Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental and theoretical dynamic system identification of damaged RC beams

Dynamic system identification of RC beams i.e. natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes is of high importance due to their special role in most civil engineering structures. In this paper, the effects of damage on dynamic characteristics of reinforced concrete beams are investigated experimentally. The possibility of obtaining load displacement curves through dynamic testing for in situ reinforced concrete beams is evaluated and the proposed methods are verified. Damage is considered as reduction in the flexural stiffness with increasing degree of cracking. A vibrating motor with aluminum flywheels to which masses could be attached at varying eccentricities are used for producing the dynamic cyclic loads. The variation in natural frequency, amplitude of vibration, damping and bending stiffness with increasing eccentric mass and for increasing degree of cracking are evaluated through steady state vibration at resonance with gradual increase of concentrated load at mid span. The changes in the secant stiffness with increasing degree of cracking and for increasing and decreasing concentrated static loads are obtained. Damping values are calculated from free vibration decay function using logarithmic decrement method. The results indicate that the damping ratio in the vicinity of the cracked region is not merely viscous, but rather is a combination of viscous and frictional damping. The contribution of the frictional damping will increase by increasing degree of cracking.
Hydrodynamic adjustment subject to a submerged canopy partially obstructing a flume: Implications for junction flow behaviour

The scenario of a submerged canopy partially obstructing a channel is common in the natural aquatic flow environment. This study experimentally evaluated the flow adjustment performance and vertical flow structure adaptive to a submerged partially distributed canopy. The experimental results showed that the canopy interior velocity adjustment distance for submerged partially distributed canopies was comparable with that for emergent ones. However, it was smaller than that for submerged fully distributed canopies but comparable with that for emergent fully distributed ones. For the fully developed flow, the neighbouring open waters insignificantly impact the flow structure in the vegetation region (VR), where the mixing‐layer flow behaviour arising from the generation of the vertical coherent vortices was maintained. The vertical mixing‐layer flow behaviour characterised by pronounced vertical Reynolds shear stress transversely extended into the nonobstructed region, suggesting that the canopy‐side waters significantly impacted the neighbouring open flow. This effect decayed in the case of decreasing canopy density and as the location leaving the junction region (JR). Of importance was that near‐bed velocity deflection occurred in the JR and was facilitated by canopy density. Vertically nonuniform distribution of transverse momentum exchange from horizontal coherent vortices due to bed depression can account for the near‐bed velocity deflection. The gained knowledge allowed the development of a phenomenological model for understanding the vertical flow structure in partially vegetated channels.
Relationship between the Pandemic Climate of Covid-19 and Leadership Styles on the Employees Performance of the Secretariat Regional on Kupang City Government

The purpose of study was to analyze and prove the influence of the pandemic climate of Covid-19 and leadership style to employee performance. This research was conducted for three months, namely January-March 2022 at the Regional Secretariat of the Kupang City Government. This research is classified as quantitative research using methods of survey, confirmative, and verification. The research population was 1034 employees, the sampling was determined using the proportional stratified random sampling method with the Slovin technique, so that the research sample used was 288 employees. The types of data consist of primary and secondary data, which were obtained by techniques in questionnaire, observation, documentation, and interview. Data analysis used multiple linear regression using SPPS v 2.1 application. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic climate, either partially or simultaneously, had a positive and significant effect on performance, but leadership style had a negative and insignificant effect on employee performance. The coefficient of determination in this research was 83.7%.
Comparison of estimators of linear time trend in Weibull‐distributed low flows

For low‐flow data sequences that can plausibly be assumed to have a Weibull distribution, possibly with time trend superimposed, both estimation of a linear trend parameter and tests for its statistical significance are more efficient where information about the underlying Weibull distribution is incorporated into estimation and testing procedures. Both maximum likelihood and linear‐regression estimates of linear trend are unbiased in sample sizes commonly found in hydrological practice (from 30 to 50 years). In samples of this relatively limited size, maximum likelihood (ML) estimates of a linear trend parameter have smaller variance than the linear regression (LR) estimate, except when the Weibull parameter k is near to one, when the distribution reduces to an exponential form. For the larger sample size used in simulation, N = 50, empirical tests based on the distribution of the ML and LR estimates showed that those based on maximum likelihood were always more powerful. However, a critical assumption in the paper is that annual low flows are independently distributed, and this may not always be justified.
Responses to ambivalence toward social networking sites: A typological perspective

