Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MEASURING STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS UNIVERSITY SELECTION: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION ON MALAYSIAN POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

Different higher learning institutions in Malaysia offer variety of courses for the students. However, selection of the institute varied considering the different influencing factors. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence the students in selecting their higher learning programs in various higher learning institutions in Malaysia. The research is based on primary data collection approach. For this purpose, a survey using self-administered questionnaires was carried out by using cluster-sampling technique. Total 300 questionnaires were distributed and 145 found to be valid for further analysis. The collected data were then analyzed and discussed by statistical techniques-descriptive statistics and ANOVA tests. It has been observed from the outcome that university teaching quality is the most important factor that influences a student in selection of his/her higher learning institution followed by university facilities, program structure and accreditation, campus facilities. This study has also found that high standard teaching influences the student interest followed by knowledgeable faculty, helpful academic staffs and knowledgeable admission staffs. This study has explored that amongst the various races in Malaysia, Malay students prefer the local universities than the other races. To end with, this study has suggested that, on perception, a proper policy may go a long way to increase the quality of teaching with the improvement of other related facilities that will help the university in attracting new students in the future.
Cultures of innovation among chemical, civil, and mechanical engineering students: A qualitative study

Innovation has received particular emphasis in engineering education due to implications of global challenges, diverse human needs, and economic competitiveness. As such, many instructors explore new methods to help engineering students develop innovation-related competencies and researchers seek to understand how students connect with and learn about innovation. This study adds to that growing knowledge base by investigating the ways engineering students in different disciplines view and approach engineering innovation. Nine students in chemical, civil, and mechanical engineering participated in a two-hour laboratory protocol consisting of an idea generation task, a process mapping task, and a semi-structured interview. This qualitative study used a multiple case analysis approach to compare student perspectives in each discipline. Analysis revealed that students in each discipline demonstrated different perspectives along nine aspects of innovation: context, criteria, stakeholder involvement, teamwork, design process, iteration, knowledge, challenges, and personal motivation. These differences link to core aspects of each discipline. Since a qualitative approach with a localized sample was used, this work does not explain all differences or the extent to which they manifest, but this paper contributes to an emerging understanding of how work in different engineering disciplines can connect with innovation from a student perspective.
Distribution and connections of inspiratory premotor neurons in the brainstem of the pigeon (Columba livia)

We have recorded extracellular, inspiratory‐related (IR) unit activity in the medulla at locations corresponding to those of neurons retrogradely labeled by injections of retrograde tracers in the lower brachial and upper thoracic spinal cord, injections that covered cell bodies and dendrites of motoneurons innervating inspiratory muscles. Bulbospinal neurons were distributed throughout the dorsomedial and ventrolateral medulla, from the spinomedullary junction through about 0.8 mm rostral to the obex. Almost all of the 104 IR units recorded were located in corresponding parts of the ventrolateral medulla, rostral to nucleus retroambigualis, where expiratory related units are found. Injections of biotinylated dextran amine at the recording sites labeled projections both to the spinal cord and to the brainstem. In the lower brachial and upper thoracic spinal cord, bulbospinal axons traveled predominantly in the contralateral dorsolateral funiculus and terminated in close relation to the dendrites of inspiratory motoneurons retrogradely labeled with cholera toxin B‐chain. In the brainstem, there were predominantly ipsilateral projections to the nucleus retroambigualis, tracheosyringeal motor nucleus (XIIts), ventrolateral nucleus of the rostral medulla, infraolivary superior nucleus, ventrolateral parabrachial nucleus, and dorsomedial nucleus of the intercollicular complex. In all these nuclei, except XIIts, retrogradely labeled neurons were also found, indicating reciprocity of the connections.
THERMAL RELAXATION OF NON-EQUILIBRIUM ELECTRONS IN NANOWIRES

A Wigner function model of early time carrierphonon dynamics of non-equilibrium carriers confined in nanowire is explored. The presented simulation results reveal effects of collisional broadening, retardation, ultrafast spatial transfer and the intracollisional field effect. These effects characterize thermal relaxation processes which are beyond the Boltzmann assumptions for temporal and spatial locality of scattering.
Institutions for water resources management in North Canterbury: a case study

ion from groundwater or river sources for reasonable domestic use does not require a water right. All commercial and industrial users, and all local authorities supplying water for residential (domestic) use require a water right. Local authorities around Christchurch who pump from groundwater would be concerned about agricultural development projects which could affect the quality of the water they distribute.
Improved Channel Estimation for MIMO Interference Cancellation

