Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimating daily pan evaporation with artificial neural networks

Daily pan evaporation has been shown to be an important variable in making crop management decisions and in modeling crop response to weather conditions. However, daily pan evaporation is difficult to measure accurately and consistently over longer time periods. The objective of this research was to develop artificial neural network (ANN) models to estimate daily pan evaporation using measured weather variables as inputs. Weather data from Rome, Plains, and Watkinsville, Georgia, consisting of 2044 daily records from 1992 to 1996 were used to develop the models of daily pan evaporation. Additional weather data from these locations, which included 720 daily records from 1997 and 1998, served as an independent evaluation data set for the models. The measured variables included daily observations of rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed. Daily pan evaporation was also estimated using multiple linear regression and the Priestley-Taylor method and was compared to the results of the ANN models. The ANN model of daily pan evaporation with all available variables as inputs was the most accurate model delivering an r 2 of 0.717 and a root mean square error of 1.11 mm for the independent evaluation data set. ANN models were developed with some of the observed variables eliminated to correspond to different levels of data collection as well as for minimal data sets. The accuracy of the models was reduced considerably when variables were eliminated to correspond with National Weather Service cooperative weather stations. Pan evaporation estimated with ANN models was slightly more accurate than pan evaporation estimated with a multiple linear regression model or the Priestley-Taylor equation. Future efforts will focus on the inclusion of the ANN model as part of the quality control procedure to estimate missing pan evaporation data of the automated weather station network.
Performance of a FPGA-based Direct Digitising Signal Measurement module for MIT

A novel MIT Direct Digitising Signal Measurement (DDSM) module has been developed aiming to replace the centralised NI PXI system and PC processing of the Cardiff Mk2 MIT system, thus offering potentially faster measurement cycles. The proposed module replaces the signal acquisition and offers local processing. The core of the system is a Xilinx Spartan-3 FPGA, paired with a dual 14-bit ADC capable of 120 MS/s. The FPGA provides a flexible and fast platform for data acquisition and processing. The phase is measured using a two channel phase sensitive detection via I/Q demodulation. Built-in averaging reduces the data to a single signal period of 12 samples before multiplying and accumulating the data with the I/Q signals. The system provides the I/Q values for both channels directly, eliminating the long download and processing times required by the centralised NI PXI system currently used in the Cardiff Mk2 MIT system. The module acquires both the measurement and the reference signal and has a phase noise as low as 7.5m° using a measurement time constant of 6ms. The phase drift over 6 hours is considerable at 119m°. Details of the module, circuits and algorithms employed are provided as are the results of the performance measurements.
Making and Maintaining the Subject in Call Center Work

This article reports an ethnographic study of call center work. Analytics are applied enabling study of relations between power and subjectivity. Findings indicate that organizational truth claims about workers are produced in a constellation of architectural, technological and managerial apparatuses. Workers orient to and reify the power of these claims, even when resisting.
A Techno-Economic Analysis of Wind Energy in Southern Turkey

Turkey's total primary energy production covered 33% of the total energy consumption in 2005. It is predicted that this ratio of 33% will decrease further in the coming years. Therefore, Turkey has to make better use of her renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar. Studies show that Iskenderun (36.35°N, 36.10°E), located on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, is amongst the possible wind energy generation regions. In the present study, the wind energy potential of the region is statistically analysed based on five year hourly time-series wind-speed data at two different wind-turbine heights. Economically usable power generation is hypothetically analysed for various wind turbines employing a typical year, using a model of quadratic power output function. A life-cycle cost analysis is carried out over a 20-year system lifetime. The wind turbine generators considered are of various nominal powers ranging from 0.6 to 500 kW. It was shown that the wind turbine with the nominal power of 500 kW provided the lowest cost of electricity at $0.15 per kWh. This is very close to $0.13, which is the cost of electricity per kWh from the utility in Turkey. The cost of wind electricity per kWh can be significantly reduced if the components of wind energy systems were exempted from taxes and subsidies were introduced.
Zero-sum and frontier trade-offs: an investigation on compromises and compatibilities amongst manufacturing capabilities

