Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preparedness and Mitigation Measures for Oil and Gas Pipeline Vandalization in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Owing to poor preparedness and mitigation measures for oil and gas pipeline vandalization in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, there have been series of spills that have now reached life threatening levels. This study set out to investigate factors that affect preparedness and mitigation measures for crude oil pipeline vandalism in the study area. The thrust of the study was to unravel the spatial variation in the preparedness and mitigation measures for crude oil pipeline in the region. The study used the survey research method and primary data was sort using questionnaire. The target population were heads of household and workers of multinational companies working in the area. Analysis of variance was used for hypotheses testing at the 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that the companies’ preparedness options were, use of hazard, risk and vulnerability assessment (76%). Both the community (42%) and companies (76%) respondents averred that the preparedness measure adopted in the area were less effective for combating the menace of pipeline vandalism. The mitigation practices against pipeline vandalization adopted included awareness creation, promoting community participation, community policing, community-based pipeline surveillance, community by laws, right of way, punishment for offenders, and excommunication. Majority of the respondent whether community respondents (48%) or companies respondents (84%) suggested that, the adopted mitigation measures were not effective. The ANOVA model was significant at p<0.05 (F, 14 sig 0.000) meaning that there is statistical significant variation in the level of preparedness for oil and gas pipeline vandalization in the study area. Similarly, the ANOVA model that measured the spatial variation in mitigation measures showed that the model is significant at p<0.05(F, 16.83, sig 0.000), meaning there is statistical significant spatial variation in the level of disaster mitigation for oil and gas pipeline vandalization in the study area. The study recommends improvement in surveillance technology, creation of awareness of the dangers of pipeline vandalism to the locals, amongst others.
Mass Preferences for the Free Movement of People in Africa: A Public Opinion Analysis of 36 Countries

The African Union (AU) has identified opening borders to cross-national mobility as a prime strategic goal, and AU leaders have heralded regional free movement as a vital tool for economic growth and skills development on the continent. Little, however, is known about the level (or determinants) of public support for opening borders in the AU. This article examines public preferences for free movement among 36 African countries. Using data from the sixth round of the Afrobarometer Survey (N = 53,935), the analysis presented here shows a remarkable degree of variation in mobility-related preferences both within and between nations, and explores whether a utilitarian model of attitude formation can explain mass preferences for open borders across African countries. Investigating both macro- and micro-level determinants of public attitudes toward border control, the article shows that the utilitarian model had greater explanatory power at the macro-level than at the micro-level. In addition, some support was found for identity-based predictors (e.g., nationalism versus cosmopolitanism) of support for free movement. These outcomes point toward a new way of understanding public attitudes toward regional integration in Africa. The article concludes by discussing future avenues of public opinion research toward mobility rights on the continent and beyond.
Hypoxia-preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells attenuate microglial pyroptosis after intracerebral hemorrhage

Background Microglia plays a vital role in neuroinflammation, contributing to the pathogenesis of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)-induced brain injury. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great potential for treating ICH. We previously revealed that MSCs ameliorate the microglial pyroptosis caused by an ischemic stroke. However, whether MSCs can modulate microglial pyroptosis after ICH remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of hypoxia-preconditioned olfactory mucosa MSCs (OM-MSCs) on ICH and the possible mechanisms. Methods ICH was induced in mice via administration of collagenase IV. At 6 h post-ICH, 2–4×105 normoxic/hypoxic OM-MSCs or saline were intracerebrally administered. To evaluate the neuroprotective effects, the behavioral outcome, apoptosis, and neuronal injury were measured. Microglia activation and pro-inflammatory cytokines were applied to detect neuroinflammation. Microglial pyroptosis was determined by western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results The two OM-MSC-transplanted groups exhibited significantly improved functional recovery and reduced neuronal injury, especially the hypoxic OM-MSCs group. Hypoxic OM-MSCs attenuated microglial activation as well as the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Moreover, we found that hypoxia-preconditioned OM-MSCs ameliorated pyroptosis by diminishing the levels of pyroptosis-associated proteins in peri-hematoma brain tissues, decreasing the expression of the microglial nod-like receptor family protein 3 (NLRP3) and caspase-1, and reducing the membrane pores on microglia post-ICH. Conclusions Our study showed that hypoxic preconditioning augments the therapeutic efficacy of OM-MSCs, and hypoxia-preconditioned OM-MSCs alleviate microglial pyroptosis in the ICH model.
Technological Innovation, the Kyoto Protocol, and Open Innovation

