Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Generalized Control-strategy for Near-ambient Drying of Wheat Under Canadian-prairie Climate

Computer simulation was used to explore options for varying airflow in the control of near-ambient drying of wheat in the Canadian prairies. Earlier work had identified that the best way to use ambient air for drying in the prairie climate was not to adjust air humidity by the addition of heat, but to take advantage of diurnal swings in humidity by making appropriate variations in airflow. Year-to-year variation in the general level of the climate affected the required base level of airflow.
Prevalence and health correlates of workplace violence and discrimination – a cross-sectional study among hospital employees in Switzerland

BackgroundViolence and discrimination are common events at work, especially in the health care setting. Nevertheless, comprehensive data on their prevalence and health correlates among the entirety of hospital staff is missing. Thisstudy aimed to estimate the prevalence of different self-reported forms of workplace violence and discrimination among hospital employees in Switzerland and to investigate the association between such experiences at work and the general and mental health status. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was based on secondary data from a company survey among five public hospitals and rehabilitation clinics in German-speaking Switzerland conducted in 2015/16 (N = 1,567). Relative frequencies of different forms of violence and discrimination at work were calculated for the entire study population and for the occupational subgroups. These prevalence data were compared with a representative sample of the general Swiss working population as a reference group. Multiple logistic regression analyses were further computed to investigate the association between the number of different experienced forms of violence and/or discrimination at work and several poor general and mental health outcomes (poor self-rated health, sleep disorders, psychological stress, mental problem, burnout). Results23% of hospital employees experienced at least one form of discrimination or violence at work in the past year, compared to 18% of the general working population. Nurses and midwives were by far the most affected occupational group regarding all forms of violence. More and particularly most exposed hospital employees with regard to experiences of violence and/or discrimination at work showed almost consistently increased prevalence rates and odds ratios for the studied poor mental and general health outcomes. Prevalence rates and adjusted odds ratios for strong sleep disorders, strong stress feelings and increased burnout symptoms were between three and four times higher among the most exposed compared to those hospital employees who did not make any of these experiences at work at all. ConclusionsStudy findings underline the importance of an active combat against violent and discriminatory behaviors in health care. Prevention strategies should particularly focus on nurses and midwives, which turned out to be the most affected and exposed group of all health professions.
Determining the Low-Temperature Fracture Toughness of Asphalt Mixtures

There has been a sustained effort in applying fracture mechanics concepts to crack formation and propagation in bituminous pavement materials. Adequate fracture resistance is an essential requirement for asphalt pavements built in the northern part of the United States and Canada, for which the prevailing failure mode is cracking due to low-temperature shrinkage stresses. The current Superpave® specifications address this issue mainly through the use of strength tests on unnotched (smooth boundary) specimens. However, recent studies have shown the limitations of this approach and have suggested that fracture mechanics concepts, based on tests performed on notched samples, should be used instead. Research in progress at the University of Minnesota investigates the use of fracture mechanics principles to determine the low-temperature fracture properties of asphalt mixtures. A testing protocol is presented that makes it possible to obtain multiple measurements of fracture toughness as a function of crack propagation based on the compliance method to measure crack length. An increase in fracture toughness with crack length is observed, which is consistent with the behavior displayed by other brittle materials. The plateau of the curves may be representative of the asphalt concrete resistance to fracture, because the initial values can be significantly influenced by the presence of the inelastic zone at the crack tip.
Project Portfolios in Dynamic Environments: Sources of Uncertainty and Sensing Mechanisms

This article addresses the research question: How is uncertainty affecting project portfolios managed in dynamic environments? The management of four portfolios was studied in two large multidivisional corporations. The portfolios were characterized by a high degree of uncertainty and many interdependencies between the projects. The results of this research indicate that the sources of change go beyond the two groups identified in The PMI Standard for Portfolio Management (Project Management Institute, 2006), that is, (a) Portfolio Performance and (b) Business Strategy Changes. The sensing mechanisms put in place by both companies primarily addressed uncertainty related to project scope.
Effects of 5′,8′-Cyclo-2′-Deoxypurines on the Base Excision Repair of Clustered DNA Lesions in Nuclear Extracts of the XPC Cell Line

