Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The impact of financial balance indicators on the companies - Analysis on economic sectors

The paper presents the result of a financial balance analysis of some companies, which are grouped in three economic sectors: manufacturing, construction and tourism. The main focus consists in the impact of the three financial balance indicators have (floating capital, necessary working capital, net treasury) on the activities that underline each economic sector. The applicative part of this paper is materialized in a scientific approach that includes a number of 27 companies, grouped after the domain, from Timis County, Romania, which has in view to obtain useful and perspective information concerning the financial balance, based on the specific behavior of the activity they perform, aiming also the possibility of taking useful and correct decisions. This approach represents our own vision about the differences of achieving a financial balance state within each economic sector analyzed.
Forensic Application of ATP6 Gene Haplogroups in a Cohort of Obese Saudis

Blood samples from 108 obese individuals (73 males and 35 females) and 106 healthy ones (79 males and 27 females) were collected from a cohort of Saudis inhabiting Riyadh province. ATP6 mitochondrial gene was amplified and sequenced to identify obesity-related SNPs and the mitochondrial DNA haplogroups for forensic purposes. A novel site (A8660G) was found while C8655T and T9103C were obesityrelated sites. The haplogroups H2a and H1a were common as they were found in 70.4% and 66% of obese and non-obese individuals, respectively. L2 was recorded in the obese samples only and H21 was recorded in the obese males only. The J2a haplohroup was more common in obese individuals. Constructing mtDNA database for people inhabiting different regions of Saudi Arabia for forensic purpose and to affirm the utility of H21 and L2 in identifiying obesity is necessary.
A Framework to assess Data Quality in university web portals

Data quality is often described as “data that is fit for use by data consumers”. The development of the internet and the various web technologies has increased the expectations of good data quality level among the data consumers. Web portals are meant to attract a wide variety of users and serve as an important means to access data in this information era. There is a need to assess the quality of these data, and so a framework to assess the data quality is wanted. This thesis proposes a framework to assess data quality in university web portals. The proposed framework captures essential DQ dimensions in four categories namely Intrinsic, Representational, Contextual, and Accessibility. In order to develop this framework, DQ dimensions were derived from literature. Next to that special attention was given to data consumers (users of university web portals), this led to the expansion and modification of the dimensions to emphasize the growing importance of the user’s perspective. The set of DQ dimensions has been tested with users using two pre-validations before the final validation of the framework. The proposed framework containing 35 dimensions is validated with user groups of two different universities: TU-Delft, The Netherlands and Pondicherry University, India. The validation showed that all DQ dimensions in the framework were valuable and important from the data consumer’s view of perspective. As an evaluation approach, this framework has been compared with an existing portal data quality model and found this new framework has important DQ dimensions in the context of a UWP. As a consequence, the proposed framework emphasizes the user’s perspective on data quality.
Modeling of a GPRS-based mobile telemedicine system for real time monitoring and collaborative diagnosis

In this paper, a mobile teleconsultation system based on the use of a PDA is presented. The proposed architecture has been evaluated both over a low bandwidth GPRS public network well-suited for remote emergency diagnosis and in a broad-band WLAN IEEE 802.11 environment suitable for in-hospital care management. The simulation studies with radiological images and ECG signals shows the effectiveness of such a solution in both an interactive and an off-line scenario
New PID tuning rule using ITAE criteria

This paper demonstrates an efficient method of tuning the PID controller parameters using the optimization rule for ITAE performance criteria. The method implies an analytical calculating the gain of the controller (Kc), integral time (Ti) and the derivative time (Td) for PID controlled systems whose process is modeled in first order lag plus time delay (FOLPD) form. Firstly A mat lab program with objective function is written to find the optimum value for the PID controller parameters which can achieve most of the systems requirements such as reducing the overshoot, maintaining a high system response, achieving a good load disturbances rejection and maintaining robustness. The objective function is selected so as to minimize the integral of Time Absolute Error (ITAE) performance index. Using crave fitting technique, equations that define the controller parameters is driven. A comparison between the proposed tuning rules and the traditional tuning rules is done through the Matlab software to show the efficiency of the new tuning rule.
Angle-dependent charge exchange and energy loss of slow highly charged ions in freestanding graphene

