Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards designing and implementing an empirically grounded research for humanitarian logistics after nepal earthquake

Purpose This paper proposes a research design for effective use of qualitative data from field research in a quantitative analysis of humanitarian logistics. Design/methodology/approach Our research design is composed of qualitative and quantitative components. The qualitative part has four steps: preparation, data collection, data combination and analysis, and interpretation. We triangulate qualitative data through semi-structured interviews, observations, document review, and online surveys. We use frequency analysis to map out qualitative data to themes that were identified through literature review and best practices. After combining data from various sources, we apply content analysis and then interpret the findings. Findings The results of implementing our research design for Nepal case show its effectiveness for capturing the complexities of and the relation between variables in disasters. Its workflow and research methods exclusively enable using field insights to test theories, inform models, and find field driven research directions. We demonstrate these findings through examples from our field research after 2015 Nepal earthquake. Research limitations/implications (if applicable) Limitations: our disaster field research was constrained by the typical short time to prepare/conduct the research, lack of access to key informant and, limited sample size. Furthermore, the results of our research are based on one case. Implications: our research design resulted in an effective and a traceable use of field data for addressing challenges that practitioners were experiencing. Therefore, proposed research design can be adopted in future for conducting and empirically grounded research on HL. Practical implications (if applicable) Proposed research design enables developing field informed models that can be used as a decision support system in the immediate response. Original/value In this paper, we explicitly explain how we translated Nepal field work into a model and what the problems were in such settings.
Decoupling in International Business

Following the academic discourses that the International Business (IB) has not yet seen the levels of academic intrusions on decoupling a thorny ethical dilemma evident in other fields that explains why organizations when strive for conformity, they may attempt to preclude the necessity of their formal structure with an intention to show obedience towards institutional settings while at the same time actually practicing business in ways that they believe are more efficient. This study attempts to bridge this important gap and understanding of decoupling in the burgeoning stream of IB where export organizations decouple from the actual substantive conformity to the Intellectual Property Rights and the Protected Designation of Origin certification requirements. This policy to practice decoupling in the form of avoidance from institutional pressures and concealment manifest itself in the organizations zeal to placate the pressures of resource criticalities brought about by this unique isomorphic setting of the home and host country institutional landscape(s). Thus theoretically, tight coupling between institutional rules (and pressures) and export organizations does not necessarily translate from form to function but rather ceremonial conformity, which may further be heightened by onward problems of enforcement of these rules in the same institutional settings therein.
Survivors of Sex Trafficking: Occupation-Based Intervention for Executive Functioning

Abstract Persons traumatized through sex trafficking can demonstrate executive function (EF) deficits. We explored whether occupation-based (OB) interventions used with females who had been trafficked would improve EF skills. Eight women engaged programing over eight months. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT), and the Occupational Therapy Task Observation Scale (OTTOS) were used to measure occupational performance, EF skills, and task behaviors before and after intervention. Gains seen in occupational performance and task behavior were significant: t (7) = −2.49, p = . 04, with large effect (d = 0.88). Findings suggest OB interventions may improve EF skills in sex-trafficked women.
Understanding the Impact of Interruptions on Knowledge Work: An Exploratory Neuroimaging Study

This paper explores how technologies can interrupt concentration, focus and attention of knowledge workers. The mechanisms by which an interruption takes attention away and the task performance decreases are unknown. The paper explores this impact of interruptions through neuroimaging. Subjects were given a reading task and subjected to a series of randomly timed audio interruptions. Using an EEG measurement device, we recorded their brain waves. Consistent with the literature, we found interruptions significantly increased task completion time and decreased task performance. We found activities in the frontal and temporal lobes of the participants changed or increased due to interruptions. In addition, increased activities in the frontal regions after an interruption appear to lead to better performance. The results suggest application developers to consider underlying mechanisms of processing interruptions.
Lean Production on Chili Pepper Supply Chain Using Value Stream Mapping

In the globalization economic development, most of industries have been developing strategies to improve efficiency in their production processes. Meanwhile, chili pepper supply chain is still not aware about efficiency and effectiveness in its management. Most actors in chili pepper supply chain face several obstacles, i.e. losses, waste products, and inefficiency in delivery time. This research is focused on the development of chili pepper supply chain performance using Value Stream Mapping (VSM) analysis and aims to create a new key system to develop efficiency and effectiveness. VSM is used as an instrument to enhance comparative advantage in wildly industries. VSM in chili pepper involves operation system such as 6S, Volkswagen production system, visual workplace, quick changeover system, and Hiejunka Kanban system. Those techniques are applied to reduce waste in chili pepper supply chain. The research result shows that chilli pepper supply chain should explore the implementation of VSM.
Choice Matters: Equity and Literacy Achievement

Author(s): McClung, Nicola A. ; Barry, Elaine; Neebe, Diana; Mere-Cook, Yvette; Wang, Qi; Gonzalez-Balsam, Millie | Abstract: Students’ freedom of choice is critical to promoting equity and literacy in the classroom. When students choose what they read, they are more likely to find books that represent their lives, interests, and personal desires and feel that they are autonomous and can self-regulate learning. Previous research suggests that offering choice during learning activities increases motivation. However, less is known about whether choice is related to reading performance and which factors predict choice. Examining data from fourth-grade students, we found that students’ perception of choice in their reading materials is associated with literacy achievement, even when accounting for the degree to which the teacher reports providing choice of texts in the classroom and student interest. These findings suggest that true choice (i.e., choice that resides within the student) is linked to greater learning than choice that a teacher determines externally. Further, we argue it may be especially important for educators to explore ways to expand the perceived options available to students with the lowest demonstrated in-school literacy competencies.
Frame Filtering and Skipping for Point Cloud Data Video Transmission