Clustered DNA lesions (CDL) containing 5′,8-cyclo-2′-deoxypurines (cdPus) are an example of extensive abnormalities occurring in the DNA helix and may impede cellular repair processes. The changes in the efficiency of nuclear base excision repair (BER) were investigated using (a) two cell lines, one of the normal skin fibroblasts as a reference (BJ) and the second from Xeroderma pigmentosum patients’ skin (XPC), and (b) synthetic oligonucleotides with single- and double-stranded CDL (containing 5′,8-cyclo-2′-deoxyadenosine (cdA) and the abasic (AP) site at various distances between lesions). The nuclear BER has been observed and the effect of both cdA isomers (5′R and 5′S) presence in the DNA was tested. CdPus affected the repair of the second lesion within the CDL. The BER system more efficiently processed damage in the vicinity of the ScdA isomer and changes located in the 3′-end direction for dsCDL and in the 5′-end direction for ssCDL. The presented study is the very first investigation of the repair processes of the CDL containing cdPu considering cells derived from a Xeroderma pigmentosum patient.
Parameter Sensitivity and Uncertainty in SWAT: A Comparison Across Five USDA-ARS Watersheds

The USDA-ARS Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) calls for improved understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of watershed-scale water quality models under a range of climatic, soil, topographic, and land use conditions. Assessing simulation model parameter sensitivity helps establish feasible parameter ranges, distinguish among parameters having regional versus universal interactions, and ensure that one model process does not compensate for another due to poor parameter settings. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) parameter sensitivity and autocalibration module was tested on two northern and three southern USDA-ARS experimental watersheds. These previously calibrated watersheds represent a range of climatic, physiographic, and land use conditions present in the U.S. Sixteen parameters that govern basin, snow accumulation/melt, surface, and subsurface response in the model were evaluated. Parameters governing surface runoff due to rainfall were found most sensitive overall, while parameters governing groundwater were the least sensitive. Surface runoff parameters were found most sensitive for areas with high evaporation rates and localized thunderstorms. Parameters from all categories were important in areas where precipitation includes both rainfall and snowfall. Differences in model performance were noticeable on a climatic basis; SWAT generally predicted streamflow with less uncertainty in humid climates than in arid or semi-arid climates. Study findings can be used to determine appropriate parameter ranges for ungauged watersheds of similar characteristics.
Parametric study of dual-band operation in a microstrip-fed uniplanar monopole antenna

The design of an antenna consisting of two strip monopoles printed on the same side of an electrically thin dielectric substrate, and incorporating the use of a 50 Ω microstrip feed line with an open-circuited tuning stub, is presented. The proposed antenna is designed to have dual-band operation suitable for applications in DCS (1710–1880 MHz) and WLAN (2400–2484 MHz) bands. The dual-band antenna is simple in design, and the lengths of the antenna's larger and smaller strips can easily control the lower and upper operating frequencies, respectively. The influence of various parameters on antenna characteristics has been investigated using simulation software and experimental results. Optimal results and omnidirectional radiation patterns are given for the proposed antenna operating in the 1800 MHz/2450 MHz bands. Details of the dual-band design and design parametric study are presented and discussed.
Excitation of complex and backward mode on shielded lossless printed lines

In this paper, the surface current density excited by a delta-gap voltage source on shielded printed lines is computed and its modal decomposition analyzed. This analysis specifically aims to determine the practical excitation of complex and/or backward modes in this kind of structures. It has been found that complex modes in reciprocal structures are always excited in pairs whose propagation constants and amplitudes of excitation have the same imaginary part and opposite sign real part. The combination of the pair of complex modes gives rise to an evanescent mode whose amplitude is modulated by a sinusoidal function. Backward modes have also been found to be part of the modal spectrum excited by the source and, thus, in a frequency sweep, they appear after the attenuation constant of a pair of complex modes goes to zero.
Incorporating Runs Rules into Hotelling's χ2 Control Charts

This paper illustrates a simple and effective method of incorporating runs rules into Hotelling χ2 control charts. A Markov chain will be used to obtain a desired in-control average run length (ARL). Comparisons between the basic multivariate χ2 control chart and the multivariate χ2 control chart, which incorporates the various runs rules, are based on their respective ARL performances. All multivariate χ2 control charts that incorporate the various runs rules have shown better ARL performance compared to the basic multivariate χ2 control chart for small shifts in distance λ from the in-control mean vector μ0 to the out-of-control mean vector μ s . An example of the application, based on the proposed method, is also given.
Ichnofabric analysis of shallow to deep marine Carboniferous sediments, from the southern Paleotethys margin, Alborz Basin (northern Iran): approaching autogenic and allogenic environmental controls

