Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“Exclusionary Discipline and School Crime: Do Suspensions Make Schools Safer?”

The practice of temporarily removing students from school as a form of punishment (i.e., suspensions) remains quite common. This study uses longitudinal data from a large, urban school district in California to assess whether the use of suspensions improves school safety in the following school year. Additional analyses by student race and ethnicity are included to examine whether disproportionately punishing minority students can be partially justified by a reduction in the school crime rate. The number of student offenders, rather than the number of criminal incidents, is also investigated in relation to school suspensions. In general, the findings demonstrate that changes in suspension rates do not impact school crime rates or the number of student offenders in the following school year. However, increasing suspension rates for violent incidents significantly reduces the minor crime rate. Implications for policy are provided in light of these results.
A Study of West Virginia Teachers: Using 21st Century Tools to Teach in a 21st Century Context

A Study of West Virginia Teachers: Using 21 st Century Tools to Teach in a 21 st Century Context Technology integration is reinforced not only by the National Educational Technology Standards but also the West Virginia Technology Standards, making teachers more accountable to use technology in their daily teaching practice. Because West Virginia has established a partnership with the Partnership for 21 st Century Skills, West Virginia teachers are being encouraged to change instruction to meet the needs of 21 st century learners. This includes being more student-centered by integrating instructional technologies to more actively engage students. By determining the frequency of integration of 21 st century technology tools to create a 21 st century context for learning and the factors that influence them, West Virginia has valuable information for promoting systemic change. This study found that West Virginia teachers frequently use few 21 st century technology tools, seldom use 21 st century technology tools to create a 21 st century context for learning, and identified supports and barriers that enable or prohibit their use of technology. In addition, the teachers provided examples of technology activities in which they frequently engage their students. The results provide the foundation on which to build professional development that will lead transformational change in technology integration in West Virginia schools.
ABC-VEN Analysis of Medicine Expenditure at Mwananyamala Regional Hospital in Tanzania

Policymakers in developing countries are looking for effective and efficient ways to control hiking expenditure on medicines. This article shows the effectiveness of the ABC-VEN method to improve efficiency in resource use with data from Mwananyamala hospital in Tanzania. We used expenditure data for 233 medicines worth 909.9 million Tsh (392,386.4 USD) bought in the year 2018/2019. Data were extracted from the electronic system, receipts, and other relevant documents. Medicines were categorized according to their contribution to the total medicine expenditure (ABC) and their importance to the functioning of the hospital (VEN). 39 (17%) medicines belong to group A and 134 (57%) to C, which accounted for 70% and 10% of the total medicine expenditure, respectively. 15%, 78%, and 7% of the medicines belong to the Vital, Essential, and Non-essential groups, respectively. 65 medicines (28%) that accounted for 73% of the total medicine expenditure were in group I that requires stringent control. 4 high-cost non-essential medicines and 20 low-cost vital medicines accounted for 7% and 1% of the total medicine expenditure, respectively. Efficiency can be improved through rational prescribing and substituting high-cost non-essential with low-cost vital medicines.
A follow-up study of exercise test results and severity of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome signs in brachycephalic dogs

To promote successful breeding against brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), it is important to assess how BOAS signs progress during young adulthood and how evaluation age and ageing affect the results of chosen breeding selection tools. The aims of this study were to assess how veterinary-assessed and owner-reported BOAS signs and exercise test results change when dogs age. Eight English Bulldogs, 25 French Bulldogs, and 31 Pugs that had undergone previous evaluation were re-examined 2– 3 years later. An owner questionnaire regarding BOAS signs, a veterinary assessment of BOAS severity, and exercise, ie walk tests were re-performed. In Pugs, both 6-min walking distance and 1,000-m time worsened and the initial evaluation age had a significant effect on the 1,000-m time. No significant changes were seen in the results of the French Bulldogs but a negative effect on the 1,000-m time was seen with weight gain. Exercise test statistics were not performed with regard to English Bulldogs due to low sample size. The veterinary-assessed BOAS severity class remained the same in the majority of dogs and the BOAS grade worsened mostly in those dogs that were initially evaluated at less than two years of age. Most owners reported no major changes in BOAS severity. BOAS grading and walk tests were easy to repeat and results remained relatively constant in dogs initially evaluated at over two years of age, supporting the use of these breeding selection tools. However, further, large-scale offspring studies are still needed.
A broadband dumbbell‐shaped dielectric resonator antenna

