Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Embedding Building Information Modeling (Bim) Competencies in Quantity Surveying Education

BIM is now trending in the construction industry. BIM tools is known to be able to assist throughout a project lifecycle from conception to commission and operation. Hence, the supply and demand of the BIM skilled workforce will be an issue in the near future. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) has to act as a vehicle to produce BIM-ready graduates with an attempt to close the gap of demand for graduates with BIM competencies. This study aims to identify the competencies required to embed BIM into the Quantity Surveying education by exploring the knowledge and skills required and recommend BIM competencies to be embedded in the Curriculum Learning Framework of QS undergraduate programme. The scope of this study only focuses on individual competences. From the literature review, three (3) major group of competences are identified: Contextual, Behavioural and Technical competence. 45 BIM competencies obtained from the Initial BIM Learning Outcomes Framework by the Building Academy Forum can be categorised into the three (3) major group of competence, and into 14 groups of BIM Capabilities. Survey questionnaires are distributed to local Quantity Surveyors of various business nature. Factor analysis results indicate that BIM education has to be taught in three (3) stages, namely: Conception Stage, Implementation Stage and Optimisation Stage. BIM competencies that are lack of, also known as the knowledge gap, is identified and sorted into type of competences and stages of education matrix. Further analysis is carried out to pair the competencies found in RICS Assessment of Professional Competence’s (APC) and Rules and Syllabuses of the Professional Examinations for Quantity Surveying by Institute of Surveyors Malaysia in view of embedding the BIM competencies into the QS undergraduate programme’s Curriculum Learning Framework.
Frequency dependence of the polar motion resonance

S U M M A R Y The nutation of the Celestial Intermediate Pole can be considered as a retrograde diurnal polar motion. As the common polar motion, it presents a resonance, but with period TPM and quality factor QPM differing from the ones characterizing the Chandler wobble (TCW = 430.2−431.6 d, QCW in the interval (56 255) according to Nastula & Gross): according to the nutation analysis presented in a separate paper, this period is about TPM = 380 d and the quality factor becomes −10. In this study, we aim to revisit the geophysical interpretation of this result. Two complementary factors account for the observed values: the non-equilibrium response of the ocean to the pole tide potential in the diurnal band, and the resonance of the solid Earth tide at the free core nutation period. This leads to a resonance of TPM in the vicinity of the free core nutation period, confirmed by estimates derived from nutation analysis.
PENGARUH PROMOSI JABATAN TERHADAP KEPUASAN KERJA MELALUI PRESTASI KERJA SEBAGAI VARIABEL INTERVENING PADA KARYAWAN TVRI LAMPUNG

The objective of this research was finding out the effect of the staff achievement on job satisfaction through promotion as the intervening variable in TVRI Lampung. The type of this research was the quantitative research with associative method. The exogenous variable used in this research was the staff achievement; the endogenous variable was the job satisfaction; and, the intervening variable was the promotion. The population of this research was the staffs of TVRI Lampung. A number of the population of this research was 102 respondents. A number of samples used in this research were 81 respondents. The sampling technique used in this research was Stratified Random Sampling. The data collecting technique used in this research was distributing the questionnaire directly to the respondents. The data analysis technique used in this research was the path analysis. The result of this research showed that staff achievement affected the job satisfaction; the achievement affected promotion; the promotion affected the job satisfaction; and, the achievement affected the job satisfaction through promotion. Keywords - Staff Achievement, Job Satisfaction, Promotion
Robustness and Explainability of Artificial Intelligence

In the light of the recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI), the serious negative consequences of its use for EU citizens and organisations have led to multiple initiatives from the European Commission to set up the principles of a trustworthy and secure AI. Among the identified requirements, the concepts of robustness and explainability of AI systems have emerged as key elements for a future regulation of this technology. This Technical Report by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) aims to contribute to this movement for the establishment of a sound regulatory framework for AI, by making the connection between the principles embodied in current regulations regarding to the cybersecurity of digital systems and the protection of data, the policy activities concerning AI, and the technical discussions within the scientific community of AI, in particular in the field of machine learning, that is largely at the origin of the recent advancements of this technology. The individual objectives of this report are to provide a policy-oriented description of the current perspectives of AI and its implications in society, an objective view on the current landscape of AI, focusing of the aspects of robustness and explainability. This also include a technical discussion of the current risks associated with AI in terms of security, safety, and data protection, and a presentation of the scientific solutions that are currently under active development in the AI community to mitigate these risks. This report puts forward several policy-related considerations for the attention of policy makers to establish a set of standardisation and certification tools for AI. First, the development of methodologies to evaluate the impacts of AI on society, built on the model of the Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) introduced in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is discussed. Secondly, a focus is made on the establishment of methodologies to assess the robustness of systems that would be adapted to the context of use. This would come along with the identification of known vulnerabilities of AI systems, and the technical solutions that have been proposed in the scientific community to address them. Finally, the aspects of transparency and explainability of AI are discussed, including the explainability-by-design approaches for AI models.
Inquiry-, problem-, context- and industry- based laboratories: an investigation into the impact of large-scale, longitudinal redevelopment on student perceptions of teaching laboratories