ABSTRACT This study integrates ichnological and sedimentological data to interpret depositional environments in the carbonate sediments of the Mobarak Fm. (Lower Carboniferous) in the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran. Seven ichnofabrics including Thalassinoides (Th), Zoophycos‒Phycosiphon (Zo-Ph), Skolithos‒Thalassinoides (Sk-Th), Zoophycos‒Diplocraterion (Zo-Di), Thalassinoides‒Rhizocorallium (Th-Rh), Zoophycos‒Arenicolites (Zo-Ar) and Chondrites‒Phycosiphon (Ch-Ph) have been identified in the studied succession. Th ichnofabric is characterised by the dominance of the deposit-feeding trace fossils, revealing low sedimentation rate and activity of the organisms in a loose substrate. Vertical succession of the Zo-Ph, Sk-Th and Zo-Di ichnofabrics indicates change in the firmness of the substrate. Th-Rh and Zo-Ar ichnofabrics reveal two different energy phases including a lower energy condition with the activity of deposit-feeders and a higher energy phase identified by the activity of suspension-feeders. Ch-Ph ichnofabric is characterised by low diversity and low abundance of trace fossils that were identified in black, limy shale, displaying a long lasting outer ramp setting with low energy, low sedimentation rate, and dysoxic-anoxic conditions of the substrate. Ichnological features of the Mobarak Fm. are controlled by subsidence-inducing changes in the accommodation space of the depositional system dictating variations in paleoenvironmental conditions such as oxygen levels and hydrodynamic energy.
A note on the evaluation of modal coupling coefficients at planar waveguide junctions

The explicit expressions of modal coupling coefficients at planar waveguide junctions are discussed. The coupling coefficients are expressed in terms of projections of the modes on the modal spectrum of a fictitious rectangular waveguide located at the junction plane. The proposed formulation results in an efficient implementation of the modal based analysis of waveguide junctions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effects of perceived organisational support on expatriate adjustment, assignment completion and job satisfaction

This study examines the influence of perceived organisational support (POS) on expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment, assignment completion and job satisfaction in the sub-Saharan African context. While multinationals depend on expatriates to manage their foreign subsidiaries, successful expatriation is influenced by expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment to their host country’s environment. Survey responses from 229 expatriates were analysed using partial least squares path modelling. The results reveal that support from their organisations relates positively to expatriate adjustment, assignment completion and job satisfaction. The empirical results also demonstrate that expatriate adjustment partially mediates the relationship between POS and assignment completion and job satisfaction. Furthermore, findings suggest that assignment completion positively influences job satisfaction and partially mediates the association between POS and job satisfaction. The findings of this research have important theoretical and practical implications for multinational companies operating in sub-Saharan Africa.
A Hybrid Convolutional Neural Network Model for Diagnosis of COVID-19 Using Chest X-ray Images

COVID-19 declared as a pandemic that has a faster rate of infection and has impacted the lives and the country’s economy due to forced lockdowns. Its detection using RT-PCR is required long time and due to which its infection has grown exponentially. This creates havoc for the shortage of testing kits in many countries. This work has proposed a new image processing-based technique for the health care systems named “C19D-Net”, to detect “COVID-19” infection from “Chest X-Ray” (XR) images, which can help radiologists to improve their accuracy of detection COVID-19. The proposed system extracts deep learning (DL) features by applying the InceptionV4 architecture and Multiclass SVM classifier to classify and detect COVID-19 infection into four different classes. The dataset of 1900 Chest XR images has been collected from two publicly accessible databases. Images are pre-processed with proper scaling and regular feeding to the proposed model for accuracy attainments. Extensive tests are conducted with the proposed model (“C19D-Net”) and it has succeeded to achieve the highest COVID-19 detection accuracy as 96.24% for 4-classes, 95.51% for three-classes, and 98.1% for two-classes. The proposed method has outperformed well in expressions of “precision”, “accuracy”, “F1-score” and “recall” in comparison with most of the recent previously published methods. As a result, for the present situation of COVID-19, the proposed “C19D-Net” can be employed in places where test kits are in short supply, to help the radiologists to improve their accuracy of detection of COVID-19 patients through XR-Images.
ANN-EM Model of Dual Band Square Patch Antenna with a Floating Rectangular Slot

In this paper, an ANN-EM neural model of dual band square patch antenna with a floating rectangular slot is presented. For the desired resonant frequencies, this ANN-EM model allows to speed up the process of estimating the physical parameters of the antenna with a good match between the antenna and the power line. The ANN EM model makes it possible to obtain antenna parameters for resonant frequencies that belong to the frequency range 700-3000 MHz.
Metformin Downregulates PD-L1 Expression in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Inhibiting IL-6 Signaling Pathway