In this article, a dumbbell‐shaped dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) fed by coaxial probe is proposed for wideband applications. The proposed dumbbell‐shaped DRA can be achieved by three‐layer structure of same material where the radius of middle cylinder is smaller than the top and bottom disc. In dumbbell‐shaped DRA, the effective permittivity varies in both axial and radial direction. A complex hybrid mode similar to HE11δ mode is excited through a coaxial probe. The proposed dumbbell‐shaped DRA provides the measured impedance bandwidth of 57.59% (at resonance frequency of 4.48 GHz) from 4.11 to 6.69 GHz for input reflection coefficient (S11) less than −10 dB. The simulated and measured radiation patterns are consistent throughout the operational bandwidth. The average measured gain of proposed antenna is 4.88 dB in the frequency range of 4.11–6.69 GHz. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:2944–2947, 2014
Report on a survey of records management practice and training needs in North‐East England

In the Spring of 1993, the Department of Information and Library Management at the University of Northumbria wished both to collect information on current Records Management practice in the North East of England, and simultaneously to draw the attention of local organisations to their new Postgraduate Diploma in Information and Records Management. By use of a questionnaire, they elicited a response, which, although not amenable to rigorous statistical analysis, does perhaps begin to identify some of the main problems that may be encountered in any subsequent attempt to access this sector, for either the conducting of research or for training purposes.
Comparative Assessment of Deformation Under Plate Bearing Test and CBR Test for Subgrade Soil

A significant variation in the strength and deformation behavior of subgrade soil when tested in the laboratory and in the field. However, correlation of such variables is essential to evaluate the quality of the constructed subgrade. An attempt has been made in the present investigation to assess the deformation of control and stabilized subgrade soil in the laboratory and in the field. California bearing ratio (CBR) test was conducted in the laboratory and the static plate bearing test (PBT) was conducted in the field. Subgrade soil samples were stabilized with 6% lime, 17 % Cationic Emulsion, and combination of lime and emulsion. Similar stabilization was conducted at test sections in the field. The behavior of the control and stabilized soil in deformation under static PBT in the field and CBR in the laboratory was monitored and evaluated. It was noticed that polynomial correlation exists with high coefficient of determination between laboratory and field deformation for stabilized soil. It was observed that the deformation under CBR test decreased after implication of lime by (96 and 88) % for unsoaked and soaked testing conditions respectively. The deformation decreases by (92 and 85.6) % for unsoaked and soaked testing conditions respectively when emulsion was implemented. The deformation decreases by (91 and 88) % for unsoaked and soaked testing conditions respectively when combined stabilization was implemented. However, the deformation under PBT decreases by (75, 56, and 50) % for lime, emulsion, and combined stabilization processes respectively. It was concluded that testing condition (soaked or unsoaked) has no significant impact on the deformation of stabilized soil while it has a significant influence on the deformation of untreated soil under CBR test. On the other hand, the deformation of control soil shows no significant variation among field and laboratory testing in the model, however, the stabilized soil samples exhibit higher influence of field deformation on the polynomial models.
Electrothermal Simulation and Optimal Design of Thermoelectric Cooler Using Analytical Approach

In this article, electrothermal modeling and simulation of thermoelectric cooling (TEC) in the package design of VLSI systems are performed by solving coupled heat conduction and current continuity equations. We propose a new analytical solution to the coupled partial differential equations (PDEs) which describe temperature and voltage with the reduction from 3-D to 1-D. In addition to this, we derive new analytic expressions for two key performance metrics for TEC devices: 1) the maximum temperature difference and 2) the maximum heat-flux pumping capability, which can be guided for the optimal design of thermoelectric cooler to achieve the maximum cooling performance. Furthermore, for the first time, we observe that when the dimensionless figure of merit $ZT_{0}$ value is larger than 1, there is no maximum heat-flux value, which means the heat dissipation due to the Peltier and Fourier transfer effects is larger than the heat generation caused by the Joule heating effect, which can lead to more efficient TEC cooling design. The accuracy of the proposed 1-D formulas is verified by a 3-D finite element method using COMSOL software. The compact model delivers many orders of magnitude speedup and memory saving compared to COMSOL with marginal accuracy loss. Compared with the conventional simplified 1-D energy equilibrium model, the proposed analytical coupled multiphysics model is more robust and accurate.
Predicting real characteristics of boost zero-voltage switching quasi-resonant converters

This paper presents a comparison between the ideal and the real DC-voltage conversion ratio of boost ZVS-QRC. The theoretical characteristics (already presented in the literature) have been calculated by considering an efficiency equal to one. The real characteristics are reproduced qualitatively by computer simulation, taking into account the losses in each converter element. For this purpose approximation formulas are used. The simulation results are confronted to measurements that were taken with different breadboard boost ZVS-QRCs. The experimental results are also discussed.
Effect of Ellagic Acid, Cilostazol and Their Combination on Amikacin Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats

