Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A guide for supply chain integration in SMEs

Supply chain integration (SCI) is a competitive business approach for enterprises that has not been implemented as widely as expected in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). One of the factors explaining this low level of application is the lack of methodologies to develop SCI that fit the characteristics of this type of enterprise. In this article, we present a methodology that enables SMEs to achieve correct SCI in a manner that is simple, straightforward and oriented towards their particular characteristics. Thus, SMEs will be able to align and coordinate the aims, resources, decisions, methods, business processes and employees involved in the supply chain. The methodology addresses the problem of SMEs SCI and it was produced by applying the case study research method to 30 industrial SMEs. The methodology is organised in phases and the activities to be performed, the techniques and supporting tools to be used, as well as the expected outcomes are all described for each phase. With this methodology, it becomes possible to overcome the main barriers that prevent SMEs from achieving a correct integration of their supply chains. In addition to the methodology, this article also outlines the significant benefits observed in the 30 enterprises as a result of its application.
Risk factors associated with mortality and survival of acute subdural hematoma: A retrospective study

Background: Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is mostly seen after head injury and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We studied the risk factors for ASDH and the effects of these factors on mortality as well as on survival with 100 cases from the rural area of Anatolia region. Materials and Methods: One-hundred cases of the ASDH that had been treated surgically between 2011 and 2014, at three different health-care centers from the rural area of Anatolia region, were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data of patients, etiology, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) on admission, survival, presence of comorbid disease, unilaterality or bilaterality of the hematoma, and length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and/or neurosurgery clinic were recorded from the patients’ files. Results: The total mortality rate was 34%. Age, etiology, GCS on admission, and laterality of the hematoma (unilateral or bilateral) affected the mortality rates (P = 0.005, P = 0.001, P = 0.001, and P = 0.001, respectively). Advanced age, low GCS on admission, and bilaterality of the hematoma were related with high mortality rates (P = 0.005, P = 0.001, and P = 0.001, respectively). The presence of comorbid disease and gender had no effect on patient survival (P = 0.299 and P = 0.861). Conclusion: The most important factors affecting the mortality rate were GCS on admission, etiology, age, and laterality of the hematoma in this study. Advanced age, low GCS on admission, and bilaterality of the hematoma were related with high mortality rates. Etiology had an important role in mortality rates, especially in the pedestrian injury group.
Identification of Underwater Vehicles for the Purpose of Autopilot Tuning

The chapter presents a methodology for identification of nonlinear mathematical models of underwater vehicles for the purpose of autopilot tuning. Open-loop methods are compared with a new self-oscillation approach. Vision-based laboratory apparatus was used to determine open-loop responses. The self-oscillation method is compared with the "zig-zag" experiment.
Modeling the Effects of the Local Environment on a Received GNSS Signal

Abstract : There is an ongoing need in the GNSS community for the development of high-fidelity simulators which generate data that replicates what can truly be expected from a challenging environment such as an urban canyon or an indoor environment. The algorithm developed for use in the research in this dissertation, the Signal Decomposition and Parameterization Algorithm (SDPA), is presented in order to respond to this need. This algorithm is designed to decompose a signal received using a GNSS recording and playback system and output parameters that can be used to reconstruct the effects on the signal of the environment local to the receiver at the time of recording. The SDPA itself is presented and compared with what is believed to be the state-of-the-art in GNSS multipath parameterization, a Space Alternating Generalized Expectation Maximization (SAGE) algorithm. The development and characterization of a stopping criteria that can be used to halt the SDPA when parameterization of salient components within a recorded signal has been completed.
Plant families exhibit unique geographic trends in C4 richness and cover in Australia

Numerous studies have analysed the relationship between C4 plant cover and climate. However, few have examined how different C4 taxa vary in their response to climate, or how environmental factors alter C4:C3 abundance. Here we investigate (a) how proportional C4 plant cover and richness (relative to C3) responds to changes in climate and local environmental factors, and (b) if this response is consistent among families. Proportional cover and richness of C4 species were determined at 541 one-hectare plots across Australia for 14 families. C4 cover and richness of the most common and abundant families were regressed against climate and local parameters. C4 richness and cover in the monocot families Poaceae and Cyperaceae increased with latitude and were strongly positively correlated with January temperatures, however C4 Cyperaceae occupied a more restricted temperature range. Seasonal rainfall, soil pH, soil texture, and tree cover modified proportional C4 cover in both families. Eudicot families displayed considerable variation in C4 distribution patterns. Proportional C4 Euphorbiaceae richness and cover were negatively correlated with increased moisture availability (i.e. high rainfall and low aridity), indicating they were more common in dry environments. Proportional C4 Chenopodiaceae richness and cover were weakly correlated with climate and local environmental factors, including soil texture. However, the explanatory power of C4 Chenopodiaceae models were poor, suggesting none of the factors considered in this study strongly influenced Chenopodiaceae distribution. Proportional C4 richness and cover in Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Portulacaceae increased with latitude, suggesting C4 cover and richness in these families increased with temperature and summer rainfall, but sample size was insufficient for regression analysis. Results demonstrate the unique relationships between different C4 taxa and climate, and the significant modifying effects of environmental factors on C4 distribution. Our work also revealed C4 families will not exhibit similar responses to local perturbations or climate.
Current mode charge pulse amplifier in CMOS technology for use with particle detectors