This paper examines well-accepted methodologies and rationales used to assert the presence/absence of trade-offs and compatibilities between manufacturing capabilities, and comparisons are made with respect to more recent theoretical developments. By means of a detailed analysis of a representative framework, important limitations and inconsistencies are identified. The proposal for the existence of zero-sum and frontier trade-offs intends to resolve some of those issues. Generally speaking, zero-sum trade-offs are identified by a statistically significant and negative correlation. On the other hand, frontier trade-offs are predicted to be observed after some level of compatibility between different capabilities is achieved. This means that, apart from widely-used probabilistic methodologies such as linear regression/correlation analysis, subsequent deterministic approaches and rationales need to be applied in order to acknowledge the potential existence of frontier trade-offs. These and other implications are discussed in light of previous studies, and suggestions for future research are offered.
Thermal and Hygric Parameters of Carbon-fiber-reinforced Cement Composites after Thermal and Mechanical Loading

The basic thermal and hygric parameters of two different types of carbon-fiber-reinforced cement composites are analyzed in this article. The thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, moisture diffusivity, and water vapor diffusion resistance factor are determined as functions of thermal load and tensile load applied before the measurement as well as of the combination of both types of load. The tensile load up to failure is found to be not a very significant factor for all material properties analyzed except for the moisture diffusivity. On the other hand, the thermal load is observed to result already at 600 C in considerable changes in all investigated thermal and hygric properties except for the specific heat capacity. The combinations of thermal and tensile loads lead to similar results as the effect of the thermal load alone so that the domination of the thermal load is apparent. This is supposed to be due to the positive effect of randomly distributed carbon fibers that can reduce the damage of the pore structure by the tensile stress. The resistance of the materials studied to high temperatures expressed by the change of hygric and thermal properties after thermal load is found to be positively affected by the application of the high alumina cement and in the case of the Portland cement-based composite also by using the autoclaving procedure in the production process.
Confinement Effects on the Swirling Flow of a Counter-Rotating Swirl Cup

Gas turbine combustor’s performance, emissions, operability, liner and dome temperature levels and gradients are affected by the degree of confinement expressed indirectly by the dome reference velocity. An experimental investigation was therefore undertaken to characterize the aerodynamic characteristics of non-reacting swirling flow generated by a counter-rotating swirl cup as affected by the test section dimensions. A two-component Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) system was used to measure the mean velocity components and Reynolds stresses of the flowfield generated by the swirl cup installed in 8 square box test sections with width of 3.0, 4.0, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 5.0, and 6.0 inch, in addition to unconfined flow. Measurements were carried out at fourteen axial distances ranging from 3 to 250 mm downstream of the flare exit, and the radial profiles are obtained through 2 mm intervals. Detailed experimental data are provided to improve mechanistic understanding of the swirl cup generated flowfield as impacted by the ratio of the test section cross-section to the mixer’s effective area. The benchmark quality data are planned for validating the state-of-the-art numerical models in addition more advanced LES approach.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Does Short-Term International Immersion have a Sustainable Impact on Teachers’ Cultural Competence? Follow-up Interviews Eight Years After a Teaching Experience in South Korea

This qualitative study was conducted with teacher candidates studying in a Masters program at a university on the west coast in the United States. The main goal was to capture if immersion in a foreign culture and the short-term teaching of primary and secondary school students in South Korea had any sustainable impact on the participating teachers’ perception of their cultural knowledge, competence, and awareness almost a decade after their immersion experience. The researchers interviewed four teachers who had participated in one of two immersion projects conducted in 2010 and 2011. A questionnaire on teachers’ self-efficacy regarding culturally responsive teaching (modified from Chu & Garcia, 2014) was administered prior to the interview giving the participants a tool to reflect on what it means to be a culturally responsive teacher and to self-assess their own cultural competence and teaching practices. Four themes emerged from the interviews, namely, perspective-taking ability, relationships, teaching strategies, and cultural knowledge. The findings indicate that international immersion not only offers an effective way for pre-service teachers to receive intercultural training. It also has the potential to create transformative learning experiences by immersing students in cultural contexts unfamiliar to them. The findings from this study will be interesting to teacher educators who consider integrating international immersion projects into their teacher education programs.
Water‐Availability Assessment and Corresponding Public‐Health Implications for a Rural Area in Nigeria

This paper presents a case study which describes water‐availability problems and corresponding public‐health implications for a rural area in Nigeria. A water‐availability assessment was carried out in eight villages which are controlled by the Jalingo Local Government of Taraba State. Questionnaires were used to obtain data from sixty households (approximately 650 participants) concerning issues of water‐supply sources, water quantity, water quality and community participation in water‐resources projects. It was found that (i) community well water is the major source of water, (ii) 35% of the inhabitants depend on well water during the wet season, and (iii) 69% depend on it during the dry season. About 80% of the households have access to less than 30 litres of water per person per day and, because of low water availability, there is a prevalence of water‐related diseases.
Dynamics of in-plane arch rocking: an energy approach

