Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Operational Performance Comparison of Four Unconventional Intersection Designs Using Micro-Simulation

This article reports on a study that evaluated and compared the operational performance of four unconventional intersection schemes: the crossover displaced left-turn (XDL), the upstream signalized crossover (USC), the double crossover intersection (DXI) (i.e., half USC), and the median U-turn (MUT). The authors used micro-simulation software vissim (PTV Planung Transport Verkehr AG, Karlsruhe, Germany) to model and analyze the four unconventional intersections as well as a counterpart conventional one. They note that unconventional intersection designs are often suggested as strategies to reduce congestion at heavily congested at-grade signalized intersections. While many of the unconventional designs have been shown to outperform conventional intersections, they have not been compared to each other under different traffic volume conditions. The authors found that the XDL intersection constantly exhibited the lowest delays at nearly all tested balanced and unbalanced volume levels. The operational performance of both the USC and the DXI was similar in most volume conditions. The MUT design, on the other hand, was unable to accommodate high approach volumes and heavy left-turn traffic. The capacity of the XDL intersection was found to be 99% higher than that of the conventional intersection, whereas the capacity of the USC and the DXI intersections was about 50% higher than that of the conventional intersection. The authors conclude that their findings can be used to assist traffic managers and designers who need to choose among alternative unconventional designs according to the prevailing traffic conditions at an intersection.
Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and respiratory morbidity among adolescents in a Middle-Eastern country

Background: There is increasing evidence linking exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at homes to the development of respiratory morbidity including asthma among adolescents. Few studies have addressed this issue in the Middle-Eastern countries including Kuwait. Therefore, this study cross-sectional assessed the prevalence of ETS exposure at home, prevalence of asthma and other respiratory morbid conditions and examined the ETS exposure and personal smoking status as risk factors for asthma among high-school students in Kuwait. Methods: During October 2015, a cross-sectional study design was implemented using a self-administered, modified version of the ISAAC (International study of asthma and allergies in childhood) questionnaire among students enrolled in nine high-schools of Hawally Governorate of Kuwait. Prevalence of ETS exposure, and eczema were computed. Multivariable log-binomial regression models were used to evaluate association between exposures of interest and asthma status. Results: Of 800 invited students, 746 (92.2%) participated, of whom 74.8% were Kuwaiti and 50.1% were female with a mean (SD) age of 16.8 (0.68) years. ETS exposure prevalence at home was 54% and personal current smoking was 12.4%. Asthma prevalence was 20.5%. Furthermore, the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma, wheezing during the last 12 months and wheezing ‘ever’ was 16.4%, 20.1% and 26.2%, respectively. Final multivariable log-binomial regression model showed that compared to the adolescents without asthma, adolescents with asthma tended to be current smokers (adjusted prevalence ratio (adjusted PR) = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.37 – 2.53; p < 0.001) or significantly more likely to have had ETS exposure at home (adjusted PR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.21 – 2.23; p = 0.002). Conclusions: We recorded high prevalence of ETS exposure at home, high prevalence of asthma and identified ETS exposure at home and being a current smoker as strong risk factors for asthma among adolescents. Voluntary household smoking bans may substantially minimize the ETS exposure among adolescents. Additionally, such restriction may inculcate an antismoking attitude and prevent smoking initiation among adolescents. Such efforts are likely to pay dividends in terms of reduction in ETS exposure and associated asthma risk and other smoking-related morbidities in this and other similar settings.
Financial Statement Lending, Credit Information Sharing and Access to Financial Services by Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya

Policy makers and scholars acknowledge the significance of small and medium enterprises in stirring the economic growth and development in developing and developed economies. In spite of the generally fast pace by which access to financial services for small and medium enterprises is being established, significant segments of the small and medium enterprises sector do not yet benefit from the expansion. This study therefore investigated the effect of financial statement lending on access to financial services by small and medium enterprises in Kenya. The study further sought to establish the moderating effect of the credit information sharing on the relationship between financial statement lending and access to financial services by small and medium enterprises in Kenya. The study was based on Financial Intermediation Theory and information asymmetry theory. The target population comprised 4,253 small and medium enterprises in Kenya. A sample size of 366 SMEs was target by the study. The study adopted multistage sampling technique to obtain the SMEs respondents. Primary data was utilized and was acquired through semi-structured questionnaires. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Heckman two step selection model was applied in regression analysis. The findings of regression analysis show that financial statement lending had a positive and significant effect on access to financial services among SMEs in Kenya. The results established that credit information sharing had insignificant moderating effect on the relationship between financial statement lending and access to financial services among the SMEs in Kenya. The study concluded that financial statements play a critical role in ensuring small and medium enterprises access financial services. Lenders can determine the financial position of the business by analysing their cashflow in order to be able to advance the credit that the business is able to pay based on their financial statement. The finding of the study shows that bank credit rises with increased credit information sharing. The result further revealed that credit information sharing minimises credit risk. The study suggested that CIS bridges the information gap between financiers and borrowers. Banks will increase loans granting, stability and minimal reservation of negative information with improved credit information sharing. In another study carried out by James et al. (2017) on credit accessibility and credit information sharing in Kenya. The study findings revealed that access to credit was positively and significantly influenced by credit information sharing. A study conducted by Gietzen (2016) on CIS and interest rates in banks found that CIS improves loans access at a cheaper rate since it eliminates the problems of adverse selection. The conceptual framework model illustrates the relationships amongst research variables based on established linkage from literature reviewed amid the study variables.
A DIMENSIONAL RESULT ON THE PRODUCT OF CONSECUTIVE PARTIAL QUOTIENTS IN CONTINUED FRACTIONS