ABSTRACT Previous work at Monash University has shown that students recognise that inquiry-, problem-, context- and industry- based experiments were better contextualised, more open to decision making and aided in the development of scientific and transferable skills. This study investigated whether these gains persisted over a longer time scale, rather than just after the completion of a given experiment. Student focus groups were conducted at the completion of units (sometimes known as a course) in which more than half of the laboratory experiments were redesigned. Annual surveys were distributed to monitor students’ perceptions of the aims of teaching laboratories, and their expectations of their own behaviour. The findings indicated that the previously noted positive outcomes were still evident at the end of a semester. The annual survey showed that whilst 2nd year students were able to appreciate the real world context of the experiments, 3rd year students did not. Overall, the large-scale changes away from expository experiments had a positive impact on student enjoyment and perceived skill development but only when meaningful proportions of the experiments were redesigned. It would appear that the continuing existence of many expository experiments undermined the students’ perceptions of the benefits gained by the new laboratory experiments.
Spearcons for Patient Monitoring: Program of Laboratory-Based Feasibility Studies

Clinicians are not always at their patients’ bedsides and may therefore need ways of remotely monitoring the well-being of multiple patients under their care. We outline the main findings of a research program investigating whether the intermittent presentation of short phrases of time-compressed speech (spearcons) is an effective way of giving mobile clinicians information about their patients without annoying either clinician or patient. We provide a high-level overview of several studies investigating participants’ ability to understand spearcons, both individually and in sequences representing multiple patients. We then report in more detail a recent small study testing whether participants’ ability to understand spearcons is compromised by different kinds of ongoing tasks. Finally, we outline further issues that should be addressed and further research studies performed before spearcons could be considered a viable tool for patient monitoring.
Multidimensionality of Gender Ideology and Relationships With Gendered Practices: An Exploratory Analysis Across Europe in 2002 and 2012

Many researchers assume a one-dimensionality of gender ideology constructs and/or stability of dimensions across countries and time, yet these assumptions have rarely been tested. WE apply factor analyses on two waves of the International Social Survey Programme in 2002 and 2012, and comparable European countries to test this. Our results show that gender ideologies can be distinguished into distinctive domains that relate to mother’s employment, women’s work, men’s role in the family, and finally women’s breadwinning. These dimensions have be found to be relatively stable across countries and time. Results from regression models investigating different aspects of the gender division of labour suggest that distinguishing dimensions is less important when considering gender ideologies at the individual level but can make a big difference when examining gender culture at the country level.
Urine Osmolality in Adults Attending a General out-Patient Clinic: Clinical Implications

Background and objectives: Significant urine osmolality changes are usually found in many environmental, physiologic and disease states. However, urine osmolality is observed to vary over a wide range of values. The aim of this study was to determine urine osmolality and factors that influence dilute and concentrated urine in adults attending the general out-patient clinic of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, Southeast Nigeria. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in FMC, Owerri, Nigeria. Demographic and anthropometric data were obtained. Urine osmolality and other relevant investigations were performed. Normal urine osmolality was defined as 24-hour urine osmolality (24HUOsm) 300 - 750mOsm/kgH2O, dilute urine 24HUOsm 750mOsm/kgH2O. The association of variables with dilute and concentrated urine was determined. Results: The mean 24HUOsm was 160 ± 133mOsm/kgH2O and spot urine osmolality (SUOsm) 334±204mOsm/kgH2O. The range of values observed for SUOsm (30 - 855mOsm/kgH2O) and 24HUOsm (29 - 628mOsm/kgH2O) was wide. Normal urine osmolality was observed in 14(10.3%) and dilute urine in 122(89.7%) of the subjects. None of the subjects has concentrated urine. Body mass index and serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) were significantly associated with dilute urine. There was correlation between 24HUOsm and hemoglobin, spot urine protein, SUOsm, 24-hour urine volume (24HUV), as well as spot urine creatinine osmolality ratio (SUCOR). Low SUCOR, low 24HUV and low serum triglyceride predicted dilute urine. Conclusions: The prevalence of dilute urine (89.7%) was high but there was absence of concentrated urine in the study subjects. Abnormalities of urine volume, serum lipids and weight changes were common in subjects with dilute urine. There is need for clinicians to routinely conduct urine osmolality assessment and to further search for abnormalities of urine volume, serum lipids and weight changes in adults with dilute urine attending the general out-patient clinics.
Prevalence of Self-Medication with Antibiotics amongst Clients Referred to Outpatient University Dental Clinics in Iranian Population: A Questionnaire-Based Study

