Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Surface Shape and Content of Steel Fiber on Mechanical Properties of Concrete

Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) has gained popularity in the last decades attributed to the improvement of brittleness and low tensile strength of concrete. This study investigates the effect of three shapes of steel fibers (straight, hooked end, and corrugated) with four contents (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%) on the mechanical properties (compression, splitting tension, shear, and flexure) of concrete. Thirteen groups of concrete were prepared and investigated experimentally. Test results indicated that steel fiber had significant reinforcement on mechanical properties of concrete. When the steel fiber content increases from 0.5% to 2.0%, the compressive strengths increase about 4–24%, splitting tensile strengths increase about 33–122%, shear strengths increase about 31–79%, and flexural strengths increase about 25–111%. Corrugated steel fiber has the best reinforced effect on strength of SFRC, hooked end steel fiber takes the second place, and straight steel fiber is the least. Calculated formulas of compressive, splitting tensile, shear, and flexural strengths were established with consideration of the bonding properties between concrete and steel fiber. Influence factors of steel fiber αf and concrete matrix strength αc were put forward and determined by regression analysis of experimental data. Calculated results agree well with the experimental results.
A spatial analysis of the Brexit vote in the West Midlands

ABSTRACT Recent votes for populist parties and policies have been a focus for an increasingly significant body of academic research. In the UK this has particularly focused research on the drivers of the vote to leave the European Union (Brexit) in 2016. In spite of a growing body of work on the subject, the literature investigating the applicability of spatial econometric methods is surprisingly thin. This paper applies such methods to hitherto unused data for the West Midlands region, where we have an unusually rich set of small-area results. The work finds substantial spatial autocorrelation even after demographic differences are accounted for. Whilst focusing on a particular region, the rise of populism globally gives these findings a wider salience.
A comparison between the effects of shape memory alloys and carbon nanotubes on the thermal buckling of laminated composite beams

Abstract One of the essentials for designing composite structures exposed to heat is the correct choice of reinforcing materials. In the present research work, a comparison is made between the performances of two well-known advanced materials, Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) and Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), in thermal bucking behavior of thin composite beams with simply supported boundary conditions. First, the effect of embedding SMA wires on the thermal buckling of laminated composite beams are examined. The stability equations are derived based on Timoshenko Beam Theory (TBT), and the critical buckling temperatures are obtained analytically. The advantages and disadvantages of using SMA wires as well as their proper functional range are studied. Then, in the next step, the influence of CNTs on the thermal buckling response of composite beams is presented. To this end, the results of some experiments such as Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA) and Thermo-Mechanical Analysis (TMA) tests are used to obtain thermal properties of CNT-reinforced composite materials. The performance of CNTs is also evaluated in comparison with SMA wires. It is found from the analysis that, depending on the structural conditions, one reinforcing material can outperform the other. Finally, the idea of simultaneous use of both reinforcing materials comes up. The results show that, in some circumstances, the use of only one of the SMAs or CNTs does not have significant effect on the thermal buckling of composite beams, but applying both of these advanced reinforcing materials in the composite medium can extraordinarily enhance the critical buckling temperatures.
Effect of complementary intercropping and organic amendments on productivity and profitability in sodic soil

Field experiment was conducted to identify productive and profitable complementary intercropping combined with graded dose of fertilizers with organic amendments in sodic soil. The treatments consist of three complementary intercropping and five graded dose of fertilizers with organic amendments. Complementary intercropping, maize + cowpea + daincha recorded higher maize equivalent yield, water productivity, net return and B: C ratio. The daincha was incorporated at 45 DAS. Regarding fertilizer dose and organic amendments, 75% recommended NPK through fertilizers + 25% N through decomposed poultry manure excelled in all the above parameters. In case of the combined effect, higher maize equivalent yield, net return, B: C ratio was recorded by maize + cowpea + daincha with 75% recommended NPK through fertilizers + 25% N through decomposed poultry manure. This was followed by maize + cowpea + daincha with 75% recommended NPK through fertilizers + 25% N through FYM and maize + cowpea + daincha with 50% recommended NPK through fertilizers + 50% N through decomposed poultry manure. Thus in sodic soil, complementary intercropping of maize + cowpea + daincha combined with application of 75% recommended NPK through fertilizers + 25% N through decomposed poultry manure may be recommended for enhanced productivity and profitability.
Board gender diversity and firm performance: The UK evidence