In this letter, a jamming resilient communication technique for unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) is proposed. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) interference cancellation is exploited to combat reactive jamming. An improved channel estimation algorithm based on Kalman filter and basis expansion model (BEM) is used to track the quick changes of the combined channel components. Simulation results show that the performance of the proposed technique is significantly better than the existing jamming resilient communication technique.
Analytical performance, reference values and decision limits. A need to differentiate between reference intervals and decision limits and to define analytical quality specifications

Abstract With the increasing use of decision limits (action limits, cut-off points) specified for a number of analytical components in diagnosis and for action in critical situations, formulated in national or international recommendations, the traditional interpretation of reference intervals has been uncertain, and sometimes the two concepts are being mixed up by incorporating risk calculations in the reference intervals. There is, therefore, a need to clarify the two concepts and to keep them definitely separated. Reference intervals are the 95% limits for the descriptions of the distributions of the values of analytical components measured on reference samples from reference individuals. Decision limits are based on guidelines from national and international expert groups defining specific concentrations of certain components as limits for decision about diagnosis or well-defined specific actions. Analytical quality specifications for reference intervals have been defined for bias since the 1990s, but in the recommendations specified in the clinical guidelines analytical quality specifications are only scarcely defined. The demands for negligible biases are, however, even more essential for decision limits, as the choice is no longer left to the clinician, but emerge directly from the concentration. Even a small bias will change the number of diseased individuals, so the demands for negligible biases are obvious. A view over the analytical quality as published gives a variable picture of bias for many components, but with many examples of considerable bias which must be critical – yet no specifications have been stipulated until now.
Whose Money is Smart? Mutual Fund Purchases of Private Investors

This paper contributes to the growing body of literature on mutual fund purchasing decisions, smart investment decision making and household finance. By using administrative data allowing for an empirical analysis on investor-specific level we derive three key findings. First, it is shown that lacking investor sophistication is the dominant driver preventing investors from chasing historical performance. Second, we find that smart investment decisions are made by investors that are older, more experienced, wealthier and less overconfident. Financial advice only improves fund selection if initial charges are not taken into account. Third, evidence on the economic impact of smart decision making is provided, pointing out that smart investor realizes an on average 127bp higher portfolio return per year.
Autonomous landing on a moving car with unmanned aerial vehicle

This paper presents an implementation of a system that is autonomously able to find, follow and land on a car moving at 15 km/h. Our solution consists of two parts, the image processing for fast onboard detection of landing platform and the Model Predictive Control tracker for trajectory planning and control. This approach is fully autonomous using only the onboard computer and onboard sensors with differential GPS. Besides the description of the solution, we also present experimental results obtained at MBZIRC 2017 international competition.
Selling Time and Selling Price: The Impact of Seller Motivation

This study considers the role that seller motivation plays in determining sales price and selling time. We find that sale prices are directly related to the estimated value of the property and to the amount of over-pricing, which is directly related to the seller's level of motivation. Further, a seller who has a planned date to move will over-price less (set lower list prices relative to market value) and sell more quickly than a seller with no definite move date. A seller who is willing to move later will over-price more and sell more slowly than a seller who wants to move sooner.
Physical activity: Health impact, prevalence, correlates and interventions

Objective: To provide a broad overview of the state of physical activity (PA) research in the form of (1) definitions of PA, (2) health benefits, (3) prevalence, (4) correlates and (5) interventions. Design: A high-level overview of published reviews of the literature. Results: Regular PA is an effective primary and secondary preventative strategy against at least 25 chronic medical conditions with risk reduction typically in the 20–30% range. While approximately 75% of adults meet recommended PA guidelines, the prevalence is slightly lower for women compared to men, and considerably lower for youth, older adults and those in higher income countries. Motivation, self-efficacy and self-regulation remain consistent correlates of PA. Interventions show PA changes in the small effect size range for adults and youth but the heterogeneity is considerable across studies. Only a few (aggregate of behavioural regulation strategies, supervision, high frequency of contact) reliable moderators of intervention success were identified across study quality, sample characteristics, theory/behaviour change techniques and delivery modes/settings. Conclusion: PA research should continue to examine the mechanisms causing health outcomes, the dose that can lead to clinically relevant changes in health status, the scope and validity of PA surveillance and innovative behaviour change techniques, while improving the reach and duration of PA interventions.
Factors Predicting Pain Reduction in Chronic Back and Neck Pain After Multimodal Treatment

