Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Three Methods for Dynamic Network Loading

Interest in temporal modeling of road traffic has increased over the past decade because of the need to model traffic dynamics for the purpose of evaluating a variety of intelligent transportation components, such as traffic control measures and route guidance. Several approaches are available, including macroscopic, mesoscopic, and microscopic traffic models as well as analytical dynamic assignment models. Although microscopic models are the most detailed and realistic, they are difficult to calibrate and may not be the most practical tools for large-scale networks. Three methods for dynamic network loading that are considerably less detailed than microscopic modeling are investigated here. Each of the three methods is based on a different approach to modeling traf-fic dynamics: link-based travel time functions, the cell-transmission model, and a link-based model derived from a simplified car-following relationship. A small test network was devised, and the results from each model were compared with those obtained from a microsimulator (INTEGRATION). Interpretation of the discrepancies observed in the results gave an indication of the relative importance of the different components of the three traffic models.
Clinical Presentation of Primary Hyperparathyroidism in Lahore, Pakistan – A Single Center Study

Aim: To assess different clinical presentations and outcomes of primary hyperparathyroidism in Pakistan. Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Study Setting: East Surgical Ward, Mayo Hospital, Lahore. Duration: 2011 to 2016 Introduction: PHPT is a common endocrine condition with a wide range of clinical manifestations differing according to geographic. Discussion: The most common clinical presentation in our study was bone pains which were in contrast to the asymptomatic cases being most common manifestation in US and Western countries. 90% (n 36) of the patients had bony involvement while 47.5% (n 19) had renal involvement at the time of presentation. Conclusion: Due to lack of routine biochemical screening tests in developing countries, primary hyperparathyroidism is detected late.
Analysing fruit shape in safou (Dacryodes edulis) fruit by using aspect ratio

Fruit shape is one of the most important quality criteria for evaluation by customer preference. Aspect ratio (A.R.) was used as physical parameter to perform the choice of ratios for fruits shape determination. This study proposes a relationship between fruit shape and morphological parameters in bush butter fruits (Dacryodes edulis) collected on 35 bush butter trees. The results show that bush butter fruits present some shapes. To describe fruit shapes the use of morphological characteristics is possible. So, the unique parameter used in our study was A.R. , width over length. All of 35 trees analyzed were regrouped in three types; those types were assimilated at shapes in bush butter fruit designated by elliptical, spheroidal and obovate shape. On fruit shapes, the analysis of variance shows that the mean values of aspect ratio are significantly different shape as shape. So, it indicates great distinction in the three fruit shapes presented. The distance calculus proposes also a bush butter categorization model based on A.R. A model to describe fruits source of the new trees is proposed.
Control-Display Relationships on the Four-Burner Range: Population Stereotypes versus Standards

In a follow-up of Chapanis and Lindenbaum's (1959) study of the control-display linkages on the four-burner range, 222 persons were surveyed to test the existence of population stereotypes concerning control-burner relationships. In parallel, a market survey of 49 different models of currently marketed ranges was conducted to assess the variation between existing ranges. Subjects' responses to the questionnaire revealed at least four commonly expected different linkage relationships, with no one particular stereotype emerging as predominant among them. Nonetheless, there was a very strong consensus among the respondents (98%) that the right burners should be controlled by either one of the right control knobs, while the left burners should be controlled by either one of the left control knobs. The results of the market survey yielded five different burner-control arrangements that are in current production, the most common of which was not selected by any of the subjects and violated the above expectation. The subjects' awareness of the lack of standardization was manifested in relatively low confidence associated with their choices.
Factors That Affect the Morale of Employees in the Institution of Higher Learning in South Africa

The paper focuses on assessing and identifying the factors that affect the morale of employees in the institution of higher learning in South Africa. Employee morale is a drive to keep the organisation growing and achieve its objectives. In the worldwide ranking there are two institutions of higher learning that are featured in the top 250 of the universities which could be the result that employees are engaged in their institutions. However, it is imperative to maintain or improve more by understanding and dealing with the factors that may contribute negatively in the institutions of higher learning in SA. A quantitative approach was utilised for the paper and a questionnaire was constructed to collect data from 108 academics and support staff. A stratified approach method wad used and divide participant into groups academics and support employees. All data collected was analysed using SPSS version 22 and the findings of the paper reveals that the level of employee morale was very low and further reveals that management support and feedback, conditions of work, remuneration packages, benefits, promotion processes and recognition, communication and understanding of policies as well as treatment and workload were the crucial factors affect the morale of employees. The paper recommends that all institutions of higher learning to review they own policies and ensure that all stakeholders of their institutions understand them effectively. Similar research should be conducted in other institutions of higher learning as well in order to generalise or enrich the findings of the present paper which serve as a wake-up call.
PREVALENCE OF NON-COMPLETION AMONG POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN SELECTED PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