This study investigates the role of technological innovation in increasing the effectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. Panel data showing the number of patents for climate change mitigation technology as a measure of innovation are obtained from 54 countries for the period 1990–2015 to verify whether technological innovation is effective in reducing GHG emissions and whether it has a significant synergetic relationship with the Kyoto Protocol. The historical trends in the number of patents for climate change mitigation technology reveal a relationship between the Kyoto Protocol and technological innovation and show differences between specific types of mitigation technology. Based on these innovation data, this study conducts two-stage least squares analysis that considers the time-lag effect. The empirical results confirm that mitigation innovations for buildings and the production or processing of goods have a strong positive association with GHG emission reduction. The findings also support the long-term synergetic effect between innovation and participation in the Kyoto Protocol in terms of GHG mitigation. This study contributes to international climate change governance by providing empirical evidence for technological innovation’s role in strengthening the effectiveness of international regimes and implications for promoting open innovation.
Life table simulations of a univoltine codling moth, Cydia pomonella, population 1. Biological control with Mastrus ridens

ABSTRACT The potential for the newly established ichneumonid Mastrus ridens (Horstmann) to provide biological control of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), was simulated by incorporating different rates of parasitism into previously published life tables for a univoltine codling moth population on unsprayed apple trees in Nelson, New Zealand. Simulations over eight years were conducted using high and low initial codling moth densities, as occur respectively on neglected apple trees and commercially managed orchards. Life table simulations without M. ridens served as control treatments for comparison with simulations that included various rates of parasitism by each of the estimated three annual generations of the parasitoid. Based on the percentage parasitism recorded in New Zealand and the international literature, M. ridens is projected by the models to provide a valuable reduction of codling moth populations on neglected host trees in Nelson and thereby reduce the numbers of immigrant adult moths invading commercial apple orchards. In contrast, the codling moth is maintained at such extremely low densities within commercial apple orchards growing fruit for export that M. ridens is projected to make only a small contribution to parasitism within the orchard. These simulation results confirm the validity of the rationale for the introduction of M. ridens to New Zealand, which aimed to reduce the numbers of immigrant codling moths arriving in orchards from highly infested and neglected host trees in the wider environment.
Predicting focal point solution in divergent interest tacit coordination games

ABSTRACT In divergent interest tacit coordination games there is a tradeoff between selecting a solution with a high individual payoff and one which is perceptually more salient to both players, i.e., a focal point. To construct a cognitive model of decision making in such games we need to consider both the social value orientation of the players and the game features. Therefore, the goal of this study was to construct a cognitive model for predicting the probability of selecting a focal point solution in these types of games. Using bootstrap aggregated ensemble of decision trees that was trained on the “bargaining table’ game behavioural data were able to predict when players will select a focal point solution. The binary classification achieved an accuracy level of 85%. The main contribution of the current study is the ability to model players behaviour based on the interaction between different SVOs and game features. This interaction enabled us to gain different insights regarding player’s behaviour. For example, a prosocial player often showed a tendency towards focal point solutions even when their personal gains were lower than that of the co-player. Thus, SVO is not a sufficient model for explaining behaviour in different divergent interest scenarios.
Computerized Immediate Feedback on Food Safety Quality Control and In-Process Inspections at a Food Manufacturing Plant

ABSTRACT Food manufacturing companies are challenged with performing quality control testing and inspections so that their product is safe for consumption. If a product does not meet quality control standards during processing, the product must be quickly removed from circulation before it is packaged, selected and shipped to consumers. The accuracy of the food recall is dependent upon tracking multiple sources: ingredients from suppliers, floor-inspections, packaging, storage, truck delivery and customer sales. In the current study, during practice “mock” recalls, the host company never achieved 100% retrieval accuracy from these multiple sources and never within a 2-hour threshold. An intervention for in-process inspections was designed using handheld tablets programmed for inputting quality control testing results, along with immediate visual and audio feedback and near-immediate retrieval of quality control testing results on-demand. Subsequently, “mock” recalls resulted in 100% data retrieval accuracy capturing quality control testing results, within several minutes. Results are discussed in terms of process safety behavioral systems integrated into technology designed to improve consumer safety.
Soil-Cement Mixtures Reinforced with Fibers: A Data-Driven Approach for Mechanical Properties Prediction