Purpose To characterize the mechanism by which metformin inhibits PD-L1 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and to evaluate the effect of metformin on the antitumor immune response. Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to analyze the correlations between IL-6 and prognosis and between IL-6 and PD-L1 gene expression in esophageal cancer. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to study the mechanism by which metformin affects PD-L1 expression. Additionally, T cell function was assessed in a coculture system containing ESCC cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) treated with metformin or IL-6. In an in vivo assay, we used a model established with NPIdKO™ mice, which have a reconstituted immune system generated by transplanting PBMCs through intravenous injection, to evaluate the effect of metformin on tumors. Results The TCGA esophageal cancer data showed that IL-6 expression was positively correlated with PD-L1 expression and that patients with high IL-6 expression had a significantly lower overall survival rate than patients with low IL-6 expression. PD-L1 expression in ESCC cell lines was significantly inhibited by metformin via the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway but was not correlated with the canonical AMPK pathway. In the coculture system, the metformin pretreatment group showed higher T cell activation and better T cell killing function than the control group. Animal experiments confirmed that metformin downregulated PD-L1 expression and that combination treatment with metformin and PD-1 inhibitors synergistically enhanced the antitumor response. Conclusions Metformin downregulated PD-L1 expression by blocking the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in ESCC, which enhanced the antitumor immune response.
The Colonial Origins of Modern Territoriality: Property Surveying in the Thirteen Colonies

Most scholars agree the rise of states led to modern territoriality. Yet globally the transition to precise boundaries occurred most often in colonies, and there are virtually no systematic explanations of its occurrence outside Europe. This article explains how precise boundaries emerged in the earliest context where they were regularly and generally implemented: seventeenth- and eighteenth-century colonial North America. Unlike explanations of modern territoriality in Europe, it argues property boundary surveys became an entrenched practice on the part of settlers and were a readily available response to intercolonial boundary disputes. After independence, settlers who were accustomed to surveys pursued linear boundaries with Britain, Spain, and Russia. Moreover, the article argues that linear borders (delimited linearly and typically physically demarcated), not sovereignty, are constitutive of modern territoriality. By disentangling the literature’s Eurocentric confusion between modern territoriality and sovereign statehood, the article makes possible a global comparative study of the emergence of modern territoriality.
Social media use of prospective teachers in the post-truth era: Confirmation, trust, critical thinking tendency

Critical thinking, trust and confirmation towards social media have become increasingly important in this period called the post-truth era when the reality has become indistinct, is reproduced, and the truth is undermined. The study aimed to examine the prospective teachers' confirmation / trust levels and critical thinking tendencies towards social media in terms of various variables. The research was conducted with the relational survey model. The critical thinking tendency scale and social media confirmation/trust scale were used in the data collection process. In the analysis of the data, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman Brown Rank-Order correlation coefficient were used. It was observed that prospective teachers' critical thinking tendency was at a good level, and their level of confirmation/trust towards social media was at a medium level. It was determined that critical thinking tendency levels did not differ by gender, but by the number of news sources followed on social media and the frequency of reading books. It was seen that their confirmation / trust level towards social media did not differ depending on gender or frequency of reading books, but the level of confirmation varied depending on the number of news sources followed on social media. Additionally, it was determined that there was a low level of positive relationship between the skill regarding critical thinking tendency and confirmation dimension. Democracy in the digital networked age of “fake news” and “alternative facts” requires new literacy skills and critical awareness to read, write, and use media and technology to empower civic participation and social transformation. Unfortunately, not many educators have been prepared to teach students how to think critically with and about the media and technology that engulf us (Share, Mamikonyan & Lopez, 2019, p.1).
Predicting construction productivity using situation-based simulation models

Construction site operations are very complex, and they involve complicated relationships among numerous tasks, factors, obstacles, risks, and uncertainties, or triggering situations that affect productivity. To improve the performance of construction operations, one needs to understand the impact these triggering situations have on productivity. The paper discusses a recently developed technique, called situation-based simulation modeling, that is used to model the triggering situations in construction to predict productivity. This tool can model the cause-and-effect relationships among various triggering situations, which previous construction models have ignored. Construction operations that were directly observed and recorded for more than 3500 person-hours served as the data source for the development of the model. The simulation results are not only able to accurately predict productivity relative to the actual productivity observed at the site, but also provide the basis for recommendations to miti.