element model predicted higher temperatures by about 5 K to 15 K towards the south side of the bin than the north side, whereas 2D model predicted equal temperatures at these locations.
Family of soft-switching resonant DC-DC converters

Switched resonator converters as a new family of soft-switching DC-DC converters are presented. A unified comprehensive study is performed, topologies are categorised, essential and general equations are presented, the control mechanism is discussed and a useful comparison is provided. Practical results confirm the integrity of the proposed converters and their theoretical analysis.
Fabrication and characterization of vibration-driven AlN piezoelectric micropower generator compatible with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor process

This article describes the aluminum nitride (AlN)-based piezoelectric microgenerator for scavenging energy from ambient vibration. To achieve the low resonance frequency and maximize power density, a parametric study has been carried out by analytical modeling and finite element analysis. The piezoelectric microgenerator consists of AlN piezoelectric thin film with molybdenum (Mo) electrodes and silicon (Si) proof mass. The AlN was deposited on silicon-on-insulator wafer which is used as an insulating layer to defend the leakage current. The Mo electrode provides the excellent c-axis crystal growth of AlN. The fabricated AlN piezoelectric microgenerator can generate up to 6.4 nW at a frequency of 389 Hz and acceleration of 1.0 g (1 g = 9.81 m/s2). In addition, the output voltage and power density are 22.6 mVrms and 11.3 nW/mm3, respectively. The proposed generator is highly suitable for batch processing and has the possibility of harvesting energy from the ambient vibration.
Self-compacting concrete use for construction work environment sustainability

Abstract Many of those working on construction sites are exposed to demanding work loads; construction workers lift and carry heavy materials and work in awkward postures. Occupational injuries and accidents due to poor ergonomics are more common in the construction industry and many times lead to human tragedies, disrupt construction processes and adversely affect the cost, productivity, and the reputation of the construction industry. In Sweden, it is reported that concrete workers have the highest relative work-related musculoskeletal injury frequency. Therefore, the use of ergonomic production methods to prevent this can have a significant human, social and financial impact. Research introduced here presents a case study of comparative analyses of ergonomic situations for concrete workers performing concrete casting processes. Three different ergonomic risk assessment methods were used to assess the physical strain, hand-arm vibration and noise affects risks involved in concrete casting work tasks. Th.
HR roles and activities. Empirical results from the DACH region and implications for a future development of the HR profession

The roles and activities of human resource management (HRM) have changed a lot in the past years. Driven by a changing environment the scope of human resource (HR) activities has widened. Besides cost efficiency, optimisation and service-orientation of the HR processes, the development of the employees became more and more important. Today, the demographic change and skill shortages cause new challenges for companies and their human resource management. The strategic alignment of the HR activities and the development of sustainable HR strategies are crucial to ensure the long-term success of a company. This strategic focus of HR has been discussed in science for many years. But what about the implementation of this strategic focused HR as a business practice? This quantitative survey examined the extent of the current strategic focus of HR activities in the three DACH-region countries. A comparison of their current HR business practices is of particular interest, as they are strongly economically and culturally connected and there is a lively exchange of employees. The following questions led the survey: ? What is the current focus of the HR activities in the DACH-region? How does this affect the resources dedicated to the different HR roles? Are there any differences in the focus of the HR activities within the DACH-region? The results indicate that there was a major shift regarding the focus of HR activities. In all three countries HR is now mostly seen as an employee champion, coming from an administrative, process oriented HR understanding. The strategic aspect of HR roles also evolved remarkably. And as the results show that shift is not yet completed. The most important driver for the change is the increasing competences of the HR professionals. Regarding the intercultural aspect it is remarkable, that despite these development most of the HR functions are not seen as management positions in Germany and Austria. As strategic management is mostly a management and top-management issue, the importance of HR roles has to evolve. Therefore it is important to strengthen the HR roles as management positions and to increase the strategic and management competences of HR employees. This first study will be followed by an international study on HR roles and HR competencies in the 21st century. An HR competency model will be developed which will be tested in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. First insights will be presented.
The channel capacity of a multispan DWDM system employing dispersive nonlinear optical fibers and an ideal coherent optical receiver