This study employs an analytical model to describe the rocking response of a masonry arch to in-plane seismic loading. Through evaluation of the rate of energy input to the system, the model reveals the ground motions that cause maximum rocking amplification. An experimental investigation of small-scale masonry arches subjected to past earthquake time histories is used to evaluate the analytical model and to explore arch rocking behaviour. The results demonstrate that rocking amplification can occur, but is highly sensitive to slight variations in the ground motion. Thus, the accuracy to which the arch response can be predicted is brought into perspective. The concept that the primary impulse of an expected ground motion is fundamentally important in predicting arch collapse is evaluated in light of the developed energy approach. Finally, a statistical method is proposed for predicting the probability of arch collapse during seismic loading.
Predicting sleep quality from brain white matter volume: A voxel-based morphometry study

Most previous studies have explored the relationship between gray matter volume and sleep quality, but little is known about the relationship between white matter volume and sleep quality. Data were collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and voxel-based morphometry among 352 healthy college students. Results showed that the global PSQI score was negatively associated with the white matter volume, including in the right middle occipital gyrus, the left superior temporal gyrus, the right the precentral gyrus, the left supramarginal gyrus, the left middle frontal gyrus, the left precunes, and the right superior frontal gyrus. Results also indicated that the white matter volume in specific regions negatively predicted the factor of PSQI. These specific brain regions may be replicated in brain areas related to sleep quality. In summary, we suggested that an investigation of white matter structural alterations in the specific regions might be beneficial to tackle underlying neurological mechanisms of sleep quality.
Domestics Customers’ Satisfaction towards Airbnb Provider

This study investigates factors contributing to Airbnb customers’ satisfaction towards property hosts in terms of amenities provided and host-interaction. Airbnb provides personalized experiences and bring out the best of hospitality and to best of the researchers’ knowledge, there is lack of empirical research on satisfaction between local customers and Airbnb hosts. Social media platform was used to distribute a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, specifically to those who have experienced using Airbnb. A non-probability sampling of convenience and snow-balling method was utilised, and most respondents were leisure travellers. Gathered data were analysed using reliability test, descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and hypotheses analysis testing (regression). Results show that minimal law and regulations imposed by hosts; their helpfulness, friendliness and interaction through social media are among factors causing customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, in terms of amenities, a proper lock of each door is considered important, superseding the availability of Wi-Fi and the Internet. However, hypotheses show no significant relationship between hosts’ interactions towards customers’ satisfaction, while there is a significant relationship between amenities provided by the hosts towards customers’ satisfaction. The information obtained is useful, especially when current travel bubble only allows domestic movement, and it is expected that Airbnb would be one domestic travellers’ choice.
Congestive Heart Failure 30-Day Readmission: Descriptive Study of Demographics, Co-morbidities, Heart Failure Knowledge, and Self-Care

Background Congestive heart failure (CHF) readmissions are associated with substantial financial and medical implications. We performed a descriptive study to determine demographic, clinical, and behavioral factors associated with 30-day readmission. Materials and methods Patients hospitalized with CHF at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI, from March 2019-May 2019 were studied. Response to heart failure knowledge and self-care questionnaires along with the patients’ demographic and clinical factors were collected. Thirty-day readmission to any of the eight hospitals in the Beaumont Health System was documented. Results One-hundred ninety-six (196) patients were included. The all-cause 30-day readmission rate was 23%. A numerical higher rate of readmissions was observed among males (23.7% vs 22.2%), current smokers (27.3% vs 22.9%), and patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD; 28.9% vs 21.2%), diabetes mellitus (DM; 26.4% vs 18.9%), hypertension (HTN; 26.4% vs 10%), coronary artery disease (CAD; 24.6% vs 19%), and prior history of cerebrovascular accident (CVA; 28.9% vs 21.2%) (p>0.05). Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was associated with higher readmissions (24.4% vs 20.5%, p=0.801). Patients with the highest reported questionnaire scores corresponding to better heart failure knowledge and self-care behaviors at home were readmitted at a similar rate compared to those scoring in the lowest interval (25%, p=0.681). Conclusion Though statistically insignificant due to the limitations of sample size, a higher percentage of readmissions was observed in male patients, current smokers, reduced LVEF, and higher comorbidity burden. Better reported patient self-care behavior, medication compliance, and heart failure knowledge did not correlate with reduced readmission rates. While the impact of medical comorbidities on 30-day readmissions is better established, the role of socioeconomic factors remains unclear and might suggest a focus for future work.
Flow separation impacts on the hydrodynamic performance analysis of a marine current turbine using CFD