0This amplifier is intended to be part of the front-end of a larger read-out chip to be used with particle detectors. The demands of read-out electronics are low power, low noise and high speed. At the input a charge pulse of 25000 electrons (4fC) is applied to study the behaviour of the amplifier. The amplifier has a gain of /spl plusmn/12 mV/fC depending on the biasing condition, a peaking time of 35 ns and a power consumption of <500 /spl mu/W.
Fault tree analysis of bridge failure due to scour and channel instability

Fault tree analysis is a systematic method of analyzing events that lead to an undesirable event. Fault trees can be used to assess the probability of failure of a system (or top event), to compare design alternatives, to identify critical events that will significantly contribute to the occurrence of the top event, and to determine the sensitivity of the probability of failure of the top event to various contributions of basic events. In this paper, fault tree analysis is used to determine the probability of failure of a bridge caused by scour and other geomorphic channel instabilities. This analysis permits an examination of a very complex system of interactions and processes that are not well understood. Minimal knowledge regarding the actual processes of scour and channel instability is required for a fault tree analysis. Three examples of analyses for actual bridges are provided showing different combinations of scour (local and contraction) and geomorphic instabilities (channel widening and degradation) at both the abutments and piers. Riprap placed at the abutments for protection is also included in the analyses.
An investigation into the risk factors and management of rugby injuries in the greater Durban area

Objective: Majority of studies to date have focused on injury profiles and types of injuries in rugby, without looking at the risk factors associated and the management of these injuries. It was thus the aim of this study to determine the risk factors and management of rugby injuries in the greater Durban area. Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional based study, using a self-administered questionnaire, developed specifically for this research utilizing a focus group and pilot study. The questionnaire details a patient injury history, rugby history, resources, management, coaching and training parameters. Letters of informed consent and the questionnaire were distributed to 300 players / coaches for completion and data was analysed using Pearson’s correlation and t-tests. Results: A response rate of 70% (n=210) was achieved. Selected risk factors were found to be significantly related to current and / or previous injury. New risk factors which did significantly impact injury, were also determined. Conclusion: It is advised that coaches and players take note of significant injury risk factors and management protocols in order to improve player health and decrease injury risk. Further research may look into the factors identified in order to set up better structures in order to prevent further injuries.
Bicycle infrastructure: can good design encourage cycling?

This research posits the question that good design of the bicycle infrastructure in a city will encourage more people to cycle. Research is carried out to compare the cycle infrastructure in selected European cities against an adapted Level of Service concept using accompanied ride-alongs. The literature review on the factors that encourage/dissuade cycle use suggests that it is the potential rider’s perceptions on the safety of cycling in their neighbourhood that is the deciding feature. Moreover, the literature review showed that contextual factors such as whether the actual infrastructure meets the needs of different cyclists are relatively under-researched. Six case study cities were selected (Edinburgh, Cambridge, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht) and compared on a range of factors by the riders including the coherence, directness, attractiveness, safety and comfort of the network. A cycle infrastructure scoring system was derived from the cycling research literature and the research was carried out by the researcher, an experienced cyclist, accompanied by an inexperienced cyclist. Using this research, the article makes several recommendations for improving and enhancing existing cycle infrastructure provision.
Association of Single-nucleotide Polymorphisms rs2243250 of IL4 gene in Diabetes Type 1 Patients with Acute Tonsillitis

Diabetes mellitus type 1 one of diseases which is a difficult metabolism condition, it is characterize high level of glucose in of the human blood stream and is a consider prolonged autoimmune disease alignment sever inflammatory factor. The newest studies reveal that innate immunity high role in diabetes type1. The samples in this study consist of (135) Iraqi male with diabetes type 1 with acute tonsillitis in three group (G1: 4-18 years, G2: 11-18 years and control) all samples diagnosed by biochemical methods added to the clinical method. Alleles were determined by amplification of the polymorphic site by real time polymerase chain reaction. The result of genotyping study of rs2243250 of IL4 revealed that the T allele frequency showed (0.42 %), (0.41%) and (0.69%) in groups G1,G2, control respectively, while the result revealed that the allele frequency C in groups G1,G2, control was (0.58%), (0.59%) and (0.31%) respectively. The study can be concluded that the genetic variation of rs2243250 of IL4 gene was associated with diabetes mellitus type1 comparison in control (healthy women) in Iraqi men.
Effects of Roadway Visibility on Steering Errors While Driving in Blowing Snow