The reinforcement of stabilized soils with fibers arises as an interesting technique to overcome the two main limitations of the stabilized soils: the weak tensile/flexural strength and the higher brittleness of the behavior. These types of mixtures require extensive laboratory characterization since they entail the study of a great number of parameters, which consumes time and resources. Thus, this work presents an alternative approach to predict the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and the tensile strength of soil-binder-water mixtures reinforced with short fibers, following a Machine Learning (ML) approach. Four ML algorithms (Artificial Neural Networks, Support Vector Machines, Random Forest and Multiple Regression) are explored for mechanical prediction of reinforced soil-binder-water mixtures with fibers. The proposed models are supported on representative databases with approximately 100 records for each type of test (UCS and splitting tensile strength tests) and on the consideration of sixteen properties of the composite material (soil, fibers and binder). The predictive models provide an accurate estimation (R2 higher than 0.95 for Artificial Neuronal Networks algorithm) of the compressive and the tensile strength of the soil-water-binder-fiber mixtures. Additionally, the results of the proposed models are in line with the main experimental findings, i.e., the great effect of the binder content in compressive and tensile strength, and the significant effect of the type and the fiber properties in the assessment of the tensile strength.
Effectiveness of Supervised Pulmonary Rehabilitation in a Patient with Post-COVID Syndrome: A Case Report

Coronavirus-2019 has turned out to be a global pandemic impacting millions of people. Following recovering from Covid-19, patients suffer from post-COVID Syndrome which has an impact on lung function resulting in exertional dyspnea, cough, hypoxia or pulmonary fibrosis thereby reducing exercise as well as functional capacity. Along with medical intervention, pulmonary rehabilitation program is essential to reduce the symptoms in post-COVID-19 survivors and thereby improve the quality of life. This case study describes a 38 year diagnosed with viral pneumonitis with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who was given a structured supervised home based Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) program for 6 days a week, for 8 weeks post discharge from hospital. Results showed improvement in oxygen saturation at rest on room air, 6 minute walking distance (6MWD), Post Covid-19 Functional Status (PCFS) Scale, Functional Independent Measure (FIM) scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life Instruments (WHOQOL-BREF) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale–21 (DASS-21). This case report proposes PR as an important intervention to improve exercise as well as functional capacity thereby reducing the significant negative impact on post COVID survivors. Key words: COVID-19, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Post-COVID, Exercise.
FINANCING CONSTRAINTS, INTERNAL CONTROL QUALITY AND COST STICKINESS

Managers think that retaining resources is more effective than rebuilding resources after exhausting them. However, financing constraints have brought great uncertainty to this resource decision-making implemented by managers. Data of manufacturing listed firms in China from 2009 to 2017 are used here to explore the impact of financing constraints on cost stickiness. This paper finds that internal financing constraints have a significant promoting effect on cost stickiness, while debt financing constraints and equity financing constraints have a significant restraining effect on cost stickiness. The internal control quality has a moderation effect on this relationship. In a firm with low quality of internal control, internal financing constraints can enhance cost stickiness, but the weakening effect of external financing on cost stickiness is not affected by internal control quality.
Utilitarianism or cosmopolitanism? A study of education’s impact on individual attitudes toward foreign countries

ABSTRACT This article attempts to study two different causal mechanisms where education affects individual attitudes toward foreign countries. On the one hand, education stands for human capital and/or skill level. According to the factor endowments model, for example, well-educated people in a capital-abundant country can materially benefit from trade ties with other labor-abundant countries. On the other hand, education cultivates social trust, disseminates information, and expands breadth of social perspective, all of which can make one more pro-outsider. Hence, both explanations tend to predict that one’s educational attainment is associated with a positive opinion of outgroup members and foreigners. By cross-national comparison including both developed and developing economies, I find empirical evidence supporting the socializing not the utilitarian effect of education on outgroup attitudes, using data from the second wave of the Asian Barometer Survey. Further structural equation modeling shows that education socializes an individual to be more internationalist and cosmopolitan mainly through an expanded social perspective.
Performance of the Boost Converter Controlled with ZAD to Regulate DC Signals

This paper presents the performance of a boost converter controlled with a zero average dynamics technique to regulate direct current signals. The boost converter is modeled in a compact form, and a variable change is performed to depend only on the γ parameter. A new sliding surface is proposed, where it is possible to regulate both the voltage and the current with low relative errors with respect to the reference signals. It is analytically demonstrated that the approximation of the switching surface by a piecewise linear technique is efficient in controlling the system. It is shown numerically that for certain operating conditions, the system is evolved into a chaotic attractor. The zero average dynamics technique implemented in the boost converter has good regulation, due to the presence of zones in the bi-parametric space. Furthermore, the zero average dynamics technique regulates the voltage well and presents a chaotic attractor with low steady-state error.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Earnings Management: Moderating Impact of Economic Cycles and Financial Performance

