Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of simulation case studies in enterprise education

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the role of electronic simulation case studies in enterprise education, their effectiveness, and their relationship to traditional forms of classroom‐based approaches to experiential learning. The paper seeks to build on previous work within the field of enterprise and management education, specifically in relation to the role of simulations and case studies in higher‐education pedagogy, which have previously been considered as distinct techniques.Design/methodology/approach – Following the use of a specifically designed simulation case study of a small and large business, 57 undergraduate students in a UK university were surveyed using an electronic voting tool and their responses used as the basis for two focus groups, which were conducted with the same students.Findings – Students saw a link between using the application and learning, found the environment to be immersive and more engaging than a text‐based case study, though opinion was divided over its entertainme.
Covariance Risk Models on the Swedish Stock Market - Using a GARCH Framework

Mitt syfte med denna uppsats var att undersoka vilka faktormodeller som i genomsnitt bast kan uppskatta den samlade risken pa den svenska aktiemarknaden i form utav GARCH-uppskattade kovariansmatriser. Vidare att specialgranska faktormodellernas uthallighet da de appliceras under en recession. Slutligen undersoka om och hur globaliseringen utav ekonomin paverkar dessa faktorer. Tidsmassigt var undersokning avgransad mellan 1996-2005. En GARCH-modell togs i ansprak for att uppskatta den tidsvarierande volatiliteten. Potentiella faktorer av olika slag analyserades. Ett urval inkluderas i modellen av ekonomin tillsammans med de representative tillgangarna i form utav industriella portfoljer. Dessa tillgangar representerade den svenska marknaden. Den representativa ekonomins kovariansmatris uppskattades genom GARCH-modellen. Till slut undersoktes faktorernas formaga att fanga upp kovariansrisken pa den svenska marknaden. Marknadsfaktorn och en faktor som replikerar direktavkastning forklarar en mycket stor del av den totala risken pa den svenska aktiemarknaden. Direktavkastningsfaktorn genererar dessutom overavkastning under recessioner. Under recessioner okar betydelsen av de inhemska faktorerna pa bekostnad av varldsmarknadsfaktorn samtidigt som risken pa marknaden okar. Den svenska vardepappersmarknaden ar enbart delvis integrerad i varldsekonomin.
A game theoretic approach to swarm robotics

In this article, we discuss some techniques for achieving swarm intelligent robots through the use of traits of personality. Traits of personality are characteristics of each robot that, altogether, define the robot's behaviours. We discuss the use of evolutionary psychology to select a set of traits of personality that will evolve due to a learning process based on reinforcement learning. The use of Game Theory is introduced, and some simulations showing its potential are reported.
Motor cycle rider fatigue: a review

The aims of this review were to: 1. investigate the incidence of fatigue-related accidents among riders; 2. investigate the causes, symptoms and effects of fatigue on riders; 3. assess the impact of fatigue in riders on possible accident causation; and 4. explore possible countermeasures to combat the effects of fatigue and review campaign strategies that have addressed fatigue and its dangers. Overall, it found that there have been few studies investigating the causes and effects of rider fatigue. Where they do exist, they tend not to provide a definition for fatigue and also not to separate the definition into the above three components of fatigue, namely sleepiness, excessive task demands and effects due to under-stimulation, which may have quite different effects on performance. Additionally, there tends to be a reliance on self-report questionnaires rather than on directly observed effects of task performance or safety. Similarly, the literature does not provide much evidence for the effectiveness of potential countermeasures or campaign strategies specifically to combat the effects of rider fatigue. However, information from the literature about driver fatigue and fatigue in general has, with careful interpretation, provided some insight into the possible causes of fatigue and the likely effects that it can have on motorcycle riders
Impact of frontline demonstration on yield enhancement of turmeric

Fifty six demonstrations were conducted during 2004-05 to 2011-12 in different villages of Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya to disseminate the production technology of high yielding (237.6 q/ha) Megha Turmeric 1 variety having high curcumin content (6.8%). Field diagnostic visits, regular surveys, farmer meetings and training programmes ensured application of balanced and optimum doses of nutrients and timely plant protection measures. These activities ensured higher yield over local practice of cultivation in the range of 26.5-39.4 per cent. An average net profit of Rs 3,05,302 was recorded under recommended practice while it was Rs 1,27,071.3 under farmers’ practice. Benefit/cost ratio ranged from 3.2 to 4.1 under demonstration while it ranged from 2.1 to 3.1 under control plots. With frontline demonstration (FLD) of proven technology it could be shown that yield potential and net income from turmeric cultivation could be enhanced to a great extent resulting in higher income to the farming community.
Ultra-wideband statistical propagation channel model for implant sensors in the human chest