Simulations of driving over a randomly-textured ground plane produce systematic steering errors when falling snow moves orthogonally to the driver's path (Dyre & Lew, 2005). Here, we examined whether these errors are mitigated by either high- or low-visibility roadways. Drivers viewed simulations of driving across a ground plane while snow moved at different speeds orthogonal to the initial direction of movement, which varies the angular distance between the focus of expansion (FOE) defined by the snow and the FOE defined by the environment. Drivers were instructed to steer such that they maintained a straight path relative to the ground. Three roadway visibility conditions were examined: no visible roadway, low-visibility roadway, and high-visibility roadway. Errors in steering and maintenance of lane position were related to the angular distance between the FOE for all roadway visibility conditions, although the magnitude of the errors lessened when low- and high-visibility roadways were present.
A Study of Headway Maintenance for Bus Routes: Causes and Effects of “Bus Bunching” in Extensive and Congested Service Areas

A healthy and efficient public transit system is indispensable to reduce congestion, emissions, energy consumption, and car dependency in urban areas. The objective of this research is to 1) develop methods to evaluate and visualize bus service reliability for transit agencies in various temporal and spatial aggregation levels; 2) identify the recurrent unreliability trends of bus routes (focusing on high-frequency service periods) and understand their characteristics, causes and effects; and 3) model service times using linear regression models. This research utilized six months of archived automatic vehicle location (AVL) and automatic passenger count (APC) data from a low-performance route (Route 15) of TriMet, the public transit provider in the Portland metropolitan area. Route 15 has experienced difficulties in terms of schedule adherence and headway regularity. This research developed methods to summarize causes of bus bunching. The authors first determined the frequency of each cause (expressed as percentages) meeting pre-determined thresholds. Next, they performed a sensitivity analysis to demonstrate how cause percentage results change using varying difficulty levels of bus bunching thresholds. Finally, the authors investigated how cause percentage results vary spatially along different route segments. This research also developed novel ways to summarize and visualize vast amounts of bus route operations data in an insightful and intuitive manner: 1) a route/stop level visualization performance measure framework using color contour diagrams and 2) a dynamic interactive bus monitoring visualization framework based on a Google Maps platform. Visualizations proposed in this study can aid transit agency managers and operators to identify operational problems and better understand how such problems propagate spatially and temporally across routes. Finally, regression models were estimated to understand the key factors impacting dwell and travel times.
Estimation of Raindrop Size Distribution Parameters Using Lightning Data over West Sumatra

In situ observations of raindrop size distributions (DSDs) are still limited, especially in the tropics. Therefore, this study develops an alternative method to calculate DSD parameters by utilizing lightning data from the World-Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) observation. DSD data was obtained from Parsivel's observations in the equatorial regions of Indonesia, i.e., Kototabang (100.32◦E, 0.20◦S, 865 m above mean sea level/ASL), Padang (100.46°E, 0.915°S, 200 m ASL), and Sicincin (100.30°E, 0.546°S, 134 m ASL). A gamma distribution parameterized the DSD. Three analysis domains were examined, with a grid of 0.1° x 0.1°, 0.5° x 0.5°, and 1° x 1°. We examined the possibility to calculate the near-instantaneous DSD parameter, so three short time intervals, namely, one, five and ten minutes, were used. The results showed that the number of lightning strokes does not adequately correlate with DSD parameters. This is observed in all time intervals and analysis domains. Thus, the use of lightning data to calculate DSD parameters is not possible for short time interval of DSD (near instantaneous DSD). However, lightning data can estimate the average DSD parameters for an average time of more than one hour, as recommended by previous studies.
Factors Influencing Perception of Work-Related Upper Limbs Disorders (WRULDs) among Malaysian Women Assembly Workers