The scattering of ions in solids is accompanied with momentum transfer and electronic excitations resulting in the slowing down of the ion. The amount of energy transferred in a single scattering event depends on the particular trajectory which can be traced back through the scattering angle. Performing scattering angle dependent measurements of slow highly charged Xe ions transmitted through freestanding single, bi-, and trilayer graphene allows us to determine the charge exchange and energy loss for different minimal interatomic distances. Interestingly, the charge exchange shows an increase with scattering angle by a factor of less than 2, while the energy loss increases by more than a factor of 10 for 3 ◦ compared to forward direction. Our results can be compared to a time-dependent potential model and show that determination of the stopping cross section is not straightforward even with angle-dependent data at hand.
Caring Buildings; a concept to implement individual comfort and well-being

Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ABSTRACT: Global warming, caused largely by energy consumption, has become a major problem. During the last decades the introduction of energy saving technologies has strongly reduced energy consumption of buildings. In comfort control strategy there is an exciting development: the user’s preferences and their behaviour have become central in the building services control strategy. Synergy between end-user and building is the ultimate in the intelligent comfort control concept. This new comfort control technology, based on the use of the latest ICT development in agent technology, can further reduce energy consumption of buildings. This paper reviews Multi Agent Intelligent Internet mediated control and combines the most useful insights into a new technology; FACT, Forgiving Agent Comfort Technology. The TU/e (University of Technology Eindhoven) is developing this FACT technology further into a concept for Caring Buildings (CB). Keywords: energy, comfort, agent technology
Facial Impressions Are Predicted by the Structure of Group Stereotypes

Impressions of other people’s faces (e.g., trustworthiness) have long been thought to be evoked by morphological variation (e.g., upturned mouth) in a universal, fixed manner. However, recent research suggests that these impressions vary considerably across perceivers and targets’ social-group memberships. Across 4,247 U.S. adults recruited online, we investigated whether racial and gender stereotypes may be a critical factor underlying this variability in facial impressions. In Study 1, we found that not only did facial impressions vary by targets’ gender and race, but also the structure of these impressions was associated with the structure of stereotype knowledge. Study 2 extended these findings by demonstrating that individual differences in perceivers’ own unique stereotype associations predicted the structure of their own facial impressions. Together, the findings suggest that the structure of people’s impressions of others’ faces is driven not only by the morphological variation of the face but also by learned stereotypes about social groups.
Building Teacher Capacity: A Job Embedded Approach

The rapidly evolving nature of technology and the ease of access to all students to internet driven programs has seen a major shift in the ways schools engage students in learning. This has seen a movement towards the creation of flexible learning spaces to accommodate new pedagogies (Oblinger, 2006). Consequently, the new learning environments that students find themselves in today are also the same new environments that teachers are working in. The paper offers insight into one school’s alignment of innovation in teaching and learning in the creation of a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers. It illustrates how a job embedded PD program (Kelleher, 2003) or “learning in context” (Fullan, 2002) was orchestrated to foster ‘whole of school’ teacher professional learning on improving teacher practice. Although only in its early stages, anecdotal data suggests the crafting of professional development within the workplace, promotes an authentic, meaningful and relevant approach to teacher learning yielding beneficial results for both student and teacher.
QFCD – A Microscopic Model for Measuring the Individual Quality of Traffic Information

A new model to measure the quality of traffic information messages called “QFCD-method” is described. The traffic reality is reconstructed from a driver perspective using data from probe vehicles. The reconstructed real traffic situation is superimposed with the relevant, broad-casted traffic information. Two quality indices describe the quality and a quality diagram is proposed to quantify the achieved, measured traffic information quality. The model supports quantitative comparisons of different services or processes within one service. The new model also allows not only the assessment of an overall system, but also the evaluation of individual components’ contributions to the overall system performance.
The Physical Background for Hot-Film Anemometry

Thin film probes have been used for more than a decade to investigate turbulence, mostly in liquids. Many improvements have been achieved in the technique. Some problems still remain, however, so that the use of hot-film anemometers is not as straightforward as would be expected at a time when numerous ready-to-use probes and associated electronic equipment are commer­ cially available. The following points should be discussed: aerodynamic perturbation caused by the probes,direct experimental check of the frequency response of constant temperature anemometers in the case of small fluctuations,dynamic non-linear behavior of constant temperature anemometers and heat transfer from hot films to their glass substrate.
Development of computer-aided image analysis for filter debris analysis