Introduction: Self-medication with antibiotics may increase the risk of inappropriate use and development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics amongst dental outpatients in Iranian population. Methods and Materials: One thousand and two hundred of dentistry patients, who were referred to dental school clinics in ten major provinces of Iran, participated in this study. A valid self-administered questionnaire regarding self-medication with antibiotics in case of dental pain was used to collect data. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Logistic regression analysis. Results: In our study population, the prevalence of self-medication was 42.6%. Amongst the Iranian cities, the highest prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics belonged to the city of Bandar Abbas (64%) and the lowest was seen in the city of Kerman (27.3%). Men were more likely to take antibiotics. Amoxicillin was the mostly used antibiotic. Severe pain, previous self-medications and high costs of dental visits were the most common reasons for self-medication with antibiotics in the investigated population. In addition, the present study showed that marriage, acceptable financial status and high level of education could decrease self-medication with antibiotics. Conclusions: In the current investigation, an alarming fact was that self-medication for dental problems seemed very common amongst the studied population. One of its most important consequences was bacterial resistance. Therefore, there should be plans to promote and prioritize public health awareness and encourage general public’s motivation to reduce the practice of self-medication.
Ecological patterns of root nodule diversity in cultivated and wild rooibos populations: a community prediction approach

There is interest in understanding the factors behind the biogeography of root-associated bacteria due to the joint effects that plant host, climate, and soil conditions can have on bacterial diversity. For legume crops with remaining wild populations, this is of even more importance, because the effects of cropping on undisturbed root-associated bacterial communities can be addressed. Here, we used a community prediction approach to describe the diversity of the root nodule bacterial communities of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), an endemic legume crop from South Africa. The goal was to reveal whether patterns of root nodule community composition in paired cultivated and wild rooibos populations could be related to geographical distance, plant traits, and plant population type (i.e. cultivated or uncultivated). We identified a core of dominant and widespread Mesorhizobium ZOTUs that each defined one of 4 different root nodule community classes. Rooibos cultivation impacted root nodule bacterial diversity at regional and local scales, while the geographical origin of the root nodule communities was the strongest predictor of root nodule community structure. Beyond impacts of cultivation on root nodule bacterial diversity, this study suggests a mixture of dispersal limitation and ecological drift regionally, and selection by different plant populations locally, define the biogeography of rooibos root nodule bacterial communities.
Male incontinence: a critical review of the literature

The aim was to identify and analyze studies on the quality of life and life experiences of men with urinary incontinence. Through critical review of the literature, data were analyzed using content analysis technique based on psychodynamic references. The results were grouped into two themes: Psychosocial lived experience aspects of men with urinary incontinence; Men's lived experience in the management of urinary incontinence. Men with urinary incontinence experienced a low self-image along with a sense of social stigma associated to the image of a deteriorated body. Seeking treatment when the incontinence is mild and making use of psychological and social mechanisms to adapt to the urinary incontinence. The study shows that incontinent men to have low expectation regarding treatment due to the lack of knowledge about existing therapies and strategies to urinary loss control.
Stress-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of RtcB modulates IRE1 activity and signaling outputs

The tRNA ligase RtcB is tyrosine phosphorylated upon ER stress which in turn leads to modulation of XBP1 mRNA splicing and IRE1 signaling outputs. ER stress is mediated by three sensors and the most evolutionary conserved IRE1α signals through its cytosolic kinase and endoribonuclease (RNase) activities. IRE1α RNase activity can either catalyze the initial step of XBP1 mRNA unconventional splicing or degrade a number of RNAs through regulated IRE1-dependent decay. Until now, the biochemical and biological outputs of IRE1α RNase activity have been well documented; however, the precise mechanisms controlling whether IRE1α signaling is adaptive or pro-death (terminal) remain unclear. We investigated those mechanisms and hypothesized that XBP1 mRNA splicing and regulated IRE1-dependent decay activity could be co-regulated by the IRE1α RNase regulatory network. We identified that RtcB, the tRNA ligase responsible for XBP1 mRNA splicing, is tyrosine-phosphorylated by c-Abl and dephosphorylated by PTP1B. Moreover, we show that the phosphorylation of RtcB at Y306 perturbs RtcB interaction with IRE1α, thereby attenuating XBP1 mRNA splicing. Our results demonstrate that the IRE1α RNase regulatory network is dynamically fine-tuned by tyrosine kinases and phosphatases upon various stresses and that the extent of RtcB tyrosine phosphorylation determines cell adaptive or death outputs.
Detecting long-range dependence with truncated ratios of periodogram ordinates