This study analyses the relationship between earnings management and corporate social responsibility. To this end, we use a sample of 568 listed companies from the European Union between 2010 and 2018. We use discretionary accruals as the measure of earnings management, under the Modified Jones model. Corporate social responsibility is proxied by the Combined Environmental, Social and Governance Score from the ASSET4 database. We find a negative relation between earnings management and corporate social responsibility, suggesting that managers from more socially responsible companies have a more ethical behavior and, thus, financial reporting of higher quality. Additional analysis provides evidence that economic cycles and financial performance play important roles in the relation between earnings management and corporate social responsibility. During periods of crisis or of losses, the relationship is positive, suggesting that under unfavorable economic conditions, management makes opportunistic use of a sustainable company’s status to manage earnings.
A retrospective study of cytology and HPV genotypes results of 3229 vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia patients

To analyze the distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype, cytology, and the clinical characteristics of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN). All patients with histological‐proven VaIN at West China Second University Hospital, between January 1, 2014, and October 1, 2020, were retrospectively identified. The demographics, medical history, HPV genotype, viral load, and cytology results were retrieved. Standard statistical analyses were conducted. Of 3229 patients included, 42.3% were diagnosed with VaIN 1, 30.3% with VaIN 2% and 27.4% with VaIN 3. Patients with VaIN 3 were the oldest (p < 0.001). The leading HPV genotypes were HPV 16, 52, 58, 53, 56 and 81. The positive rate of HPV 16 was positively correlated with the grade of VaIN and infected most VaIN 3 patients (76.0%). The sensitivities of cytology for VaIN only, concomitant VaIN, and VaIN after hysterectomy were 75.6%, 78.8%, and 82.9%, respectively (p = 0.013), and the sensitivities of HPV were 91.1%, 93.5%, and 91.7%, respectively (p = 0.205). Cotesting improved the sensitivities, up to 96.9%, 97.1%, and 98.1%, respectively. VaIN can occur alone or be concomitant with cervical or vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. Most of those with VaIN 2/3 are infected with HPV 16. The sensitivity of cytology and HPV testing is non‐inferior to that of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+. Therefore, these testings might be helpful in the early detection of VaIN.
Party Cues and Pre-Campaign Attitudes: Voting Choice in Referendums in Eastern Europe

ABSTRACT Political parties provide cues that influence how people vote in referendums. We know little about how this works against the attitudes held by voters before campaigns. This article analyzes under what circumstances voters in referendums consider their choice to be the result of party cues or of their opinions prior to a campaign. It focuses on seven referendums organized in Eastern Europe between 2015 and 2019. The results show that party cues may shape voting behavior when political parties are trusted, cues are clear, and citizens are media users. Political activity, information and interest in politics make pre-campaign attitudes important.
Investigation of the structure, magnetic, rheological and mechanical properties of EPDM rubber/Cu-Al-Zn alloy composites

The current research presentsthe development of EPDM rubber including shape memory alloy. The Cu-Al-Zn alloy was modified with the coupling agent3-(Trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (TMSPM)and then incorporated into Ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) by a 2-roll mill technique.The Cu-alloy behaved as superelasticity capability which can be used in various engineering approaches to smart materials. Microstructure, mechanical, rheological and magnetic properties of Cu-Al-Zn/EPDM composites was studied. The rheometericresults indicated that the incorporation of Cu-Al-Zn as a fillerenhance the curing process. Howeverthecuring time ofCu-Al-Zn/EPDMcomposites was reduced compared to the control sample without Cu-alloy. For the mechanical properties, increasing Cu-alloy loading inthe EPDMcomposites resulted inan increment of elongation at break.The addition of Cu based alloy as fillers improved the magnetization of composites with coupling agent when compared toEPDM rubber and Cu-Al-Zn/EPDMcomposites without coupling agent.
The effect of leadership style and IT support on lecturer performance during e-learning program with work environment as mediating variable

The lecturer performance appraisal system is the work of lecturers within the scope of their responsibilities which refers to a formal and structured system used as an instrument to measure, assess, and influence work-related traits, control lecturer behavior, including absenteeism rates and work results. Lecturer professionalism must, of course, be related and built through mastery of fundamental competencies in carrying out and completing their duties and work as lecturers, such as professional competence, social competence, and personal competence. The low performance of lecturers is suspect of having reasons such as lack of attention and concern from leaders, for example, less effective leadership styles, less communicative work relationships, lack of harmony, lack of welfare, lack of motivation, lack of a comfortable work environment, and lack of satisfaction felt by the lecturers. Based on these reasons, further research is needed on the influence of leadership style and work environment on lecturer performance in carrying out the teaching and learning process at private universities in Semarang. This research is a quantitative study with a sample of 127 permanent lecturers in the management department of private universities in Semarang. The analytical technique used in this study is path analysis with the results. Among others, leadership style, information technology support, and work environment significantly affect lecturer performance. Furthermore, the work environment can mediate the relationship between leadership style and information technology support on lecturer performance.