Abstract This paper is concerned with the growth rate of the product of consecutive partial quotients relative to the denominator of the convergent for the continued fraction expansion of an irrational number. More precisely, given a natural number $m,$ we determine the Hausdorff dimension of the following set: $$ \begin{align*} E_m(\tau)=\bigg\{x\in [0,1): \limsup\limits_{n\rightarrow\infty}\frac{\log (a_n(x)a_{n+1}(x)\cdots a_{n+m}(x))}{\log q_n(x)}=\tau\bigg\}, \end{align*} $$ where $\tau $ is a nonnegative number. This extends the dimensional result of Dirichlet nonimprovable sets (when $m=1$ ) shown by Hussain, Kleinbock, Wadleigh and Wang.
Canine colostrum exosomes: characterization, anti-oxidative capacity and influence on canine mesenchymal stem cell

Background: Colostrum is a specific secretion of the mammary gland fundamental for the survival of the puppy during the first weeks after birth. It contains important bioactive molecules involved in the passive immunity and the maturation of various organs, highlighting small vesicles named exosomes. Exosomes have not been described yet in canine colostrum milk, where its role is crucial in dam-newborn communication for the development of the neonate. Results: Exosomes were abundant in canine colostrum milk and appeared with a characteristic cup-shaped morphology and well-defined round vesicles. Their size distribution was between 37−140 nm and western blot analysis showed an expression of specific exosomal markers. Proteomic analysis revealed a total of 826 proteins in exosomes cargo. We also found that exosomes modified proliferation and secretory profile in canine mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow and adipose tissue, differently according to their origin. Besides, the exosomes of canine colostrum demonstrated a potent antioxidant effect. Conclusions: We described for the first time the isolation and characterization of milk exosomes from canine colostrum. Our findings highlight the abundant presence of exosomes in the colostrum of the canine species and contribute to explain their important antioxidant capacity after parturition and their role in the modulation of cell development and tissue differentiation in the newborn, where mesenchymal stem cells seem to play a key role.
ANALYSIS TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL (TAM) ON APPLICATION E-BANKING (EMPIRICAL STUDY OF BANK CUSTOMERS IN BEKASI)

Keywords: TAM, CSE, CE, R, SP, SD, PEOU, PU, ATU, ACC. ABSTRACT One of the applications that are now starting to be a concern in the banking world is e-banking. E-Banking services provided by banks with the main objective to provide convenience to customers. E-Banking success depends on how the customer receives the system. The object of this research is to customers on the five major banks in the city of Bekasi namely Bank Mandiri, BCA, BRI, Bank Danamon, and BNI. This study aimed to analyze the implementation of ebanking with the approach of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The research method is to use the survey method with a descriptive analysis and statistical analysis that is statistical analysis, descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The data is processed and analyzed by multiple linear regression statistical models using statistical software SPSS version 17. The results of this study indicate that the person's ability to use computers, and interface design does not significantly influence perceived ease of use. Experience of computer use, relevance, security and privacy significantly influence the perceived ease of use. Relevance does not significantly influence the perception of its usefulness. Security and privacy, interface design, and perceived ease of use significantly influence the perception of its usefulness. Perceived ease of use significantly influences the attitude of its use. Perception of usefulness does not significantly influence the attitude of its use. Attitude for its use significantly influence the real usage and acceptance of e-banking.
What a waste : solid waste management in Asia

This paper reviews the broad trends related to solid waste management in Asia. It focuses on waste management only as it pertains to urban environments. The study analyzes the trends and provides preliminary suggestions for reducing the trends' impacts. The concern about environmental effects associated with solid waste management and the escalating costs that solid waste management consumes from local government budgets is examined. The paper briefly discusses possible policies and budget requirements for dealing with the burgeoning waste stream. In compiling the solid waste generation data, the authors identified shortcoming with terminology used and sampling methods and built-in problems with consistency. In Annex 1, recommendations are made to help overcome these limitation and for improving solid waste data collection and presentation. Annex 2 presents waste generation rates for selected Asian cities.
Three dimensional nonlinear soil and site-city effects in urban regions