We present channel capacity calculations for a multispan dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) system that employs an ideal coherent optical receiver. Both dispersive and dispersion-free single-mode nonlinear optical fibers are considered. Degradation due to interference among Kerr nonlinear noise and optical amplifier noise accumulated along many spans is included in our model calculations. We will show that in the low-power quasi--linear regime, a multispan system can be approximated by an "equivalent" single-span system. The "equivalent" Kerr coefficient for most dispersive fibers is shown to increase with the square root of the number of spans, in contrast to the linear scaling dependence for a dispersion-free fiber. For a conventional fiber with β = -20 ps2/km, our calculated capacity of 10 (2 x 80 km), 8 (8 x 80 km), and 6 (32 x 80 km) bps/Hz indicates that today's technologies with 0.4 bps/Hz have only realized 5% of the theoretical total capacity. We have shown an increased (or decreased) capacity by about 1 bps/Hz per ten-fold increase (decrease) in dispersion.
Incidence of preterm births in a referral teaching hospital in Ghana: What is the role of maternal age, parity, gravidity and stress during pregnancy?

Background. Preterm births (PTBs) notably contribute to neonatal morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Therefore, an examination of maternal risk factors is essential in reducing the incidence of PTB. Objective. To estimate maternal risk factors of PTBs with subsequent admission to the NICU. Methods. We interviewed 357 mothers who gave birth at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and their neonates admitted to the hospital’s NICU. A binary multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyse the odds ratios of each predictor variable. Results. The incidence of PTBs associated with admission to the NICU was 70%. From our estimation model, maternal parity emerged as the single most influential risk factor of preterm neonates who subsequently had to be admitted to the NICU, contributing to a significant 17.3% of the model fit compared with 12.9% for maternal stress and 1% for maternal age. Approximately 35% of the mothers did not attend the minimum number of antenatal care (ANC) visits (four) recommended by the Ghana Ministry of Health, which may have increased their risk of PTB. Conclusion. The most appropriate intervention to reduce the high risk of PTB is for expectant mothers to attend ANC during their pregnancy. Health professionals rendering ANC services should also educate mothers on how to avoid or manage stress during pregnancy to reduce the incidence of PTB.
Isolation and characterization of rhizobia from the root nodule of some cultivated legume crops

: Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) as a result of mutual symbiosis between the rhizobia and the cultivated legume have a vital role to balance the nutrient paucity in the soil. Modern researches shows that the BNF can be the important factors regulating and maintaining the defendable agriculture and ensuring food security especially in the developing countries. The use of artificial nitrogen fertilizers to rise crop yield is an internment farming practice, despite its unfavorable effects and hazards to the environment and human population which can be substituted by rhizobial inoculants as a bio-fertilizers. The present study was aimed to isolate and characterize the Rhizobium from the nine different selected legumes. The Rhizobium bacterium was isolated from the nodules of the nine legume plants on YEMA medium which was found to show white translucent, circular convex colonies and characterized by the non-absorption of Congo red dye. The strains were found to be fast growing except for the rhizobial strains isolated from the Soybean and cowpeas ( Bradyrhizobium ) which were slow growing. The various biochemical tests of the isolated strains like catalase, bromothymol blue, Urea hydrolysis were favorable while Glucose-Peptone Agar (GPA), starch hydrolysis, Citrate utilization were found to be negative. For the ability to utilize the 2% NaCl, the strains TFR showed positive growth, the strains PSR, PhVR, VUR showed the poor tolerance while the rest of the strains showed no tolerance to the 2% NaCl.
Determination of Honeycomb Material Properties: Existing Theories and an Alternative Dynamic Approach

This paper examines several available analytic and experimental methods to determine the orthotropic material properties of honeycomb. Fifteen published sets of simple equations for the material properties were reviewed and their values calculated for a specific honeycomb aluminum core. The same core was tested with ASTM standard methods and the agreement between the theoretical material properties and the experimental results was considered. To reduce the time and cost for the experimental determination, a simple technique for measuring the main dynamic material properties of honeycomb is introduced. A good agreement was found between the major theoretical out-of-plane material properties of honeycomb, the experimental ASTM methods, and the presented dynamic approach.
Why Do People Take Fewer Damage Mitigation Actions Than Survival Actions? Other Factors Outweigh Cost