Amikacin(AK) has the largest spectrum of aminoglycosides. However, its use is limited due to nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. Ellagic acid (EA) is a plant phenolic structure. it has antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic properities. Cilostazol (CTZ) is a PDE Ш inhibitor, it is a potent vasodilator and antiplatelet drug. This study aimed to determine if EA and cilostazol have a protective effect against nephrotoxicity caused AK. Forty nine rats were divided into seven equal groups: control normal; AK 400mg/kg; EA 10 mg/kg; CTZ 10mg/kg; AK 400mg/kg plus EA 10mg/kg; AK 400mg/kg plus CTZ 10mg/kg; AK 400mg/kg plus EA 10mg/kg and CTZ 10mg/kg. For seven days, Drugs were given orally one hour before intramuscular injection of AK. After twenty-four hours from the last dosage, samples of blood were obtained to determine blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels in serum, kidneys were extracted and longitudinally divided into two parts, part for measuring the following parameters: malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), interleukin 6 (IL6), superoxide dismutase (SOD), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) and Bcl-2 associated x protein (Bax), the other part was placed in formaldehyde solution and examined under light microscopy for routine histopathologic examination. The results of the present study proved that EA, CTZ and their combination protected rats against AK - induced nephrotoxicity; This effect might be a result of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties of these compounds.
Specific Heat Capacity Measurements of Selected Meteorites for Planetary Surface Temperature Modeling

Specific heat capacity Cp(T) is an intrinsic regolith property controlling planetary surface temperatures along with the albedo, density, and thermal conductivity. Cp(T) depends on material composition and temperature. Generally, modelers assume a fixed specific heat capacity value, or a standard temperature dependence derived from lunar basalts, mainly because of limited composition‐specific data at low temperatures relevant to planetary surfaces. In addition, Cp(T) only appears to vary by a small factor across various materials, in contrast with the bulk regolith thermal conductivity, which ranges over ∼3–4 orders of magnitude as a function of the regolith physical state (grain size, cementation, sintering, etc.). For these reasons, the impact of the basaltic assumption on modeled surface temperature is often considered unimportant although this assumption is not particularly well constrained. In this paper, we present specific heat capacity measurements and parameterizations from ∼90 to ∼290 K of 28 meteorites including those possibly originating from Mars and Vesta, and covering a wide range of planetary surface compositions. Planetary surface temperatures calculated using composition‐specific Cp(T) are within ± 2 K of model runs assuming a basaltic composition. This ± 2 K range approaches or exceeds typical instrumental noise or other sources of modeling uncertainties. These results suggest that a basaltic assumption for Cp(T) is generally adequate for the thermal characterization of a wide range of planetary surfaces, but possibly inadequate when looking at leveraging subtle trends to constrain subsurface layering, roughness, or seasonal/diurnal volatile transfer.
Intelligent Permanent Magnet Motor-Based Servo Drive System Used for Automated Tuning of Piano

This paper presents an intelligent permanent magnet synchronous motor-based servo drive system used in automated piano tuning applications. The permanent magnet synchronous motor-based drives are able to improve the accuracy of the piano tuning process in comparison with the traditional direct-current motor-based and step motor-based servo drives. To explain the techniques, firstly, the structure and principles of the automated piano tuning devices with a surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor-based drive system integrated are introduced, illustrating that it is feasible to implement the proposed piano tuning strategy. Secondly, the piano tuning devices have two functions: low-speed rotation and position holding. To ensure that the surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor can rotate stably over the low-speed range with strong anti-interference capacity, a double closed-loop speed-regulation-based control scheme is employed. And to ensure high position control performance, a fuzzy-adaptive triple closed-loop position-regulation-based control scheme is employed. It terms of the control schemes, it deserves to be mentioned that main contributions include, firstly, the parameters of the proportional integral controllers in the double closed-loop speed-regulation structure is tuned relying on both stability and bandwidth analyses. Then, a fuzzy-adaptive proportional integral controller is specially-designed for the triple closed-loop position-regulation to adapt to the piano tuning applications. Simulation is conducted on a 20 rpm three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor servo drive-based piano tuning system to validate the proposed piano tuning method and to verify the proposed control techniques.
Nonlinear EHD Instability of Two-Superposed Walters' B Fluids Moving through Porous Media

The current work examines the application of the viscous potential flow to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) of a planar interface between two visco-elastic Walters’ B fluids. The fluids are fully saturated in porous media in the presence of heat and mass transfer across the interface. Additionally, the structure is pervaded via a uniform, normal electrical field in the absence of superficial charges. The nonlinear scheme basically depends on analyzing the linear principal equation of motion, and then applying the appropriate nonlinear boundary-conditions. The current organization creates a nonlinear characteristic equation describing the amplitude performance of the surface waves. The classical Routh–Hrutwitz theory is employed to judge the linear stability criteria. Once more, the implication of the multiple time scale with the aid of Taylor theory yields a Ginzburg–Landau equation, which controls the nonlinear stability criteria. Furthermore, the Poincaré–Lindstedt technique is implemented to achieve an analytic estimated bounded solution for the surface deflection. Many special cases draw upon appropriate data selections. Finally, all theoretical findings are numerically confirmed in such a way that ensures the effectiveness of various physical parameters.
Foraging Activity of Managed Bee Pollinator (Apis cerana indica) in Bitter Gourd Cropping System