Objectives:To determine whether treatment related pain reduction on the short- and long-term is predicted by different baseline variables, and with different accuracy, in patients with chronic low back pain as compared with those with chronic neck pain. Design and Methods:A single blinded prospective cohort study based on patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain in the lower back (N = 167) or the neck (N = 136) who completed a 4-week multimodal rehabilitation program. At admission, each patient was evaluated on 17 potential predictors, including pain characteristics and physical, sociodemographic, and psychosocial-behavioral variables. Changes in self-reported pain intensity in the lower back or the neck between the pretreatment evaluation and those performed immediately after, and 12 months after the rehabilitation program, were assessed. Results:Logistic regression models revealed that change in pain intensity could be predicted with good specificity but with poor sensitivity both for patients with chronic low back pain and chronic neck pain. Significant predictors among the neck pain patients were high endurance, low age, high pain intensity, few other symptoms, low need of being social, to do things with others, and to be helped, along with optimistic attitudes on how the pain will interfere with daily life. Among the low back pain patients, high pain intensity, low levels of pain severity, and high affective distress were important predictors. Variables such as sex, sick leave history, working status, accident, pain duration, and depressive symptoms demonstrated no predictive value. Short- and long-term pain outcome was equally predictable and predicted by almost the same variables. Conclusions:Patients who reported unchanged or increased pain after multimodal treatment could be predicted with good accuracy, whereas those who reported decreased pain were more difficult to identify. Treatment-related pain alteration in chronic low back pain seems to be predicted by partly different variables than in chronic neck pain.
Atypical charge redistribution over a charge-transfer monolayer on a metal

We report an atypical charge distribution in a highly ordered monolayer of sodium (Na) and tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) on a Au(111) surface. Na atoms incorporated in the charge-transfer layer donate their 3s electron to the lowest unoccupied orbital of the TCNQ acceptor. A fingerprint of such a TCNQ anion is observed in scanning tunneling spectroscopy as a zero-bias peak characteristic of the Kondo effect. Spatial maps of the Kondo resonance surprisingly reveal that it appears most intense on top of the Na sites. Supported by density functional theory simulations, we interpret this peculiar charge distribution pattern as originating from the extension of the singly occupied molecular orbital beyond the molecular backbone, and cloaking the Na cations. We further suggest that this deformation of molecular orbitals is a consequence of the electrostatic potential landscape of the polar Na–TCNQ layer.
Quantitative feedback control of a quadrotor

In this paper, the frequency domain models with parameter uncertainties for quadrotor were derived by analyzing the rigid body dynamics and aerodynamic forces/moments acting on the quadrotor. Based on these models, the controllers and pre-filters for automatic control of quadrotor were designed using quantitative feedback theory (QFT). QFT takes into account quantitative information of model uncertainty, robust performance requirements, tracing and disturbance rejection performance, thus is a suitable controller design method for quadrotor with model parameters affected by physical constants, payload and flight condition. The experimental results of hovering and trajectory tracking flights show that the proposed control system can effectively reject disturbances and perform accurate trajectory tracking flights.
Venture Capital Firm's Reputation Effect on its Start-up Company's Long Term Operating Performance and Survivorship

In this paper, I tested the effects of three proxies for venture capitalist (VC) reputation on its invested company’s long term industry-adjusted operating performances (ROA , ROE), market-to-book ratio and survival time (time to delisting) in the aftermarket. VC’s market share and VC’s IPO share have strong and positive association with the post-IPO long-term performance metrics, and the effects are statistically significant even after accounting for self-selection bias. For long term survivorship of start-up companies, I applied hazard analysis to the IPO company’s time to delisting with accelerated failure time (AFT) model as the baseline hazard function, and found that start up companies with backing from higher VC’s market share and VC’s IPO share VC firms tend to have lower hazard rate of de-listing. The expected time to delisting is also found to be much shorter in the pre-technology bubble period (1985-1996) compared to during and posttechnology bubble period (1997-2007) for higher than median value reputable VCs. As the findings are robust even after controlling for business expansion and contraction cycles, this lend credence to the idea that during the technology bubble period, over
Management Forecasts and Litigation Risk