Non-completion among university students is a common phenomenon in many parts of the world. Many causes of this problem have been advanced and among them are institutional and individual reasons like financial ability, gender and motivation to complete studies. Psychological distress though not investigated thoroughly has been cited as one of the problems leading to non-completion. The study sought to establish the prevalence of non-completion among postgraduate students in selected public universities in Kenya. Weiner Attribution theory (1985) informed the study. The study adopted a correlation research design, and it was conducted in two selected public universities in Uasin Gishu and Nairobi counties targeting a population of 945 postgraduate students. A sample of (N=273) was obtained from the two selected public universities through systematic random sampling. The study used questionnaires, focus group discussions and document analysis in collecting data. Reliability of the questionnaire was established using Split half method from a pilot study conducted in Uasin Gishu County. Statistical package for the social sciences SPSS 23 was also used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics to analyze demographic data while Pearson correlation was employed to test the relationship between psychological distress and non-completion. Regression analysis was used to clarify the nature of relationship with the variable. Findings indicated an average non-completion rate of 2.5 years with most students citing financial constraints as the primary cause of their non-completion. The study recommended that students who wished to further their studies should first establish a financial channel or safe for the education journey before they registered for their studies. This would ensure that they would avoid dropping out of school due to a lack of school fees. The study further recommended that students should choose a study model that would favour their schedules to ensure that they did not go through a lot of stress trying to accomplish several tasks simultaneously. Article visualizations:
EXECUTIVE DECISIONS ABOUT WEBSITE ADOPTION IN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES

A model of website adoption by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is developed by considering literature supporting electronic commerce adoption and electronic data interchange adoption. A survey of 89 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) without websites was used to test a model hypothesizing relationships among: perceived benefits, perceived pressure, organizational readiness and intent to adopt a website. Survey findings indicate perceived benefits (strategic and informational), organizational readiness (IT resources) and internal pressure directly affect intent to adopt a website (R 2 =.36). An analysis of interviews conducted with late adopters and non-adopters 18 months after the survey support the findings. Interestingly, financial resources and external pressure were not found to be significantly influential. The findings provide guidance for practitioners working with SMEs and policy makers interested in increasing SME website adoption.
Simvastatin boosts neutrophil apoptosis and ameliorates secondary brain injury following intracerebral hemorrhage via LXA4/FPR2/p38 MAPK pathway

Statins, in addition to their well-known lipid-lowering effects, have also shown a wide range of neuroprotective effects in recent years. We previously found that simvastatin effectively attenuated intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)-induced secondary brain injury in rats. This study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism. The animal model was established in adult male Sprague–Dawley rats by an injection of autologous blood, then randomly treated with simvastatin or vehicle. Then, a series of experiments were conducted to investigate the involvement of lipoxin A4 (LXA4) / formyl-peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) / p38 MAPK signaling pathway in simvastatin-triggered neutrophil apoptosis. Results show that simvastatin significantly elevated the level of LXA4 (an endogenous FPR2 agonist) in plasm in early stage of ICH. Exogenous LXA4 administration effectively promoted circulating neutrophil apoptosis, reduced the neutrophil count in both peripheral blood and perihematomal area, as well as ameliorated neuroinflammation and brain injury after ICH, which in line with the effect of simvastatin. Moreover, similar to simvastatin, the exogenous LXA4 markedly down-regulated the phosphorylation level of p38 and the Mcl-1/Bax ratio (the decreased ratio represents pro-apoptosis) in circulating neutrophils of ICH rat. Notably, all above effects of simvastatin on ICH were significantly abolished by Boc-2, a selective antagonist for FPR2. Moreover, simvastatin led to a similar reduction of Mcl-1/Bax ratio as SB203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor), but it was abolished by P79350 (p38 MAPK agonist). Collectively, these results suggest that simvastatin boosts neutrophils apoptosis and alleviates subsequent neuroinflammation following ICH may via upregulating LXA4 in plasma through the FPR2/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
The gendered self: Evidence for differences in whole-brain dynamics