A common assumption in prior research on social networking sites (SNS) has been that users' orientations toward SNS use are positioned somewhere along a bipolar, univalent continuum, stretching from negative to positive orientation. However, considering recent findings unfolding the intricacy and variety of SNS use patterns, such a linear conceptualization of users' orientations is too simplistic with limited ability to explain the intricate patterns of SNS use. To alleviate this deficiency in this paper, we draw on the ambivalence literature and explain that users can simultaneously experience both positive and negative orientations toward SNS use based on the positive and negative aspects of their SNS use experience. Focusing on post‐ adoptive SNS use context, we theorise archetypes of SNS users' attitudinal responses to ambivalence, and their associated behavioural outcomes in terms of SNS use patterns. We first follow a typological perspective and develop typologies of attitudinal and behavioural responses to ambivalence toward SNS use. Then, we offer six hypotheses that explain the relations between the archetypes of attitudinal responses to ambivalence toward SNS use and users' SNS use patterns. Lastly, we empirically test our hypotheses using latent profile analysis and ANCOVA applied to two‐wave data collected from 370 ambivalent SNS users. The findings support the hypotheses and validate our typologies. The findings ultimately point to likely choices from a range of post‐adoption SNS use patterns as plausible outcomes of SNS users' attitudinal responses to ambivalence.
In-Situ Contact Surface Characterization in a MEMS Ohmic Switch under Low Current Switching

To develop robust microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switching technology for low voltage direct current (DC) applications (1–12 V) there is a requirement for the investigation of wear caused by hot switching (contact operated while carrying a current load). Previous investigation of contact wear in the ohmic MEMS switch has been limited to either the completion of the contact switching cycles, where the device is destructively opened, or by low switching rates, making lifetime testing impractical. A novel MEMS testing platform is described that is capable of both resolving microscale changes on the contact surface between switching events and sustained high frequency switch cycling, enabling practical lifetime testing. The platform is used to investigate early surface changes in a thin-film Au contact pair on a cycle-by-cycle basis. The contact is closed at forces representative of a practical MEMS contact (<1 mN). The apparatus reveals the microscopic surface change between individual switching events. Hot switched contact wear is dominated by the molten metal bridge (MMB) phenomenon, linked to a characteristic voltage transient at contact opening and the gradual process of contact material transfer; however, during hot switching delamination phenomena are also observed, and associated with a step change in contact voltage and a greater level of surface damage.
Downregulation of miR-210 Promoted Apoptosis of Hippocampal Neurons by Negatively Regulating the TLR4/NF-кB1 Signaling Pathway in a Rat Model of Status Epilepticus

Purpose Status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening condition causing brain damage, hippocampal necrosis and apoptosis. This study aimed to determine whether microRNA-210 regulates seizure and apoptosis by targeting the TLR4 /NF-κB1 associated signaling pathway. Methods In a pilocarpine-induced epileptic rat model, the expressions of microRNA-210 (miR-210), TLR4, NF-κB1 and caspase-3 were assessed by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Tunel detects hippocampal neuron apoptosis. Results We found that miR-210, TLR4, NF-κB1 and caspase-3 were upregulated in the hippocampus of the rat model compared with that of control. The knockdown of miR-210 significantly restored the expression levels of TLR4, NF-κB1 and caspase-3 and increased hippocampal apoptosis. Conclusion These findings showed that the downregulation of miR-210 promoted apoptosis of hippocampal neurons by negatively regulating the TLR4/NF-кB1 signaling pathway.
Origanum vulgare L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L. Aqueous Extracts in Growing-finishing Pig Nutrition: Effects on Antioxidant Status, Immune Responses, Polyphenolic Content and Sensorial Properties

The effects of an oregano and/or rosemary (Origanum vulgare L. and/or Rosmarinus officinalis L.) dietary supplementation to the diet of fattening pigs were investigated. Thirty-two grower-finisher pigs (45 kg) were divided into four dietary groups identified as: control diet (CTR); CTR+ 0.2% oregano (O); CTR + 0.2% rosemary(R), and CTR+ 0.1% oregano + 0.1% rosemary (OR). During the finishing period, all groups received a further supplementation of 0.5% of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA). Blood samples were collected after an adaptation period of 15 days to the new diet (T1) and at the end of the finishing period (T2) to evaluate antioxidant status (total antioxidant power and reactive oxygen metabolites) and immune responses (lymphocytic phenotyping and IgG levels). Pork meat samples were evaluated for glutathione peroxidase activity (GSHPx), total phenolic content and preference rating. A significant increase in B lymphocytes (CD79+) and a higher IgG level was observed in the R and O groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, there were significant effects of dietary supplementation on meat GSHPx activity and total phenolic contents (P<0.001 and P<0.005, respectively). Preference rating showed that pork derived from group R was the most preferred by the consumers.
Are Large Earthquakes Preferentially Triggered by Other Large Events?