Implant medical wireless sensors for monitoring physiological parameters, automatic drug provision, and so on represent a new promising healthcare technology. Inherent characteristics of ultra-wideband (UWB) radio make this technology highly suitable for the wireless interface of implant sensors. A communication channel model is essential for developing these wireless systems. However, there are currently few models describing the radio propagation inside the human body. To address this problem, a statistical model is presented for UWB propagation channels inside the human chest in the 1-6 GHz frequency range. The proposed statistical model is developed from numerical simulations using a heterogeneous anatomical model that includes the frequency-dependent dielectric properties of different human tissues. Mathematical formulas for the computation of path loss, scattering and the statistical implementation of the channel impulse response at different depths inside the chest are described. Two typical depths for implanted sensors in the chest, namely 20 and 80 mm are analysed in detail. Average path loss of approximately 20 and 50 dB is observed in each case, respectively. Moreover, the channel exhibits little time dispersion with a root-mean-square delay spread below 1 ns in both cases. These results aim at facilitating the tasks associated with the design of in-body medical communication systems.
Recycling attitude and behaviour in university campus: a case study in Hong Kong

Purpose – This study investigates the recycling attitudes and behaviour of university students and staff members, and suggests ways to improve environmental policies and recycling facilities in a university campus.Design/methodology/approach – This study applies the theory of planned behaviour, through which it develops an instrument to measure the determinants of recycling behaviour among the people in a university campus. A survey was designed and administered at a public university in Hong Kong; 205 valid responses from 179 students and 26 staff members were collected. A partial least squares approach was used to validate the proposed model. This model accounted for the 42.1 per cent and 50.3 per cent variance (R2) in behavioural intention and behaviour, respectively, vis‐a‐vis recycling activities.Findings – The survey results suggested that behavioural intention with regard to recycling is influenced by attitude, the subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, awareness of consequences, the mora.
Assessment of the Efficacies of Inverted Classroom Approach and Powerpoint Presentation on Students’ Achievement and Self-Efficacy in Biology

In this paper, the effect of inverted classroom approach and PowerPoint presentation on students' achievement and self-efficacy in biology has been discussed. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A Quasi-experiment of 2 x 2 factorial design was adopted to guide the study. 4,408 senior secondary two (SSII) Biology students in Agbani education zone of Enugu state composed the population. The sample size for the study consisted of 150 SSII Biology students. The sample was be drawn using a multistage sampling procedure. the Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and Biology Self-efficacy Scale (BSS) were used as an instrument for data collection. Three experts all from the Department of Science Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, validated the instruments. The reliability of BAT was determined using Kuder Richardson (K-R-21) formula which gave a reliability index of 0.79. The reliability of BSS gave an index of 0.81 using Cronbach alpha formula. Data obtained from the pre-test and post-test were quantitatively analysed. All the research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test all the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results from the study revealed that there is a significant effect of approaches on the achievement and self-efficacy of students taught biology using inverted classroom approach, and those taught using the PowerPoint presentation. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that biology teachers should try to develop and adopt the use of PowerPoint presentation in their instructional delivery as it would enhance the overall achievement and self-efficacy of students in biology.
Analyzing key socio-economic and socio-demographic drivers of domestic passengers’ airline choice behavior in Turkey using multinomial and mixed logit models

The main objective of this paper is to determine the key factors affecting passengers' domestic airline choice in Turkey. This study utilized the data of a self-administered survey conducted to 2473 passengers in 11 different airports. The data were analyzed using multinomial and mixed logit (ML) models. The analysis results reveal that ML model is useful to explain preference heterogeneity of passengers' airline choice behavior. The estimation results also indicate that several demographic, socio-economic, and travel destination characteristics were found as the significant drivers of passengers' airline choice. The results of this study may be a valuable tool for policy-makers in the airline industry.
Singular perturbation modelling technique and analysis for class-E DC-DC converter using piezoelectric transformer

A singular perturbation technique for modelling and simulation of a class-E DC-DC converter with piezoelectric transformer (PT) is presented. The open-loop characteristics of this converter are analysed. The singular perturbation method and the generalised state-space method are compared to model this DC-DC converter. In addition, a precise model which is based on the exact equations is used as a reference value. The calculation results show that the two proposed models give very good agreement to the precise model. As the singular perturbation model gives simple approach and a decoupling method has been used, it is highly recommended for all the PT models. The method has been examined and analysed in class-E DC-DC converter.
Construction process performance variability: Focus on labour productivity

The authors claim that unlike most other studies, in which the variability of productivity data was shown to fall within a specific distributional shape, this work has brought into light a distribution which is flexible and yet represents in a simple form most productivity distributions. This was shown in the contrasting distributional shapes of concreting and excavation productivity distributions.
INDONESIAN VEHICLES NUMBER PLATES RECOGNITION SYSTEM USING MULTI LAYER PERCEPTRON NEURAL NETWORK AND CONNECTED COMPONENT LABELLING