How the brain constructs gender identity is largely unknown, but some neural differences have recently been discovered. Here, we used an intrinsic-ignition framework to investigate if gender identity changes the propagation of the neural activity across the whole-brain network and within resting-state networks. Studying 29 transmen and 17 transwomen with gender incongruence, 22 ciswomen, and 19 cismen, we computed the capability of a given brain area in space to propagate activity to other areas (mean-ignition) and its variability across time (node-metastability). We found that both measures differentiated all four groups across the whole-brain network. Furthermore, at the network level, we found that compared to the other groups, cismen showed higher mean-ignition of the dorsal attention network and node-metastability of the dorsal and ventral attention, executive control, and temporal parietal networks. We also found mean-ignition differences between cismen and ciswomen within the executive control network, but higher in ciswomen than cismen and transmen for the default-mode network. For the node-metastability, this was higher in cismen compared to ciswomen in the somatomotor network, while both mean-ignition and node-metastability were higher for cismen than transmen in the limbic network. Finally, we computed correlations between both measures and their body image scores. Transmen dissatisfaction, cismen, and ciswomen satisfaction towards their own body image were distinctively associated with specific networks per group. Overall, the study of the whole-brain network dynamical complexity discriminates binary gender identity groups, and functional connectivity dynamics approaches are needed to disentangle the complex understanding of the gendered self. Significance statement The study of sex/gender differences may be enriched by the heterogeneity of other gender minority groups, such as transgender. Functional connectivity measures capturing the spatio-temporal oscillations of the brain can provide insights on how the brain cooperates. This is the first study investigating how the whole-brain network propagates information across the brain, spatially and temporally, in binary gender groups (cisgender and transgender) by means of the intrinsic-ignition framework. We found four whole-brain unique phenotypes pertaining to each gender group, namely cismen, ciswomen, transmen and transwomen. Novel functional connectivity dynamics frameworks can contribute to disentangle the complex experience of a gendered-self.
Estimation of Energy Consumption for Mobile Software using UML State Machine Diagram

The application software operated on mobile device like a smart phone is hard to ensure continuously provision of stable services because of limited resource like a battery. Therefore the requirements on the energy consumption of mobile software become one of critical issues in the software development. To cover the problem that the energy consumption requirement of software was not satisfied when code development is completed, we propose an energy consumption analysis technique using software design model, UML state machine diagram. The design model is transferred to Coloured Petri-Net to estimate the energy consumption. Our technique gives a chance to reduce the energy consumption in the process of software development
Real-World Duty Cycles and Utilization for Construction Equipment in North Carolina

Field data for in-use fuel consumption and emission rates were collected for 15 nonroad vehicles using a portable emission measurement system (PEMS). Each vehicle, including 5 backhoes, 4 front end loaders, and 6 motor graders, were tested once on petroleum diesel and once on B20 biodiesel. The vehicles included different model years and thus represent a variety of engine certification tiers. A methodology was developed for study design, field data collection, data screening and quality assurance, data analysis, and benchmarking of the data. The average rate of loss of data due to data quality issues was 6.9%. On average, over 3 hours of valid data were collected in each test. Time-based emission factors were found to increase monotonically with respect to engine manifold absolute pressure. Fuel-based emission factors were mainly sensitive to differences between idle and non-idle engine operation. Typical duty cycles were quantified in terms of frequency distributions of manifold absolute pressure (MAP) and used to estimate cycle average emission factors. On average, the use of B20 instead of petroleum diesel lead to an insignificant 1.8% decrease in NO emission rate and significant decreases of 18, 26, and 25% for opacity, HC, and CO, respectively. Emission rates were also found to decrease significantly when comparing newer, higher tier vehicles to lower ones. Fuel use rate, and NO, HC, and CO emission factors, were found to be of similar magnitude as independent benchmark data. An emissions inventory was developed for these vehicles. The current fuel mix of B20 and petroleum diesel is estimated to produce 0.4 to 6.4 percent lower emissions, depending on the pollutant, than usage of 100 percent petroleum diesel. If NCDOT were to use 100% B20 in the same vehicles, then additional reductions in emissions of each pollutant would be approximately 2.0% to 36.9% lower than for the current fuel mix of B20 and petroleum diesel. Although higher tier engines have lower emissions factors for each pollutant than lower tier engines, their annual average emissions tend to be higher because of greater utilization. Specific recommendations are made for future work, including expansion of the use of B20 to further reduce tailpipe emissions in the NCDOT inventory, replacement of older vehicles with newer ones, field data for larger sample sizes of vehicles for each Tier in order to improve confidence in the emissions factors and inventories, assessment of Tier 4 vehicles as they become available using improved instrumentation, evaluation of fuel formulations, evaluations of other vehicle types, and others.
Understanding the Antecedents of Customer Loyalty by Applying Structural Equation Modeling