In oil-wetted aircraft machinery fitted with coarse (>50 micron) filtration systems, sufficient fine particulate wear debris passes through the filter to enable meaningful spectrometric oil analysis (SOA) of the oil analysis (SOA) of the oil sample debris for off-line condition monitoring. The use of fine (10 micron) filters in the F404 engines of the CF-18 aircraft has severely limited the usefulness of oil analysis techniques because the filters remove almost all debris of significant from the oil. The Defense Research Establishment Pacific (DREP) has developed Filter Debris Analysis (FDA) as an alternative off-line monitoring procedure for the CF-18 F404 engines. In addition, FDA can supplement conventional oil analysis techniques for condition monitoring of machinery with coarse filtration by evaluating the accumulated wear debris generated between filter changes. The method has been very successful at predicting wear anomalies and is being adopted into the routine maintenance procedures for selected machinery. The main drawbacks of FDA at present are that it is time-consuming, it is manpower intensive, and the interpretation of debris levels is subjective. The authors are presently investigating the use of computer-aided analysis to interpret the debris found on filters with an ultimate goal of incorporating the FDA results intomore » an expert system for tracking the condition of oil-wetted equipment. Results of image capture and interpretation of FDA data are presented, and implications of these developments on condition monitoring of oil-wetted machinery are discussed. « less
Polygonal Finite Element for Two-Dimensional Lid-Driven Cavity Flow

This paper investigates a polygonal finite element (PFE) to solve a two-dimensional (2D) incompressible steady fluid problem in a cavity square. It is a well-known standard benchmark (i.e., lid-driven cavity flow)-to evaluate the numerical methods in solving fluid problems controlled by the Navier– Stokes (N–S) equation system. The approximation solutions provided in this research are based on our developed equal-order mixed PFE, called Pe1Pe1. It is an exciting development based on constructing the mixed scheme method of two equal-order discretisation spaces for both fluid pressure and velocity fields of flows and our proposed stabilisation technique. In this research, to handle the nonlinear problem of N-S, the Picard iteration scheme is applied. Our proposed method’s performance and convergence are validated by several simulations coded by commercial software, i.e., MATLAB. For this research, the benchmark is executed with variousReynolds numbers up to themaximum Re= 1000. All results then numerously compared to available sources in the literature.
A COMPARISON OF THE PERFECT PUSH-UP™ TO TRADITIONAL PUSH-UP

The push-up has traditionally been used to help improve arm and shoulder girdle strength and endurance (ASGSE) (Baumgartner, Oh, Chung, and Hales, 2002). The Perfect Push-Up™ was designed to help improve the work-out that could be obtained while performing push-ups. While the claims from the manufacturer seem appealing there is little to no research to support their claims. The purpose of the current study is to examine the muscle activity and arm kinematics while using the Perfect Push-Up™ compared to traditional push-ups, thus addressing the claims of an improved work-out.
Intracavitary and Extracavitary Iliac Extended Fixation Using Porous Metal Augments for Paprosky Type 3 Acetabular Defects in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Minimum 2 Years Follow-up

Background: We proposed a new concept of “iliac extended fixation” in revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) as fixation extending superiorly 2 cm beyond the original acetabular rim with porous metal augments, which was further classified into intracavitary and extracavitary fixation. This study reports the minimum 2 years outcome of the iliac extended fixation technique in patients with Paprosky type 3 acetabular defects. Methods: Thirty two revision THA patients were retrospectively reviewed who underwent reconstruction with the concept of iliac extended fixation from 2014 to 2016 in our hospital. Patients were assessed using the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score (WOMAC). In addition, radiographs were assessed and patient reported satisfaction was collected. Results: At an average follow-up of 40 months (range 25 – 64 months), the postoperative HHS and WOMAC scores were significantly improved at the last follow-up (p < 0.001). The postoperative horizontal and vertical locations of the COR were significantly improved from the preoperative measurements (p < 0.05). Two (6.3 %) patients were dissatisfied with the outcome. The extracavitary iliac extended fixation group had significantly more horizontal screws fixation (4.6 ± 25.7° vs 41.9 ± 37.8°, p < 0.001) and higher rate of osteointegration in zone 1A (91.7% vs 50.0%, p = 0.023) than the intracavitary iliac extended fixation group. Conclusions: Intracavitary and extracavitary iliac extended fixation with porous metal augments and cementless cups are effective in reconstructing severe superior acetabular bone defects, with promising short-term clinical and radiographic outcome.
Ion beam sources for neutral beam injectors: studies and design for component active cooling and caesium ovens