Abstract We propose new tests for testing hypotheses about the memory parameter that are based on ratios of periodogram ordinates. They are highly robust against conditional heteroskedasticity and outliers and are therefore of great value for the detection of long-range dependence in financial data. The robustness is obtained by truncation of a distribution with nonexistent moments. Tables of critical values are provided. The performance of the new tests is assessed by extensive simulations. Applying the tests to daily series of gold price returns and stock index returns, we find no evidence of long-range dependence characterized by a non-vanishing memory parameter. In the case of spread series (differences between interest rates at different maturities, gold prices and silver prices, related stock market indices), we find no evidence of a memory parameter well below 0.5.
Need for Diabetic Screening an a Periodontal Setup

INTRODUCTION: Periodontitis has been proved to be linked deeply with the chronic ailment diabetes. Research data shows that their relationship is direct and bifacial. The prevalence of both these diseases is on the rise but still there is a scarcity of diabetic screening in periodontal set-ups.AIM: To lay emphasis on the need of diabetic screening in a periodontal set-upMATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional study with an initial sample size of 200 patients was conducted. Periodontitis was evaluated with the CPI index and RBS was measured using a blood glucometer.RESULTS: Significant difference in the periodontitis patients who were aware and unaware of their diabetic status.CONCLUSION: Screening for diabetes in a periodontal clinic is conducive to the creation of awareness and early detection and treatment of such a chronic disease and can help avoid the setting in of related complications by giving the patient a chance to initiate an early intervention.
DOP24 Patient-reported health-related quality-of-life outcomes with vedolizumab vs. adalimumab treatment of ulcerative colitis: Results of the VARSITY trial

Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) experience substantial impairment in quality of life (QOL). Patient QOL endpoints are important measures of treatment outcome. We evaluated the effects of intravenous vedolizumab vs. adalimumab on QOL in VARSITY, the first head-to-head trial comparing the efficacy and safety of biologics in patients with moderately to severely active UC. VARSITY was a phase 3b, double-blind, double-dummy, randomised trial (NCT02497469; EudraCT 2015-000939-33). QOL was assessed using the inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (IBDQ) at baseline, Week (Week) 30, and Week 52. Endpoints included clinically meaningful IBDQ improvement (defined as an increase in total score of ≥16 points from baseline to Week 52), IBDQ remission (defined as a total score of >170 points at Week 52) and change from baseline in IBDQ-specific domain scores (bowel symptoms, systemic symptoms, emotional function, and social function) at Week 30 and Week 52. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and faecal calprotectin (FCP) were also assessed as indicators of disease activity. Among randomised patients, 383 (vedolizumab) and 386 (adalimumab) patients received ≥1 dose of study drug (N=769). At Week 52, clinically meaningful IBDQ improvement was observed in 52.0% (vedolizumab) vs. 42.2% (adalimumab) of patients (treatment difference 9.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7% to 16.7%), while IBDQ remission was achieved by 50.1% (vedolizumab) vs. 40.4% (adalimumab) of patients (treatment difference 9.6%; 95% CI, 2.8% to 16.5%). Mean (standard deviation [SD]) changes in IBDQ total score from baseline for observed cases favoured vedolizumab over adalimumab (Week 30: 61.3 [39.8] vs. 52.6 [42.8]; Week 52: 66.1 [41.8] vs. 60.4 [42.2]; Figure 1). IBDQ subscores showed similar favourable trends for vedolizumab (Figure 2). At Week 52, mean (SD) changes from baseline in CRP for patients treated with vedolizumab vs. adalimumab were –50.9 (174.8) nmol/l vs. –37.2 (169.2) nmol/l and for FCP were –2187.3 (7440.4) µg/g vs. –1846.6 (4560.6) µg/g (Figure 3). Among patients with FCP >250 µg/g at baseline, the proportion of patients achieving FCP ≤250 µg/g was 33.9% vs. 24.5% at Week 30 and 35.2% vs. 28.9% at Week 52 for patients treated with vedolizumab vs. adalimumab, respectively. Based on IBDQ total score and subscores, more patients with UC treated with vedolizumab than with adalimumab achieved clinically meaningful improvement and clinical remission. Reduced inflammation, as indicated by improvements in CRP and FCP, was consistent with improvements in QOL.