AbstractPeople who prepare for earthquakes complete more emergency survival actions (e.g., get water supplies) than damage mitigation actions (e.g., strengthen foundations). The usual explanation for this difference is that mitigation actions cost more than emergency survival actions. However, research has not tested this idea with regard to citizens’ perception of the cost of particular actions or shown whether this pattern differs for households and businesses. Two studies recorded household and business completion of mitigation and survival actions, their estimate of action costs, their causal attributions for not acting, and their time orientation. Actions were distinguished as mitigating damage to buildings (e.g., foundations) or to contents (e.g., bookcases). Participants completed fewer expensive actions than inexpensive actions. However, perceived cost related to only 4 out of 12 incomplete actions with households, and for businesses cost related to only two actions at Time 1 and none at a 3-month.
Shear Transfer along Interfaces in Repaired/Strengthened RC Elements subjected to Cyclic Actions

Efficient repair or strengthening of existing RC structures strongly depends on the behaviour of interfaces between old and new added concrete, crossed by reinforcing bars. The mobilization of the two main shear transfer mechanisms, namely friction and dowel action, depends on the imposed cyclic displacement along the interface, as well as on the number of cycles. In this paper, part of the experimental results of a systematic program are presented and commented upon. Artificially roughened interfaces between old and new concrete crossed by reinforcing bars are subjected to cyclic imposed shear slips of varying amplitude (±0,1 mm to ±2,0 mm). The opening of the crack, the mobilized shear resistance, the axial stresses of the steel bars, as well as the force‐response degradation due to cycling are measured.
Patterns and Themes in Canadian Picture Books Published in 2017: A Content Analysis of 132 Titles Using Dresang’s Lens of Radical Change

This comprehensive examination of 132 picture books originally published by Canadian publishers in 2017, and written and/or illustrated by at least one creator living in Canada, offers qualitative and quantitative findings that demonstrate patterns and themes in relation to number of titles, authors, illustrators, characters, genres, audiences, and readability characteristics, while addressing particular elements of Dresang’s (1999) notion of Radical Change. Books were identified from multiple sources with results compared to a previous study (Author 3), demonstrating a marginal increase of titles since 2015 where 120 books were identified, and a continued increase from 2005 where 57 books were identified. Of particular note in the current sample were the 13 books created by Indigenous authors and/or illustrators and presenting Canadian Indigenous content and perspectives, calculated at 9.8 % of the study sample, compared to previous results where books by Indigenous authors and/or illustrators comprised 3.5 % of the sample in 2005 and 10% in 2015. These findings, and other patterns, themes and possible trends, are suggested as underpinnings for future research involving further changes in the field of Canadian children’s literature in education as well as further research into reader response regarding contemporary titles. While this paper does address aspects of diversity present in this study sample, a second article disseminates detailed findings related to representations of ethnicity.
Cooperative advertising in a supply chain with retail competition

This research assesses the effects of cooperative (coop) advertising in a channel with competing retailers considering both advertising and pricing as decision variables. We develop a game-theoretic model and provide equilibrium solutions for two games. In Game 1, the manufacturer and the retailers do not use cooperative advertising (status quo); and in Game 2, coop advertising is implemented. We also obtain optimal solutions for the case where the channel is coordinated. Contrary to the results provided for one-manufacturer, one-retailer channels, we find that coop advertising may not be profitable for the retailers or for the channel, especially when the market is characterised by low levels of price competition and high advertising competition between retailers. Although it benefits the manufacturer, the total effect of cooperative advertising on the channel profit might be negative under such conditions. The results also show that coop advertising stimulates retailers’ spending but may result in lower advertising expenditures than for a fully coordinated channel. Finally, when coop advertising benefits the entire channel, it does not fully achieve results from vertical integration.
Effect of High Intensity Interval Training on Aerobic Power and Anaerobic Power of Male Handball Players