This article examines the relationship between gender diversity, selected female attributes, and financial performance of FTSE 100 firms in the UK. Drawing on critical mass theory by measuring gender diversity as levels of female representation in the boardroom, this study finds a positive and significant relationship between gender diversity and firm performance. However, the results become highly significant and unequivocal when three or more females are appointed to the board compared to the appointment of two or less females. Further analysis reveals that post-appointment financial performance is positively related to female age, level of education and where female board members also hold executive director positions. The results remain unchanged after accounting for endogeneity concerns and employing alternative measures of firm performance, namely, return on assets and Tobin's Q.
Dactylopius opuntiae, a new prickly pear cactus pest in the Mediterranean: an overview

The Opuntia cochineal scale or false carmine cochineal scale, Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae), is spreading rapidly in many countries, especially in the Mediterranean basin, where it has become a serious pest of prickly pear crops, Opuntia ficus‐indica (L.) Miller (Cactaceae). This crop is an important food resource both for humans and livestock. The cochineal was originally used as a biological agent to control cactaceous weeds in many countries where Opuntiaceae had been introduced. Currently, in some countries where the prickly pear is no longer considered a weed but a productive crop, as in the Mediterranean area, D. opuntiae has changed its role from a highly prized biological control agent to the status of serious pest. This paper provides an overview of the current knowledge on D. opuntiae for farmers and stakeholders in order to indicate the most appropriate way to limit or counteract the spread of this pest especially in new cultivated areas.
Fear from Childbirth among Pregnant Women

Background: Pregnancy and childbirth are a long time journey associated with physiological and psychological changes that may cause positive or negative impact on the woman’s life, the baby, and her family. Fear of childbirth is one of the most factors that affect directly or indirectly on labor Process. Aim: Aim of the study was to; measure the level of fear from childbirth among pregnant women in Port Said city. Subjects and Methods: A descriptive study design was used to conduct the study at ante-natal clinics in 5 primary health care centers in Port Said city. The study subjects consisted of 200 pregnant women. Tow tools used to collect the necessary data consisted of; structured interviewee sheet, and Wijma delivery expectancy questionnaire (W-DEQ). Results: The current study revealed that about the more than half of the studied women (55.33%) have high level of fear. A significant relation was found between fear of childbirth and sociodemographic characteristics among pregnant women. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant relationship between fear of childbirth from the studied women and their sociodemographic characteristics in the areas of educational level and their obstetric history in the areas of complications related to previous delivery. Recommendations: Designing and applying childbirth preparation classes in the third trimester of pregnancy particularly for primigravidas to promote their self-control and their self-confidence during labor leads to a more satisfactory birthing experience.
Population closure and the bias‐precision trade‐off in spatial capture–recapture

Spatial capture–recapture (SCR) is an increasingly popular method for estimating ecological parameters. SCR often relies on data collected over relatively long sampling periods. While longer sampling periods can yield larger sample sizes and thus increase the precision of estimates, they also increase the risk of violating the closure assumption, thereby potentially introducing bias. The sampling period characteristics are therefore likely to play an important role in this bias‐precision trade‐off. Yet few studies have studied this trade‐off and none has done so for SCR models. In this study, we explored the influence of the length and timing of the sampling period on the bias‐precision trade‐off of SCR population size estimators. Using a continuous time‐to‐event approach, we simulated populations with a wide range of life histories and sampling periods before quantifying the bias and precision of population size estimates returned by SCR models. While longer sampling periods benefit the study of slow‐living species (increased precision and lower bias), they lead to pronounced overestimation of population size for fast‐living species. In addition, we show that both bias and uncertainty increase when the sampling period overlaps the reproductive season of the study species. Based on our findings, we encourage investigators to carefully consider the life history of their study species when contemplating the length and the timing of the sampling period. We argue that both spatial and non‐spatial capture–recapture studies can safely extend the sampling period to increase precision, as long as it is timed to avoid peak recruitment periods. The simulation framework we propose here can be used to guide decisions regarding the sampling period for a specific situation.
Measurement of Head-Related Transfer Functions: A Review