The main objective of this thesis is to build a framework for performing earthquake simulations capable of including nonlinear soil behavior and the presence of the built environment in highly heterogeneous basins, and to study their influence on the final response of the ground in large urban areas exposed to high seismic hazard. To this end, we use a finite elements approach and extend the capabilities of Hercules, the parallel octree-based earthquake simulator developed by the Quake Group at Carnegie Mellon. Nonlinear soil behavior is incorporated in ground motion simulations employing a rate-dependent plasticity approach to predict the nonlinear state of the material explicitly at every time step. The soil is modeled as a perfectly elastoplastic material. The presence of urban structures is modeled representing buildings as homogeneous blocks made up of the same type of hexahedral elements used in the mesh. These elements are generated automatically through a new set of application programming interfaces, which extend Hercules' meshing capabilities while preserving its core octree-based formulation. Both implementations are tested under realistic earthquake conditions in heterogeneous geological structures. In the case of nonlinear ground motion modeling, results indicate that soil nonlinearities greatly modify the ground response, confirming previous observations for deamplification effects and spatial variability, and evidencing three-dimensional basin effects not fully observed before. In turn, the presence of building clusters causes multiple soil-structure interaction phenomena that change both the near ground-motion and the individual performance of the buildings themselves. This substantiates the argument that in soft-soil basins may it not be longer valid to ignore the presence of neighboring structures. These new implementations represent important advances in computational seismology and help make a direct connection to subjects of interest in earthquake engineering. The analysis drawn from the applications presented here confirms aspects known from previous, though limited studies, and broadens our knowledge of the effects of nonlinear soil and the built environment on the ground motion due to earthquakes at a regional level not explored before.
From the Eureka Editorial Team October 2021

Self-compassion as a predictor for health-promoting behaviours has been the subject of several research studies. Self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness have been repeatedly positively correlated with health-promoting behaviours in individuals, such as eating well and doing physical activity (Gedik, 2019; Holden et al., 2020). We hypothesized that the positive components of self-compassion (self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness) would positively correlate with health-promoting behaviours. In an attempt to replicate Gedik’s (2019) study, researchers recruited 294 Albertan post-secondary students to respond to an onlinebased questionnaire. Participants filled out both the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) (Neff, 2003b) and the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (Walker et al., 1995). Findings revealed that, unlike Gedik (2019), isolating behaviours such as feeling cut-off from the world are indicative of improved stress management. Therefore, Gedik’s (2019) results were not replicated. This research’s implications are essential when considering the factorial breakdown of self-compassion and how the factorial relationships to health behaviours are affected by varying populations and contexts. Specifically, the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting restrictions must be considered when interpreting the results presented in this current study.
Projected Source Terms for Potential Sabotage Events Related to Spent Fuel Shipments

Two major studies, one sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the other by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, were conducted in the late 1970s and early 1980s to provide information and source terms for an optimally successful act of sabotage on spent fuel casks typical of those available for use. This report applies the results of those studies and additional analysis to derive potential source terms for certain classes of sabotage events on spent fuel casks and spent fuel typical of those which could be shipped in the early decades of the 21st century. In addition to updating the cask and spent fuel characteristics used in the analysis, two release mechanisms not included in the earlier works were identified and evaluated. As would be expected, inclusion of these additional release mechanisms resulted in a somewhat higher total release from the postulated sabotage events. Although health effects from estimated releases were addressed in the earlier study conducted for U.S. Department of Energy, they have not been addressed in this report. The results from this report maybe used to estimate health effects.
Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Carbapenem resistance Gram negative bacilli among hospitalized patients in Khartoum state