Fundamentally related to the ultraviolet (UV) divergence problem in physics, conventional wisdom in statistical seismology is that the smallest earthquakes, which are numerous and often go undetected, dominate the triggering of major earthquakes, making accurate forecasting of the latter difficult if not inherently impossible. Using the general class of epidemic type aftershock sequence (ETAS) models and rigorous pseudo‐prospective experiments, we show that ETAS models featuring a specific magnitude correlation between triggered and triggering earthquakes and a magnitude‐dependent Omori kernel significantly outperform simpler ETAS models, in which these features are absent. Using the best forecasting model, we then show that large events preferentially trigger large earthquakes. These findings have far‐reaching implications for short‐term and medium‐term seismic risk assessment and the development of a deeper theory without UV cut‐off that is locally self‐similar.
Gender Discrepancy in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Retrospective Study from a Level 1 Trauma Center

Objectives The objective of this study is to explore the gender discrepancy in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods A retrospective analysis of Qatar Trauma Registry (QTR) was conducted among patients (age ≥14y) who were hospitalized with TBI. Data were collected and analyzed based on the gender and age. Results Over 5 years (2014-2019), 9, 309 trauma patients (90% males and 10% females) were admitted to the trauma center. Of these, 1, 620 (17.4%) patients were hospitalized with TBI (94% males and 6% females). Motor vehicle crash was the main mechanism of injury (MOI) in females, and fall from height was predominant among males. Subdural hematoma (SDH) was the more frequent type of TBI in both genders, but it was more prevalent in male patients ≥55 years. Injury severity score, Glasgow coma scale, and head abbreviated injury score were comparable between males and females. The length of stay in the ICU and hospital and mortality were similar in both genders. However, mortality was higher among males ≥55 years when compared to 14-54 years within the same gender (21% vs. 12%, p = 0.002). The crude and adjusted odds ratio did not show that gender is a significant predictor of mortality among TBI patients. Conclusions Although the incidence and MOI of TBI show significant differences between male and female patients, the severity and outcomes are comparable.
Electronic and optical properties of MgxZn1−xO and CdxZn1−xO from ab initio calculations

Isostructural and heterostructural pseudobinary MgxZn1−xO and CdxZn1−xO alloys are studied by combining the wurtzite and the rocksalt polymorphs within a cluster expansion. The computationally demanding calculation of the quasiparticle electronic structure has been achieved for all cluster cells of the expansion using the recently developed HSE03+G0W0 scheme. These results are used to compute the configurational averages for the fundamental band gaps and the densities of states. A strongly nonlinear behavior of the band gaps is observed and it is quantified by means of the corresponding bowing parameters for both material systems. In order to calculate the macroscopic dielectric functions, including excitonic and local-field effects for iso- and heterostructural MgxZn1−xO alloys as well as wurtzite (wz) CdxZn1−xO, the Bethe–Salpeter equation has been solved for each of the corresponding clusters. The respective configurational averages indicate that the composition-dependent variation in the exciton peaks allows conclusions on the alloy composition and preparation conditions.
Effect of Educational Program on Nurses' Performance regarding Infection Control in Labor and Delivery Care Units

Background : Prevention of infection is a challenge for health-care systems, especially at labor and delivery care units. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of educational program on nurses' performance regarding infection control at labor and delivery care units. Subjects and method: Design: A quasi-experimental research design. Setting: Labor and delivery care units of Tanta University, as well as El-Menshawy and Zefta General Hospitals, and Al-Santa Central Hospital. Subjects: All available nurses (170) working at the previously mentioned settings were included. Tools for data collection: Tool (I): Structured Interview Schedule for Nurses that included socio-demographic characteristics, and nurses' knowledge regarding Infections Control. Tool (II): Infection Control Observation Checklist that included items related to nurses' practice, and to labor and delivery care units. Results: There is a statistically significant effect of the educational program on nurses' performance regarding infection control at labor and delivery care units. Conclusion and recommendations: Nurses' performance regarding infection control at labor and delivery care units significantly improved due to the educational program. Thus, conduction of in-service training programs at labor and delivery care units is important to enhance nurses' performance.
The Share Price and Investment: Current Footprints for Future Oil and Gas Industry Performance

The share price has become a very important indicator for shareholders, banks, and financial institutions evaluating the performance of companies. The oil and gas industry seems to be in a difficult era of development, due to the market prices for its products. Moreover, climate change and renewable energies are barriers for fossil energy. This state of affairs, and the fact that oil and gas shares are considered one of the most solid and reliable shares on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), have drawn our attention. International institutions encourage the investment in the oil and gas economic sector. This study investigates how investments of oil and gas companies in long-term assets influence the share price. Using the Ohlson share price model for a sample of 51 listed companies on the LSE proves that investments in long-term assets influence the share price in the case of companies which record losses. Investments in long-term assets are responsible for the attractiveness of the oil and gas company shares.
Some relations between potential theory and the wave equation