A head-related transfer function (HRTF) describes an acoustic transfer function between a point sound source in the free-field and a defined position in the listener’s ear canal, and plays an essential role in creating immersive virtual acoustic environments (VAEs) reproduced over headphones or loudspeakers. HRTFs are highly individual, and depend on directions and distances (near-field HRTFs). However, the measurement of high-density HRTF datasets is usually time-consuming, especially for human subjects. Over the years, various novel measurement setups and methods have been proposed for the fast acquisition of individual HRTFs while maintaining high measurement accuracy. This review paper provides an overview of various HRTF measurement systems and some insights into trends in individual HRTF measurements.
Is Trunk Injection More Efficient Than Other Iron Fertilization Methods in Date Palms Grown in Calcareous Soils

The effect of different iron fertilization methods on yield and some fruit quality parameters of the date-palm variety ‘Piarom’ was studied in a calcareous soil of Hormozgan Province in Iran. The trees were 12 years old and the treatments comprised of: 1 control, 2 surface placement of Fe-EDDHA in the soil with two levels, 3 deep placement of FeSO4 in the soil (Chalkood method) with two levels, and 4 injection of FeSO4 solution into the trunk of trees with four levels. The experiment was accomplished as a randomized complete blocks design with nine treatments and three replications during four years Injection of 25 grams of FeSO4 into the trunk resulted in the highest yield, having considerable differences with the other treatments. The maximum concentration of iron, as well as the highest Brix index and reducing sugars content were obtained in trees injected with a solution of FeSO4, showing no significant differences between different levels of FeSO4. Therefore, it can be concluded that trunk injection is a more efficient method for iron fertilization of date palms grown in calcareous soils. Moreover, the best injection level was 25 grams FeSO4 tree . 
Information geometry in the population dynamics of bacteria

In recent years, researchers have delved into the relationship between information and stochastic thermodynamics. In this paper, we apply the information geometry to discover the physical limitation in bacterial growth. By mapping the evolution of distribution to the motion on the hypersphere, we discover a relationship between evolutionary time and cost in the bacterial growth process. Through the change in fitness, we can understand how natural selection affects this relationship. From the expression of geodesic in the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model, we find that the statistical distance between two steady distributions of bacterial growth rate is positively correlated to the number of independent fluxes.
An Actor-Oriented Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework to Support a Transition towards Sustainable Agricultural Systems Based on Crop Diversification

Crop diversification represents a key lever to support the development of sustainable agri-food systems. Knowledge on trade-offs and carry over effects from different crop diversification strategies is essential to inform agricultural stakeholders of potential costs and benefits. This knowledge is limited by existing data and performance measures predominantly focused on single crops, rather than complete rotations. Moreover, sustainability performance indicators are often used for assessment purposes, rather than supporting stakeholder learning and actions. A new set of 32 indicators was developed to address these needs, and used to evaluate the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the diversified agricultural systems highlighted in the case studies, which are often characterized by data availability constraints. This approach was tested in France, Germany and Italy to determine a critical ex-post diagnosis of the existing systems, and for the assessment of ex-ante innovative scenarios. The results will be used to support these case studies in the identification and design of more sustainable agricultural systems. Although the framework is based on feasible and proxy indicators, the assessment outcomes have allowed local actors to reflect on the effects generated by the implemented crop diversification strategies. Key issues include trade-offs occurring between optimizing economic and environmental performance.
Admission CRP-to-albumin ratio predicts the 180-day mortality of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related pneumocystis pneumonia.

BACKGROUND Assessment tools are necessary for the adequate stratification of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). AIM To evaluate the ability of severity assessment scores and inflammation- and nutrition-based parameters for predicting the 180-day mortality of AIDS-related PCP. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with AIDS-related PCP admitted at the Beijing Di-Tan Hospital. The CURB-65 score, Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) score, Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, C-reactive protein (CRP)-to-albumin ratio (CAR), procalcitonin (PCT), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) during the first 24 hours of intensive care unit (ICU) admission were analyzed. The prognostic values of the severity assessment scores and biomarkers for 180-day mortality were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) indexes. RESULTS A total of 123 patients with AIDS-related PCP were included. Fifty-five patients were dead, and 68 were still alive at 180 days after admission. CAR, CURB-65, PSI, and APACHE II were independent predictors of 180-day mortality. The optimal cut-off value of CAR was 2.0 mg/g (area under the ROC curve [AUC]=0.844, 95% CI: 0.776, 0.913), and CAR >2.0 mg/g increased the prognostic value of all three severity assessment scores, with an IDI index of 5.1% for the CURB-65 score, 8.1% for the PSI score, and 4.1% for the APACHE II score (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION Combining CAR >2.0 mg/g enhanced the capability of CURB-65, APACHE II, and PSI in predicting the 180-day mortality of patients with AIDS-related PCP.
Growth and Yield of Tomato under Varied Planting Dates and Cultivars in Semi-Arid Environment