In recent years, the amount of vehicle in Indonesia has been increasing rapidly. This surely, if it is conducted conventionally, challenges the upholder in recognizing and detecting the lawbreakers vehicle. The objective of this research aims to create the system which can automatically recognize vehicles number plates. This is also expected to be able to assist the upholder to take an action against the lawbreaker. The method used are sliding concentric windows and connected component for detecting and segmenting each of character on vehicles number plates. Further, multi-layer perceptron neural network classification model is used to identify each of character on it. The system has been tested using variety of vehicles number plate images and succesfully recognize 180 of 224 characters images (80.35%). Based on the computation of each character, the accuracy of the system, throughout tested vehicles number plate images, can reach 95.69% (1509 of 1577 characters can be identified). The tested system has shown prospective results, thus the technique used on this research can be implemented through vehicles number plate recognition system in Indonesia.
Changes in the Taxonomic and Functional Structure of Microbial Communities During Vegetable Waste Silage Fermentation

Background：Silage fermentation, a sustainable way to use vegetable waste resources, is a complex process driven by a variety of microorganisms. We used lettuce waste as the raw material for silage, analyzed changes in the physico-chemical characteristics and bacterial community composition of silage during a 60 day fermentation, identified differentially abundant taxa, predicted the functional profiles of bacterial communities, and determined the associated effects on the quality of silage. Results: The biggest changes occurred in the early stage of silage fermentation. Changes in the physico-chemical characteristics included a decrease in pH and increases in ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen ratio and lactic acid content. The numbers of lactic acid bacteria increased and those of molds, yeasts and aerobic bacteria decreased. The bacterial communities and their predicted functions on day 0 were clearly different from those on day 7 to day 60. The relative abundances of phylum Firmicutes and genus Lactobacillus increased. Nitrite ammonification and nitrate ammonification were more prevalent after day 0. The differences in the predicted functions were associated with differences in pH and amino acid, protein, carbohydrate, NH3-N, ether extract and crude ash contents. Conclusion: Firmicutes and Lactobacillus were the dominant taxa during vegetable waste silage fermentation. The microbial communities and the predicted functions changed in different stages of silage fermentation, and the changes were accompanied with changes in the physico-chemical characteristics, especially with a decrease in pH and increases in ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen ratio and lactic acid content.
Soil improvement for a road using the vacuum preloading method

A case of using the vacuum preloading method to improve the foundation soil for a road in Tianjin, China, is presented. A vacuum load of 80 kPa was applied for 90 days to consolidate a 20 m thick soft clay layer. The ground settled for about 1·5 m. The average degree of consolidation estimated using settlement data was 90%. The undrained shear strength of the soil increased and the water content decreased after vacuum preloading. The procedures used for soil improvement, the instrumentation and the field monitoring data are described. Several issues concerning the practical aspects of the vacuum preloading method are discussed. Nous presentons un cas utilisant une methode de pre-charge sous vide pour ameliorer le sol de fondation d'une route a Tianjin en Chine. Une charge sous vide de 80 kPa a ete appliquee pendant 90 jours pour consolider une couche d'argile tendre epaisse de 20 m. Le sol s'est tasse sur environ 1,5 m. Le degre moyen de consolidation estime d'apres les donnees de tassement etait de 90%.
Buoyancy-Induced Flow in a Heated Rotating Cavity

Experimental measurements were made in a rotating-cavity rig with an axial throughflow of cooling air at the center of the cavity, simulating the conditions that occur between corotating compressor disks of a gas-turbine engine. One of the disks in the rig was heated, and the other rotating surfaces were quasi-adiabatic; the temperature difference between the heated disk and the cooling air was between 40 and 100°C. Tests were conducted for axial Reynolds numbers, Re z , of the cooling air between 1.4×10 3 and 5 X 10 4 , and for rotational Reynolds numbers, Re Φ , between 4 X 10 5 and 3.2 X 10 6 . Velocity measurements inside the rotating cavity were made using laser Doppler anemometry, and temperatures and heat flux measurements on the heated disk were made using thermocouples and fluxmeters. The velocity measurements were consistent with a three-dimensional, unsteady, buoyancy-induced flow in which there was a multicell structure comprising one, two, or three pairs of cyclonic and anticyclonic vortices. The core of fluid between the boundary layers on the disks rotated at a slower speed than the disks, as found by other experimenters. At the smaller values of Re z , the radial distribution and magnitude of the local Nusselt numbers, Nu, were consistent with buoyancy-induced flow. At the larger values of Re z , the distribution of Nu changed, and its magnitude increased, suggesting the dominance of the axial throughflow.
Low-dose Diosbulbin-B (DB) Regulates Tumor-Intrinsic PD-L1/NLRP3 Signaling Pathway to Increase Cisplatin-Sensitivity in Gastric Cancer (GC)