Abstract : Solutions to the Dirichlet and Neumann problems for the region exterior to the intersection of two regions whose individual electrostatic Green's functions are known are developed. The method is applied specifically to obtain solutions for the exterior of a solid finite circular cone with a spherical cap. The solutions to the vector and scalar wave equations for long wavelengths can be expressed in terms of these Dirichlet and Neumann solutions.
The Role of Nano-Silica in Reducing the Negative Impact of Different Shocks on Cucumber Plant Growth

The current research aims to determine whether salinity in irrigation water, frost, drought, and heat damage to cucumbers may be reduced or avoided by using manufactured nano-silica (NaSiPs) particles. After soaking the seeds for 3 hours in a nano-silica suspension, seedlings with a length of 15 cm in the greenhouse were sprayed with various NaSiPs concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg L -1 ). When the plant reached 30 cm in length, the various shock treatments were applied. At harvest, some vegetative parameters were determined as well as chemical analysis of plants (root, leaves , and fruits). The results confirmed that NaSiPs were effective in reducing the negative effects of various shocks on plant biometrics, chlorophyll, and fruit yield. The findings revealed that there were no significant effects of the two-way interaction between shock treatments and nanosilica rates on the plant biometrics, chlorophyll, and fruit yield. The concentrations of sodium and potassium in roots, leaves, and fruits, as well as silicon and proline in roots and leaves, were found to have the same effects. Except for Na and K in fruits and leaves, all parameters studied increased with increasing nano-silica rates, with the exception of fruit sodium and leaf potassium concentration. The shocks had the following order: control > salinity > frost > dryness > heat. SiNP400 treatment of plants reduced the negative effects of various shocks.
Incorporation of Fluoride into Human Teeth after Immersion in Fluoride-Containing Solutions

Toothpastes and mouth rinses contain fluoride as a protective agent against caries. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of fluoride-uptake by human tooth mineral during immersion into fluoride-containing aqueous solutions as different pH. Human teeth were immersed in fluoride-containing solutions to assess the extent of fluoride incorporation into tooth enamel. A total of 16 extracted teeth from 11 patients were immersed at 37 °C for one minute into aqueous fluoride solutions (potassium fluoride; KF) containing either 250 ppm or 18,998 ppm fluoride (1-molar). Fluoride was dissolved either in pure water (neutral pH) or in a citrate buffer (pH 4.6 to 4.7). The elemental surface composition of each tooth was studied by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in combination with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. The as-received teeth contained 0.17 ± 0.16 wt% fluoride on average. There was no significant increase in the fluoride content after immersion in 250 ppm fluoride solution at neutral or acidic pH values. In contrast, a treatment with a 1-molar fluoride solution led to significantly increased fluoride concentrations by 0.68 wt% in water and 9.06 wt% at pH 4.7. Although such fluoride concentrations are far above those used in mouth rinses or toothpastes, this indicates that fluoride can indeed enter the tooth surface, especially at a low pH where a dynamic dissolution-reprecipitation process may occur. However, precipitations of calcium fluoride (globuli) were detected in no cases.
A comprehensive assessment of time overruns in Ghanaian telecom cell site construction

Abstract It is imperative for researchers to study construction projects in all industries, in order to find lasting solutions to the occurrence of time overruns during projects. Considering the myriad of studies on time overruns in construction projects, there is a scarcity of such studies in the construction of cell sites for the telecom industry. Therefore, this paper sought to investigate time overruns in the construction of cell sites, and quantitatively, to determine the real causal factors of its occurrence within the context of the Ghanaian telecom industry. As a mixed method approach, this study used the expert interview method in the case study, and structured questionnaires in the survey study to elicit information from practitioners with direct project management responsibilities in cell site construction. The findings indicate that time overruns, ranging from three weeks to two months, occur across the industry, with the overall impact of loss of revenue and business value. After the EFA and CFA analysis, 9 out of 28 factors were retained, forming two principal components named “project planning” and “project control”. The findings and recommendations made by this paper would enlighten the perspective of project management practitioners in their quest to deliver successful cell site construction. Both scholars and industry players can use the research methodology that has been designed to aid and facilitate the conduct of any such study in any industry in future.
An Update on the Management of Acute High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism

Hemodynamic instability and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction are the key determinants of short-term prognosis in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). High-risk PE encompasses a wide spectrum of clinical situations from sustained hypotension to cardiac arrest. Early recognition and treatment tailored to each individual are crucial. Systemic fibrinolysis is the first-line pulmonary reperfusion therapy to rapidly reverse RV overload and hemodynamic collapse, at the cost of a significant rate of bleeding. Catheter-directed pharmacological and mechanical techniques ensure swift recovery of echocardiographic parameters and may possess a better safety profile than systemic thrombolysis. Further clinical studies are mandatory to clarify which pulmonary reperfusion strategy may improve early clinical outcomes and fill existing gaps in the evidence.