Background Carbapenems are broad-spectrum β-lactam antibiotics widely prescribed for the treatment of multidrug-resistant gram negative bacilli in systemic infections. In the past ten years the Carbapenem resistance among gram-negative bacilli is rapidly expanding across nosocomial infection isolates. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and to characterize Carbapenem resistance genes among Gram negative bacilli (GNB) isolated from patients treated in hospitals in Khartoum state, Sudan.Methods A cross-sectional laboratory based study was conducted over six months at the microbiology department in Soba University Hospital and Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum. A total of 206 GNB isolates from different clinical specimens were analyzed for carbapenem resistance genes using phenotypic tests and affirmed by genes detection. Multiplex PCR was performed for each strain to detect the carbapenemase genes, including those encoding the NDM-, VIM-, and IMP -type Metallo-beta-lactamases, the class A KPC-type carbapenemases, and the class D OXA-48 enzyme. In addition to CTXM, TEM and SHV. DNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were used to detect genes subtypes.Results Of 206 isolates, 171 (83%) positive phenotypically and 121 (70.7%) from 171 isolates were confirmed for present one or more carbapenemase gene. NDM-types were the most predominant genes, blaNDM 107(88.4%), followed by blaIMP 7 (5.7%), blaOXA-48 5(4.1%), blaVIM 2 (1.6%) and blaKPC 0 (0%). Co- resistance genes with NDM producing Gram-negative bacilli were detected in 87 (81.3%) of all NDM positive isolates. Correlation between phenotypic and genotypic resistance was observed (P- value < 0.001). Carbapenemase genes were mostly detected in the K. pneumoniae 70 (42.6%), followed by P. aeruginosa 33 (20%), A. baumannii 30 (18.2%) and E. coli with 18 strains (10.9%). NDM-1 was detected in 75 isolates (70%), other subtypes of NDM were identified by sequencing were NDM- 5 and NDM-6.Conclusions The prevalence of carbapenemase producing bacilli was fond to be high in Khartoum hospitals. NDM was found to be the most prevalent carbapenemase genes among clinical isolates and belong to Indian lineage. For prevention infection control and regular surveillance must be enhanced.
The Potential Effects of the Defense Business Board Military Compensation Task Group's 2011 Recommendations on Active-Duty Service Member Retirement

Abstract : In July 2011, the Defense Business Board (DBB) made recommendations to the Secretary of Defense for modernizing the military retirement system. If implemented, the plan would significantly modify military retirement as it has existed since its inception, shifting it from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan. In this study, we compared the current defined benefit retirement plan to a hypothetical, retrospective defined contribution plan using the constraints proposed by the Defense Business Board Military Compensation Task Group. We also gathered service members' sentiments about the current military retirement system and proposed changes. This is an important topic because it revealed the potential financial effects on service members' retirement savings, and government and departmental challenges should a new retirement system be implemented. In this study, we created a mathematical model to simulate accumulated savings under the proposed defined contribution (DC) plan, and then compared it to the lump-sum equivalent of the existing defined benefit (DB) plan. Our model considered three investment strategies for asset allocation for active-duty personnel (i.e., officer and enlisted) spanning a 20-year career beginning in January 1, 1991, and ending in December 31, 2010. Additionally, our study surveyed active-duty service members assigned to the Naval Postgraduate School and personnel assigned to the II Marines Expeditionary Force. Through the survey, we gathered feedback on service members' attitudes toward military retirement, in general, and proposed changes to the military retirement system. For an officer, the model showed that under a DC plan, accumulated savings were only 37.5% of the lump-sum equivalent of total annuities received under the current DB plan. Likewise, for an enlisted service member, this value was 31.9%. The survey showed that an overwhelming majority of service members are in favor of retaining the current DB retirement syst
ARTICLE: Agenda Setting in State Courts of Last Resort

Little academic research has been carried out on the agenda-setting process for judges, particularly in states. This study examines the rhetoric and agenda setting of judges in 47 state courts of last resort from 2005 to 2015. A content analysis of the end-of-the-year speeches delivered by the justices was performed to determine patterns and trends in rhetoric according to political party affiliation, region, proximity to the border, and method of appointment. It was discovered that the topics discussed by state chief justices did not vary over time; that agenda items differed slightly between Republican and Democratic justices; that there were limited differences between the issues discussed by judges in border and non-border states; that agenda items did not differ significantly according to region; that issues mentioned by U.S. Supreme Court justices and state justices differed; and that the method of seating justices did not influence agenda items.
COX-2 gene rs689466 polymorphisms associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer among Caucasians

Background Several studies have reported the Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) rs689466 polymorphism as a susceptibility locus of colorectal cancer (CRC), but their findings are inconsistent. Thus, this meta-analysis was performed to more accurately identify the effects of this polymorphism on CRC risk. Methods Potential case-control studies on EMBASE, Google of Scholar, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and PubMed were searched. The strength of association was quantified by pooled odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Totally 16 articles involving 8,998 cases and 11,917 controls were included. Results None of the five tested genetic models revealed any significant association between rs689466 polymorphism and CRC risk. Stratified analysis by ethnicity uncovered a significant association between this polymorphism and higher CRC risk in Caucasians, but not in Asians. In addition, we found high expression of COX-2 was associated with better overall survival for all CRC patients. Conclusion To sum up, the COX-2 rs689466 polymorphism may be related with susceptibility to CRC in Caucasians. This finding should be verified by larger-size studies with different ethnic groups.