Neutral Beam Injectors (NBI) for ITER shall operate at particle energy levels, heating power and steady state working conditions that have never been simultaneously reached before in other fusion experiments. Furthermore, the NBI efficiency, availability and reliability required for a fusion reactor are critical issues that claim for an accurate and robust design. In high energy neutral beams, negative ions are used for the higher efficiency of their neutralization process with respect to the positive ones. Research has demonstrated that the production rate of negative ions is highly increased by the presence of caesium acting as catalyst. Thus, caesium vapours are injected into the plasma source by means of special evaporators, called caesium ovens. The present research work whose results are the subject of this thesis has been carried out in the frame of the design activities for the ITER negative ion source prototype, called SPIDER, which is going to be procured and operated at Consorzio RFX, Euratom-ENEA Association. In particular, the work has been focused on those components of the negative ion beam source which are characterized by continuous cooling to guarantee proper heat removal and temperature control, especially the accelerator grids, where high heating power and highly focused power densities are present. According to the doctorate program, this work has been developed in the following phases. Prototypes of accelerator grid cooling channels have been successfully produced and main manufacturing issues have been solved. In particular, issues on dissimilar metal joining techniques and embedding of thermocouples for thermal monitoring of components have been solved during the production. A specific plant for thermo-hydraulic measurements, called Insulation and Cooling Experiment (ICE), has been designed, procured and operated to execute tests on the grid cooling channel prototypes in order to measure pressure drops and heat transfer coefficients to support the design activity of the SPIDER accelerator. Experimental results have been obtained and compared both with analytical and Computational Fluid-Dynamic models demonstrating that the former underestimate the heat removal capabilities of the cooling channels, whereas the latter are much closer to the experimental results. Finally, the in-vacuum confinement of the entire beam source has required a completely new design of the caesium ovens, with respect to the existing ones. The design of the caesium evaporation and injection systems has been carried out, also supported by thermal and mechanical Finite Element analyses. A proposal of a caesium level measuring system has been presented and its feasibility has been demonstrated by a proof of concept.
Understanding the Effectiveness of Co-operative Board Members from Resource Dependence and Participation Perspective: A Proposal of Conceptual Framework

Co-operatives played a critical part in the community development initiative, and its viability is reliant on the board members' ability to carry out their roles effectively. Since board members are a vital body of the cooperative's internal governance, it is important to examine how they affect the cooperative's performance. Several factors have been proposed and based on prior research inferences, the majority of which have used the concept of corporate governance to identify the factors that influence the cooperative board's effectiveness, which has also been adopted in this article. Owing to the inconsistent findings and gaps in previous research, this article has focused on the role of board members' human and social capital in affecting cooperative performance. The research also presented board participation as a mediator between human and social capital and cooperative performance. This study employs resource dependence and participation theory as underpinning theories to support its assumptions and performs a literature review to synthesize empirical findings on related factors. SmartPLS software will be used to analyze the data and explore all relationships using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
Accessibility to and Availability of Urban Green Spaces (UGS) to Support Health and Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic—The Case of Bologna

In accordance with SDG N11.7, each city should work on providing “by 2030, universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities”. This target became even more crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This paper presents and discuss a method for (i) assessing the current distribution and accessibility of urban green spaces (UGSs) in a city using hierarchical network distances; and (ii) quantifying the per capita values of accessible UGSs, also in light of the restrictions in place, namely social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The methods have been tested in the city of Bologna, and the results highlight urban areas that suffer from a scarcity of accessible UGSs and identify potentially overcrowded UGSs, assessing residents’ pressure over diverse UGSs of the city in question. Based on our results, this work allows for the identification of priorities of intervention to overcome these issues, while also considering temporary solutions for facing the eventual scarce provision of UGSs and related health and wellbeing benefits in periods of movement restrictions.
Arbitrary Dual-Band RLC Circuits.

A new approach to design a dual-band RLC circuits is proposed. In this approach, a single-band circuit is designed and then converted to a dual-band circuit by substituting its inductors and capacitors for a proper parallel or series LC resonator. The validity of the proposed approach is verified by designing, implementing and measuring a dual-band RLC power divider at frequencies 10 and 20 MHz as well as a dual-band tank circuit. The proposed approach can be used for designing arbitrary dual-band circuits such as narrowband bandpass filters, bandstop filters, power dividers and combiners, phase shifters etc.