Although there are different strategies to control the operation of marine turbines, the so-called ‘stall-regulated strategy’ is one of the most widely used and mature control strategies. Since the stall phenomenon is closely related to flow separation around the turbine blades the treatment of this separation requires great care during the design and performance analysis of turbines when using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This study investigates appropriate methodologies and approaches to simulate the hydrodynamic performance of horizontal marine turbines with a specific emphasis on the flow separation phenomena. The well-known viscous flow solver ANSYS-CFX was employed as the main CFD code to predict the power extraction coefficient of these turbines. The investigations were carried out by using both numerical and experimental methods applied on tidal stream turbine models tested in the Emerson Cavitation Tunnel of Newcastle University, UK and the circulating water channel of Harbin Institute of Technology, China. The measured power extraction coefficients generally agreed well with the numerically predicted ones except for one of the models with the lower pitch angle which displayed large discrepancies over the entire operating range. The detailed flow analyses from the CFD studies with this turbine and other model at higher pitch angles revealed that large-scale detached vortices developed downstream of the model with the lower pitch angle may have contributed to this large discrepancy. The study therefore draws attention to the importance of the combined use of the CFD and model test-based approaches in the design and performance analysis of marine turbines.
On the (Ir)Relevance of Monetary Incentives in Risk Preference Elicitation Experiments

Incentivized experiments in which individuals receive monetary rewards according to the outcomes of their decisions are regarded as the gold standard for preference elicitation in experimental economics. These task-related real payments are considered necessary to reveal subjects’ “true preferences”. Using a systematic, large-sample approach with three subject pools of private investors, professional investors, and students, we test the e ↵ ect of task-related monetary incentives on risk preferences elicited in four standard experimental tasks. We ﬁnd no systematic di ↵ erences in behavior between subjects in the incentivized and non-incentivized regimes. We discuss implications for academic research and for applications in the ﬁeld.
Mapping stakeholders’ cultural learning in the hospital briefing process

In the context of a major hospital redevelopment project, briefing is conceived as an organic and cyclical process of cultural learning whereby project and hospital representatives gradually converge upon a shared meaning of each other’s values, beliefs and needs over time. Using a comparative cause mapping that draws on a case study approach and interviews, it was found that the clinicians’ understanding of the key cultural concepts differed significantly from all other groups and that clinicians’ ability to influence hospital design outcomes is constrained by their relative social marginalization in the briefing process. It follows that hospital facilities would better meet client needs if the briefing process is managed as a process through which project participants interact to socially construct a common understanding of project objectives and requirements; and if knowledge about facility requirements is not merely ‘given’ information but is the result of cultural learning involving social processes among the briefing participants.
Bitumen Sliding Joints for Friction Elimination in Footing Bottom

Use of a sliding joint is an effective method to decrease the stress in foundation structure where there is a horizontal deformation of subsoil (areas afflicted with underground mining) or horizontal deformation of a foundation structure (pre-stressed foundations, creep, shrinkage, temperature deformation). A convenient material for a sliding joint is a bitumen asphalt belt. Experiments for different types of bitumen belts were undertaken at the Faculty of Civil Engineering - VSB Technical University of Ostrava in 2008. Since 2011 an extension of the 2008 experiments has been in progress and the shear resistance of a slide joint is being tested as a function of temperature in a temperature controlled room. In this paper experimental results of temperature dependant shear resistance are presented. The result of the experiments should be the sliding joint shear resistance as a function of deformation velocity and temperature. This relationship is used for numerical analysis of stress/strain relation between foundation structure and subsoil.
Customer Service as a Tool for an Effective Customer Retention in Camtel South-West Region of Cameroon: An Analysis from Customer’s View

In the 21st century, business organisations are becoming increasingly customer oriented. In that perspective, customer retention has become a key relationship marketing concept related to developing and preserving a long lasting relationship with customers (Boora, 2017). In the telecommunication industry, the power has clearly shifted to the consumers. Never before have the barriers to switching telecommunication providers been so low. While loyalty tends to be high among older consumers, younger consumers are accustomed to continuously shopping around for the best offers. According to global consulting firm, Accenture, the steady increase in customer churn rates is being driven by several factors, including equipment envy, flexible pricing plans, customer service, network performance, and number portability. Customer churn among cable and telecommunications companies is projected to cost organisations up to $10 billion annually worldwide.