The objective of this chapter is to form a model of customer loyalty for supermarkets in the Turkish retailing sector, which investigates the extent to which customer loyalty is influenced by customer perceptions of service quality, customer perceptions of product quality, comparative price perceptions, discount perceptions, value perceptions, and customer satisfaction. Structural equation modeling has been used to analyze the data collected from 1530 customers of four major supermarket chains in Turkey. After building a measurement model for customer loyalty and its potential antecedents, the relationships are examined. The direct effects of customer satisfaction, comparative price perceptions, and discount perceptions on customer loyalty; value perceptions, comparative price perceptions, and service quality perceptions on customer satisfaction; comparative price perceptions, discount perceptions, product quality perceptions, and service quality perceptions on value perceptions; and discount perceptions and service quality perceptions on product quality perceptions are empirically supported.
Australians’ Water Conservation Behaviours and Attitudes

Abstract The Australian water crisis can be addressed in many ways, ranging from increasing water conservation behaviours to minimise demand, through to producing water through large-scale water augmentation projects. Due to the extended drought experienced in many locations across Australia in recent years, there has been a recent focus on developing wastewater recycling and seawater desalination plants. While this is an important measure for emergency water supply, water conservation should still play a major role in reducing demand for water. The aim of this study is to provide much-needed empirical data about Australian attitudes towards water conservation and their water conservation behaviours. This market insight provides a knowledge basis for the development of public policy measures and social marketing campaigns aimed at increasing water conservation among Australian residents. Results from a survey study of 1495 people indicates that Australians generally have very positive attitudes towards water conservation and water saving appliances, however, these positive attitudes are not consistently translated into actual behaviour. The main barriers to adoption of water conservation behaviours identified in the study are the perception of inconvenience and impracticality, as well as costs associated with purchasing water saving appliances. These findings highlight the fact that there is still substantial potential to be harvested in Australia though water conservation measures. Opportunities for public policy makers to stimulate this process are identified.
A comparison of control systems for the flight transition of VTOL unmanned aerial vehicles

This thesis details the development of linear control systems that allow a vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle to perform transitions between vertical and horizontal flight. Two mathematical models are derived for the control system design. A large non-linear model, describing all the dynamics of the aircraft, is linearised in order to perform optimal control using linear quadratic regulator theory. Another model is decoupled using time scale separation to form separate rigid body and point mass dynamics. The decoupled model is controlled using classical control techniques. Simulation results are used to judge the relative performance of the two control schemes in several fields including: Trajectory tracking, sensitivity to parameters, computational complexity and ease of use.
Analyzing of User Attitudes Toward Intention to Use Social Media for Learning

The study has aimed to investigate the factors affecting university students’ attitude toward intention to use social media for learning. This study embraced a cross-sectional approach and gathered quantitative data via a Google form survey, which was collected by using social media platforms, from a total of 720 respondents. The hypotheses were tested using the partial least squares (PLS) method. The study found that social media literacy, perceived ease of use, perceived behavioral control, and perceived risk has significant positive influence on users’ attitude to use social media, while ICT facility and perceived usefulness has no significant impact on attitude. Users’ attitude has a significant relationship with their intention to use social media for learning. The users’ attitude was also found to successfully mediate the relationship of social media literacy, perceived ease of use, perceived behavioral control, and perceived risk with intention to use social media. Social media literacy and perceived risk have been measured as an influential construct since it is unreasonable to anticipate the correlation between social media literacy and perceived risk dimensions in social media.
Crack initiation in laminated automotive glazing subjected to simulated head impact

Abstract A very limited work has been done to understand the fracture in laminated automotive glazing when the head impacts on the windshields or side windows. A good understanding of the fracture plays a critical role in designing the laminated glass for utmost safety in automotive glazing. A finite element method based on the energy release rate criterion (J-integral criterion) is employed to determine the crack initiation time and location. A parametric study is done to determine the effect of various geometric parameters on the crack initiation time and location. Also, the cracking behavior of a monolithic glass is evaluated and compared with that of the laminated glass of comparable thickness.