The purpose of this study is to find out the efficiency of high intensity interval training on aerobic power and anaerobic power of male handball players. To achieve the purpose thirty (30) male handball players were selected from Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Annamalai University, Tamilnadu, India. These subjects were tested on aerobic power and anaerobic power before and after eight weeks of high intensity interval training (HIIT). The mean maximal aerobic speed 4.21 m/s was used as a criterion velocity to set running paces for high-intensity interval training. Statistical technique used in the present study was ANCOVA for aerobic power and anaerobic power. The result of the study revealed that eight weeks of high intensity interval training resulted in 8.20% of improvement in aerobic power (F(1,27) =108.04, p < 0.05) and 28.58% in anaerobic power (F(1,27) =28.54, p < 0.05). It is concluded that high intensity interval training for eight weeks resulted in improvement of aerobic power and anaerobic power of male handball players.
The Influence of Quality of Work Life and Islamic Work Ethics Towards Job Performance among SMEs’ Employee

This study aims to scrutinize the contribution of quality of work life and Islamic work ethics to the job performance of employees who work for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Central Java, Indonesia. A deductive questionnaire survey approach was applied to make sure data gathering reaches out across business sectors particularly, most of the registered SMEs throughout central Java. About 354 valid responses were analyzed utilizing SPSS in order to be able to examine how much quality work life of employees in the light of ethical values practice in Islam impact the performance of employees. The outcomes of the study revealed a tremendous effect on the performance of employees in SMEs while their work lives are taken cared for by the company. Similarly, performance found to be overwhelmingly determined by work ethics reflexively applied in a densely populated peninsula of Javanese Muslims. This is reconfirmed when IWE predisposed a significant positive relationship with quality of work life. The results of this study, as expected, provide theoretical and practical gains to the body of knowledge as well as become an impetus for all the likewise faith base business communities across the region, particularly for SMEs’ owner/manager and certainly for future researchers.
Design and Analysis of a Droop Nose for Coanda Flap Applications

The present study describes the fundamentals of droop nose design for improving the aerodynamics of airfoils with active high-lift using an internally blown Coanda-type flap. The main objectives are to increase the stall angle of attack and reduce the power required by the high-lift system. A two-dimensional sensitivity analysis explores the effects of varying airfoil camber and thickness in the first 20% of the chord. The resulting droop nose configuration improves the maximum lift coefficient by about 20% and increases the stall angle of attack by around 10–15 deg. A target lift coefficient of about 4.7 is reached with 28% less jet momentum coefficient, compared to the clean nose. As the modified leading-edge geometry presents different stall mechanisms, the aerodynamic response to variations of jet momentum is also different. In particular, for a jet momentum coefficient above 0.035, the stall angle of attack increases with jet momentum, in contrast with the behavior observed with the clean nose.
Thermal Simulating of Poppet Valve of XUM Motor and its Support in Order to Estimating of Contact Heat Transfer Coefficient: A Numerical Study

The functionality of inter combustion engines is depend on good management of fuel, air, spark and cooling process in order to get assurance from optimum performance of engine, pollutant amount and fuel consumption. The cooling of poppet valve by thermal contact of poppet valve and its support is very important. In this study, the thermal simulating of poppet valve of XUM engine and its support is performed by numerical method and using Ansys CFX software. Firstly, a simplified problem of end contact between two rods is analyzed to assure the accuracy of selected software and results of the solution are obtained. Then, the three dimensional geometry of engine cylinder head is input to the software and using the presented boundary conditions the problem is solved in static contact condition and its results including temperature of contact position between poppet valve and its support is used as initial condition for periodic case. Afterwards, the periodic case in low revolutions of engine and using the input warm air is considered. The obtained results in both cases of static and periodic contact are compared with the results obtained from experimental work on the test model of XUM engine in IPCO Corporation. In addition, the conditions of engine functionality in higher revolutions and using combustion products as input are evaluated. Finally, the contact heat transfer coefficients are estimated in two high revolutions of engine.