We examine the influence of the ex ante risk of class action securities litigation on firms' decisions to issue management earnings forecasts as well as the characteristics of those forecasts. We find that litigation risk is positively associated with the likelihood of issuing a forecast for both good- and bad-news firms. While the association is marginally stronger for firms with bad earnings news, our results suggest that litigation risk is unlikely to explain the observed preponderance of bad-news forecasts. We examine the effect of litigation risk on the amount of the total earnings news released in the forecast, on forecast horizon, and on forecast precision. These results indicate that higher litigation risk is associated with a higher proportion of news being released when firms have bad news. Finally, higher litigation risk is associated with forecasts being released earlier and being more precise.
Efficacy of stimulants for cognitive enhancement in non-attention deficit hyperactivity disorder youth: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Increasing prescription stimulant abuse among youth without diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is of concern. The most frequently cited motive for abuse is improved academic achievement via neurocognitive enhancement. Our aim in reviewing the literature was to identify neurocognitive effects of prescription stimulants in non-ADHD youth. METHODS A systematic review was conducted for youth aged 12–25 years using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Fourteen papers were included. RESULTS Modafinil appears to improve reaction time (P ≤ 0.04), logical reasoning (P ≤ 0.05) and problem-solving. Methylphenidate appears to improve performance in novel tasks and attention-based tasks (P ≤ 0.05), and reduces planning latency in more complex tasks (P ≤ 0.05). Amphetamine has been shown to improve consolidation of information (0.02 ≥ P ≤ 0.05), leading to improved recall. Across all three types of prescription stimulants, research shows improved attention with lack of consensus on whether these improvements are limited to simple versus complex tasks in varying youth populations. CONCLUSIONS The heterogeneity of the non-attention deficit hyperactivity disorder youth population, the variation in cognitive task characteristics and lack of replication of studies makes assessing the potential global neurocognitive benefits of stimulants among non-attention deficit hyperactivity disorder youth difficult; however, some youth may derive benefit in specific cognitive domains.
Interleaved smart burp PV charger for lead acid batteries with incremental conductance MPPT

An interleaved PV burp charge with a power-increment-based incremental-conductance MPPT (PIINC-MPPT) for lead-acid batteries is proposed. Two interleaved tiny high-frequency pulse trains from two interleaved flyback converters are merged through two transmission gates to successively charge a main battery with a low-frequency wide-windowed pulse and a minor battery 1 with a narrow-windowed pulse in order to maintain the continuity of the PIINC-MPPT as well as to extend the utilization of the PV module. The negative pulse charging to the main battery is replaced by charging a minor battery 2 through a flyback converter 3 so as to meet the energy recovery concept. The PIINC-MPPT in conjunction with the two interleaved primary flyback converters can make maximum power tracking accurate and fast. An experimental setup assessing the predicted charging strategy is built and examined. The measured results are close to the predictions and feasible in practical application.
Heterodimerization of β1- and β2-Adrenergic Receptor Subtypes Optimizes β-Adrenergic Modulation of Cardiac Contractility

Intermolecular interactions between members of both similar and divergent G protein-coupled receptor subfamilies have been shown in various experimental systems. Here, we demonstrate heterodimerization of predominant β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) subtypes expressed in the heart, β1AR, and β2AR, and its physiological relevance. In intact adult-mouse cardiac myocytes lacking native β1AR and β2AR, coexpression of both βAR subtypes led to receptor heterodimerization, as evidenced by their coimmunoprecipitation, colocalization at optical resolution, and markedly increased binding affinity for subtype-selective ligands. As a result, the dose-response curve of myocyte contraction to βAR agonist stimulation with isoproterenol (ISO) was shifted leftward by ≈1.5 orders of magnitude, and the response of cellular cAMP formation to ISO was enhanced concomitantly, indicating that intermolecular interactions of βAR subtypes resulted in sensitization of these receptors in response to agonist stimulation. In contrast, the presence of β1AR greatly suppressed ligand-independent spontaneous activity of coexisting β2ARs. Thus, heterodimerization of β1AR and β2AR in intact cardiac myocytes creates a novel population of βARs with distinct functional and pharmacological properties, resulting in enhanced signaling efficiency in response to agonist stimulation while silencing ligand-independent receptor activation, thereby optimizing β-adrenergic modulation of cardiac contractility.
Analysis of Capacity Variation for MIMO-OFDM Systems

In this paper, robust transmission capacity of the multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems is evaluated through the COST 207 and the IEEE 802.11a channel models. Moreover, this paper also discusses the influence of the number of antennas and the number of sub-channels on the variation of the channel capacity of the MIMO-OFDM systems. At last, the MIMO-WLAN system is selected as an example for our investigation. The optimum design for the number of MIMO antennas for the IEEE 802.11a system is pursued
The diversity of friction behavior between bi-layer graphenes

For relative sliding between two rigid graphene sheets that are interacted on by a van der Waals force, we show that the friction behavior is significantly dependent on the interlayer separation distance h. Around the equilibrium interlayer distance he, the friction behavior exactly obeys a linear law. When h is far smaller than he, the linear friction behavior transforms to over-linear behavior. On the other hand, when h is larger than he, there is another critical value of the interlayer distance, hc; when h is larger than he and smaller than hc, the friction behavior transforms from linear to sub-linear behavior; however, when h is larger than hc, the coefficient of friction becomes negative. Further, the different friction behaviors are found to be well described by a universal power law, τ = μ∗(σ + σ0)n.