Honey bees play an important role in crop pollination of bitter gourd flowers. An experiment was conducted at Coimbatore District to observe the foraging activity and pollination efficiency of Indian bee (A. cerana indica) in Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.). The foraging activity and number of foragers/ flower/ min was recorded in male and female bitter gourd flower. Bitter gourd fruit set and yield was assessed under three conditions pollinator exclusion, bee pollination and open pollination. No. of foragers/ flower/ minute (abundance of pollinators) and floral handling time in seconds (foraging rate) of Indian bees recorded on male flower (0.88 bees) and (6.52 sec) was higher than in female flower (0.57 bees) and (3.61 sec) respectively. The peak foraging activity of A. cerana indica noticed between 08:00-10:00 hours with 1.2 foragers/ 5 mins. Pollination efficiency index of Indian bee was 747035.5. Foraging activity at the hive entrance was maximum at 08:00 to 10:00 hours. Colony growth parameter of A. cerana indica was increased 67.85% in respect of the sealed honey area and 15.07% in respect of the adult population. The results of pollination studies show, the number of fruits/plant (17.4 fruits) and fruit yield per hectare (41.13 t/ha) was higher in managed bee pollinated plot than to open pollination condition (16.2 fruits) and (37.25 t/ha) and no fruit set was recorded in pollination exclusion condition.
Sleep at sea: a diary study of the effects of unattended machinery space watch duty

Abstract Forty-nine engineer officers in the Swedish merchant marine were asked to keep a sleep/wake diary during one tour of duty (1-3 months) on ocean-going container ships. Every 2-4 nights the officers had watch duty during which they were allowed to sleep but were awakened by an automatic alarm system in the case of machinery malfunction. The diaries showed that 40% of all nights at sea were spent on such watch duty. Fifteen per cent of all nights were disturbed by alarms (and 13% for other reasons). Having watch duty, particularly with alarms, reduced ratings of sleep length (—1.5 h), sleep quality and recuperation. The latter was also negatively affected by the frequency of watch duty. Of particular interest was the fact that nights on watch were also perceived as disturbed when no alarms occurred. Such nights were also characterized by a higher level of uneasiness. It was concluded that the watch duty system significantly affected sleep and well-being, and that these effects appeared irrespective .
Validation of Precipitation Measurements From the Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar Onboard the GPM Core Observatory Using a Polarimetric Radar in South China

The dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) onboard the global precipitation measurement (GPM) satellite provides valuable measurements of precipitation. In this study, the GPM DPR products (version 6) are validated against a ground-based S-band polarimetric radar in South China based on a volume-matching method. Good consistency is found for the reflectivity factor (Z) calibration of the two instruments. From the perspective of microphysics, the mass-weighted mean diameter ( $D_{m})$ estimates correspond well with those of the ground-based radar in the inner swath of the normal scan (NS); however, underestimation is found for the raindrop number concentration, indicated by the generalized intercept parameter ( $N_{w})$ , especially for the intense echoes. Thus, the GPM DPR product may fail to depict the microphysical characteristics of small-to-medium raindrops in high concentration for heavy rainfall in South China. This is attributed to the negative Z bias of the DPR caused probably by insufficient correction of attenuation, which also leads to clear underestimation in the liquid water content (W) and the rainfall rate (R) products for intense echoes. In the outer swath where only single-frequency retrieval is available, overestimation in $D_{m}$ exists regardless of echo intensity level, and more underestimation can be found in $N_{w}$ , W, and R especially for intense echoes. In the selected typhoon and squall line cases, better capability in revealing microphysical properties is also found for the inner swath of the NS. After adjusting the scan mode, the performance of the precipitation products in the outer swath can be improved by dual-frequency retrievals in the future.
SIMULATION OF THE FOULING LAYER EVOLUTION IN HEAT TRANSFER SURFACES

This paper presents a comprehensive numerical simulation methodology developed for studying fouling effect in heat transfer surfaces, with a particular focus on fouling layer thickness evolution. The main objective of this research is to develop a fouling predictive tool integrated in a commercial CFD software, FLUENT. So, in each computational cell adjacent to a wall the instantaneous fouling thickness is calculated at every time step and it is assumed that a cell is fluid until the deposit thickness clogges it, in this moment the cell is converted in solid with specific properties. As the computational strategy has not mesh or boundary restrictions, it is adaptable to any geometric configuration, as enhanced heat exchangers surfaces, easily. The results obtained with this model are compared with experimental results obtained in a test bench, giving an acceptable level of agreement. Hence, this model represents a valuable tool for the prediction of the time evolution of the performance of heat transfer surfaces exposed to fouling.