Background: Generation of cisplatin (DDP)-resistance by gastric cancer (GC) cells seriously limits the therapeutic efficacy of this drug in clinic, and recent data suggested that Diosbulbin-B (DB), the main anti-tumor compound of Dioscorea bulbifera L, was effective to improve cisplatin-sensitivity in GC cells. However, the underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown.Methods: Genes expressions were determined by Real-Time qPCR and Western Blot. Cell viability was evaluated by cell counting kit-8 and trypan blue staining assay. Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay was used to examine cell apoptosis. The Spheroid formation assay was used to evaluated cell stemness. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was employed to examine the expressions and localization of Ki67 protein in mice tumor tissues.Results: Here we found that low-dose DB (12.5 μM) downregulated PD-L1 to activate NLRP3-medicated pyroptosis, and inhibited cancer stem cells (CSCs) properties, to sensitize cisplatin-resistant GC (CR-GC) cells to cisplatin. Mechanistically, the CR-GC cells were obtained, and either low-dose DB or cisplatin alone had little effects on cell viability in CR-GC cells, while low-dose DB significantly induced apoptotic cell death in cisplatin treated CR-GC cells. In addition, low-dose DB triggered cell pyroptosis in CR-GC cells stimulated with cisplatin, which were abrogated by silencing NLRP3. Next, CSCs tended to be enriched in CR-GC cells, instead of their parental cisplatin-sensitive GC (CS-GC) cells, and low-dose DB (12.5 μM) inhibited spheroid formation and stemness biomarkers (CD44, CD133, SOX2, OCT4 and Nanog) expressions to eliminate CSCs in CR-GC cells, which were reversed by upregulating programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1). Furthermore, we proved that PD-L1 negatively regulated NLRP3 in CR-GC cells, and low-dose DB (12.5 μM) activated NLRP3-mediated pyroptotic cell death in cisplatin treated CR-GC cells by downregulating PD-L1. Also, low-dose DB aggravated the inhibiting effects of cisplatin on tumorigenesis of CR-GC cells in vivo. Conclusions: Collectively, low-dose DB (12.5 μM) regulated intrinsic PD-L1/NLRP3 pathway to improve cisplatin-sensitivity in CR-GC cells, and this study provided alternative therapy treatments for GC.
Working towards a scalable model of problem-based learning instruction in undergraduate engineering education

The intent of the study presented in this paper is to show that the model of problem-based learning (PBL) can be made scalable by designing curriculum around a set of open-ended problems (OEPs). The detailed statistical analysis of the data collected to measure the effects of traditional and PBL instructions for three courses in Electronics and Communication Engineering, namely Analog Electronics, Digital Electronics and Pulse, Digital & Switching Circuits is presented here. It measures the effects of pedagogy, gender and cognitive styles on the knowledge, skill and attitude of the students. The study was conducted two times with content designed around same set of OEPs but with two different trained facilitators for all the three courses. The repeatability of results for effects of the independent parameters on dependent parameters is studied and inferences are drawn.
Candiduria

Candiduria is a common ﬁnding. Yeasts can be detected in urine that is contaminated during collection, in patients who have bladder colonization, and in patients who have upper urinary tract infection that developed either from retrograde spread from the bladder or hematogenous spread from a distant source. Most patients with candiduria are asymptomatic. The rate of development of complications is not known but appears to be low; candidemia rarely results from asymptomatic candiduria unless obstruction is present or instrumentation of the urinary tract is done. Unfortunately, there are no established diagnostic tests that reliably distinguish infection from colonization. Guidelines for the treatment of candiduria, based almost entirely on anecdotal reports and expert opinions, rather than controlled clinical trials, have been suggested by the InfectiousDiseases Society of America. Until reliable methods to distinguish infection from colonization are developed, further treatment trials are unlikely to provide information to guide the clinician in the treatment of candiduria. Candiduria is often observed in hospitalized patients.
Atmospheric circulation patterns influencing variations in organic carbon fluxes in the River Oulujoki, Finland

Atmospheric circulation generally influences regional climate variability and thereby controls catchment hydrology and consequently transport of elements in natural riverine systems. This study examined dependencies between total organic carbon (TOC) variability in the River Oulujoki (Finland) during 1963–2011 and prominent atmospheric circulation patterns (ACPs), which manifest natural climatic conditions over Finland and control hydrological processes in the river catchment. North Atlantic Oscillation, Scandinavia, East Atlantic and East Atlantic/West Russia patterns were statistically significant ACPs affecting variations in TOC export at River Oulujoki lower basin area. In the River Oulujoki, TOC export was largely controlled by changes in TOC fluxes generated from tributaries of river and near areas to its main channel. Besides, runoff from Lake Oulujärvi slightly influenced TOC export variability in the River Oulujoki. Understanding such responses of TOC fluxes to ACPs is a useful tool for sustainable water resources planning and management on regional and local scales.