Introduction: This paper attempts to discuss the contributions of individual factors toward the perception of Work Related Upper Limbs Disorders (WURLDs) among women assembly workers in a multi-national company producing latex products, based in Malaysia. Methods: A sample of 250 respondents have been selected to participate in this study. The methodology employed was developed from the risk management paradigm for the assessment, reduction and prevention of work-related stress. Repetitive work tasks in the factory environment were evaluated using a check list provided by Health and Safety Executive (UK). A questionnaire was designed, based on the information gathered from the focus group discussions and distributed to a sample of all assembly workers available at a particular time. Perception of physical pain was measured using the diagrammatical questionnaire in the form of a mannequin. Well-being was measured using the General Well-being Questionnaire (GWBQ). Pearson Correlation and Linear Regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between workers’ background and the experience of physical pain. Results: Findings from the analyses show that age as well as education background is highly correlated with the experience of worn out hence resulting in report of pain among these workers. Conclusion: The paper exposes the implications of these findings for the design and management of such assembly work in Malaysia.
A note on the adaptive optimal control of ion accelerator facilities

The thrust of this study is primarily toward the realization of automatic control of the accelerator facility by employing modern control theory. In general, the study's aim is solving the control problems of slowly varying parameters along with the general control of an accelerator facility. For improving the dynamic properties and monitoring functions locally and immediately, it is better to use feedback circuits directly. The optimal control presented is a dynamical optimization problem. >
Ultra-wideband L-band EDFA using phosphorus co-doped silica-fiber

We have newly developed an L-band EDFA using phosphorus co-doped silica-based fiber. A 3dB bandwidth of 50.2 nm was achieved for single-stage operation in the wavelength range from 1564.4 to 1614.6 nm. In addition, the concatenated characteristics were evaluated through the loop transmission experiments, and we found that more than 40.6 nm bandwidth was achievable in the wavelength range from 1567.0 to 1607.6 nm after 4000 km transmission, which corresponds to 120 concatenations. This bandwidth was more than 8 nm larger than that of the conventional silica-based L-band EDFAs.
Energy savings and improved precision with adjustable hydrodynamic bearings

For over 40 years, organizations in the USA and Europe have postulated that savings of billions of dollars could be available with improved practices in lubrication research, education and application. Such initiatives were presented when concerns over energy use and global warming were not the mainstream topics they are today. This paper outlines some of these claims and discusses developments in hydrodynamic journal bearings that address the issues, deliberately or otherwise. In particular, work done by the author and colleagues, and other groups internationally, have shown that the concept of pro-actively adjustable bearings offers both improved energy efficiency and greater precision of location. These aspects are especially advantageous in long running applications in terms of saving energy, and at lighter loads where conventional fluid film bearings are prone to instability. The centre of rotation position can also be maintained, or moved as desired, irrespective of loads or changes in load.
Trees Talk Tremor—Wood Anatomy and δ13C Content Reveal Contrasting Tree‐Growth Responses to Earthquakes

Large earthquakes can increase the amount of water feeding stream flows, raise groundwater levels, and thus grant plant roots more access to water in water‐limited environments. We examine growth and photosynthetic responses of Pine plantations to the Maule Mw 8.8 earthquake in headwater catchments of Chile's Coastal Range. We combine high‐resolution wood anatomic (lumen area) and biogeochemical ( δ13C of wood cellulose) proxies of daily to weekly tree growth sampled from trees on floodplains and close to ridge lines. We find that, immediately after the earthquake, at least two out of six tree trees on valley floors had increased lumen area and decreased δ13C , while trees on hillslopes had a reverse trend. Our results indicate a control of soil water on this response, largely consistent with models that predict how enhanced postseismic vertical soil permeability causes groundwater levels to rise on valley floors, but fall along the ridges. Statistical analysis with boosted regression trees indicates that streamflow discharge gained predictive importance for photosynthetic activity on the ridges, but lost importance on the valley floor after the earthquake. We infer that earthquakes may stimulate ecohydrological conditions favoring tree growth over days to weeks by triggering stomatal opening. The weak and short‐lived signals that we identified, however, show that such responses are only valid under water‐limited, rather than energy‐limited tree, growth. Hence, dendrochronological studies targeted at annual resolution may overlook some earthquake effects on tree vitality.
Using building adaptation to deliver sustainability in Australia

Purpose – This paper seeks to establish the rationale for existing office building adaptation within Melbourne, Australia, as the city strives to become carbon neutral by 2020. The problems faced by policy makers to determine which buildings have the optimum adaptation potential are to be identified and discussed.Design/methodology/approach – This research adopts the approach of creating a database of all the buildings in the Melbourne CBD including details of physical, social, economic and technological attributes. This approach will determine whether relationships exist between attributes and the frequency of building adaptation or whether triggers to adaptation can be determined.Findings – This research provided evidence that a much faster rate of office building adaptation is necessary to meet the targets already set for carbon neutrality. The findings demonstrate that a retrospective comprehensive examination of previous adaptation in the CBD is a unique and original approach to determining the build.