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is the second largest cultivated vegetable crop and one of the most widely consumed vegetable crop in the world after potato. Tomato can play an important role in human diet and known as protective food because of its special nutritive value and also its wide spread production. In India tomato crop occupies an area of 0.63 million ha with an annual production of 12.43 million tones and productivity of 19.60 t ha -1 (Cheena at al., 2018). However, the production is much less than the requirement, if balanced diet is provided to every individual.
Effects of water stress applied at different phenological phases of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the response of two chickpea varieties to water stress at the College of Agriculture campus, Hawassa University under greenhouse from January to June 2017. Three water stress levels i.e. without stress (control), vegetative water stress and seed filling water stress were assigned as main plot, chickpea varieties Habru (Kabuli type) and Mastewal (Desi type). The treatments were laid in split plot design with four replications. The results showed that water stress significantly affected all parameters studied in this experiment. The seed filling water stress resulted greater reductions in the value of all tested parameters studied compared to optimum watering and vegetative stress except number of primary branches and harvesting index, which were significantly lower under vegetative water stress. As well, the two varieties significantly differed for all observed parameters except number of nodules per plant and nodule dry weight. Days to flowering, pod maturity, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and harvest index were significantly higher for Mastewal variety while, plant height, number of primary branches, number of secondary branches, dry biomass, seed yield per plant, hundred seed weight and root dry weight were greater for Habru variety. Days to flowering, plant height, seed yield per plant, hundred seed weight, number of pods per plant and harvest index were significantly affected (p<0.05) due to all two way interactions. Water management schemes that ensure to avoid especially terminal water stress could help to maintain chickpea production, which is usually grown with residual moisture by the majority of Ethiopian farmers. Given the fact that the results are obtained from a pot experiment there is a need to substantiate the findings with field experiments conducted under contrasting moisture environments. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 10(1): 13-21, June 2020
The Practice of Career Guidance in a Northern Portuguese University

This study aims to analyze the practice of career guidance in a northern Portuguese University. In the process of selecting a profession, we are increasingly faced with great difficulty on the part of young people to carry out educational, formative, and professional options. Based on the Bologna Process and the purpose of improving the employability of graduates, expert guidance has become a quality factor in college education. In this quantitative research, we used a Likert Scale questionnaire. Two hundred twelve finalist students configured the representative sample, (50,9% of the student population), distributed by 18 courses in five different university departments. The results show that the career guidance available does not fully satisfy the student’s needs. The guidance received by the students is characterized as being informative and focused on academic and professional issues. The main guidance agents are the teachers, and the main actions related to career guidance occurred during the last year of the course. The difference between College departments demonstrates that the Management area is the one where its students received more career guidance for the transition into the job market. In relation to the guidance services, there is a difference between the information available and its actual use.
The examination of primary school teachers' financial literacy attitudes and behaviors in terms of different variables

In this research, it is aimed to examine the level of financial literacy attitudes and behaviors of primary school teachers in terms of different variables. The sample of the research consisted of 211 primary school teachers and financial literacy attitude and behavior scale was used as data collection tool. As a result of the research, it was found out that financial literacy attitudes and behaviors of teachers did not show a significant difference according to gender, monthly family income, personal expenditure; however, a significant difference was found in terms of age. In addition, the family is placed on the top in terms of the resources that teachers acquire financial knowledge and skills. The internet ranked first in terms of the resources in which teachers followed financial knowledge and skills. It was found that although 32.2% of teachers follow daily financial developments, 13.7% of them do not follow at all.