Sensors for collecting 3D spatial data from the real world are becoming more important. They are a prime research area topic and have applications in consumer markets, such as medical, entertainment, and robotics. However, a primary concern with collecting this data is the vast amount of information being generated, and thus, needing to be processed before being transmitted. To address the issue, we propose the use of filtering methods and frame skipping. To collect the 3D spatial data, called point clouds, we used the Microsoft Kinect sensor. In addition, we utilized the Point Cloud Library to process and filter the data being generated by the Kinect. Two different computers were used: a client which collects, filters, and transmits the point clouds; and a server that receives and visualizes the point clouds. The client is also checking for similarity in consecutive frames, skipping those that reach a similarity threshold. In order to compare the filtering methods and test the effectiveness of the frame skipping technique, quality of service (QoS) metrics such as frame rate and percentage of filter were introduced. These metrics indicate how well a certain combination of filtering method and frame skipping accomplishes the goal of transmitting point clouds from one location to another. We found that the pass through filter in conjunction with frame skipping provides the best relative QoS. However, results also show that there is still too much data for a satisfactory QoS. For a real-time system to provide reasonable end-to-end quality, dynamic compression and progressive transmission need to be utilized.
Survivable Flight Control with Guaranteed Stability and Performance Characteristics

This thesis aims at the analysis and the development of flight control systems which actively compensate (even large) uncertainties and which possess guaranteed stability and performance characteristics. On the one hand, novel analytical methods are developed to assess the robustness and the performance of Model Reference Adaptive Control. On the other hand, an alternative control approach is proposed which can counteract large uncertainties and admits the use of established robustness and performance analysis tools from linear system theory.
Mastery-Approach Goals as a Predictor of Learning Readiness among First Year Undergraduate Students in Selected Public Universities in Western Kenya

There has been relatively low level of learning readiness among first year undergraduate students at universities in Kenya. The present study sought to investigate how mastery-approach goals predicts learning readiness among first year undergraduate students in selected public universities in Western Kenya. The study was guided by the Goal Orientation Theory and Maslow’s Theory of Motivation. The study employed the embedded mixed methods design. The target population was 12,000 first year students, 122 lecturers, 6 deans of students, and 6 university counsellors from six public universities in western Kenya. The sample size consisted of 372 first year university students, 22 lecturers, 3 deans of students, and 3 university student counsellors in 3 public universities. Questionnaires, interviews, and document analyses were employed to elicit data from the respondents. Achievement goal questionnaire-revised and an academic readiness questionnaire were used to collect quantitative data while qualitative data was obtained from interview schedules. Construct validity of the instruments was ensured through expert judgement while reliability of the instruments was established by cronbach’s alpha method which reported an alpha of 0.809. Quantitative data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical techniques such as Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient, linear regression analysis and multiple regression analyses. Thematic analyses were used to analyze qualitative data. There was a statistically significant strong positive correlation (r=.733) between mastery approach goals and learning readiness. It was also revealed that mastery-approach goals accounted for 53.8% of the variation in learning readiness. It can therefore be concluded that mastery approach is a significant predictor of learning readiness among first year university students. The study recommends that university adminstrators should facilitate academic engagement for first year students to enable them have a desire for learning.
An Introductory Engineering Course for Freshman Students- From Programming to Implementation

Freshman engineering courses play a critical role in a student’s carrier selection and have a long-term impact from a curricular perspective. This paper describes the design of a one-credit hour course that serves as an introduction to engineering at the freshman level. The course is designed with Matlab® and Arduino® at its core and with four main objectives: educate students about different engineering fields and applications, teach an engineering oriented programming language that has simple syntax and yet powerful tools, teach the concept of problem abstraction and problem solving, and finally apply the problem solving concepts to engineering problems from different fields and disciplines. This paper shows how Matlab and Arduino are integrated to achieve all the aforementioned objectives and provide a successful engineering experience for freshman engineering students. The material provided here has been developed gradually since 2011, and was offered in its current form in an introduction to engineering course at the University of Detroit Mercy in 2013.
Image restoration algorithm using APEX method based on dark channel prior

In order to meet the demands for both availability and processing speed,in reference to dark channel prior estimation,an image restoration algorithm based on Approximate Point Spread Function Examining(APEX) algorithm commonly used in image deblurring was proposed.Meanwhile,because different-sized images under different weather conditions have different APEX parameters,the APEX parameter value was adjusted dynamically according to sandstorm and fog degree.Furthermore,unlike other multiple images methods,the proposed algorithm needs only one image to be the input.The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is effective in restoring images.By using color constancy algorithm,the source color components were balanced;furthermore,the visual effect of images was enhanced.
Linguistic Complexity and Cost of Equity Capital

We investigate how linguistic complexity relates to a company’s cost of equity capital. When management uses linguistic complexity to obfuscate information, we expect shareholders to require a greater return on equity. Our results show that, within a given firm, a decrease in the readability of the annual report is associated with an increase in the cost of equity capital. This finding remains after we extensively control for intrinsic business complexity. We also provide evidence of an effect of the readability of the information disclosed beyond the one attached to the quantity of information disclosed.
A terahertz image super-resolution reconstruction algorithm based on the deep convolutional neural network

Nowadays with the growing threat of terrorist attacks throughout the world, effective security technologies are of urgent need to protect crowds and critical infrastructure. Terahertz wave has emerged as a more powerful tool in security. Terahertz wave is able to penetrate dielectrics such as plastic and cloth so as to detect weapons and contraband hidden under people's clothing without harming human bodies. Nevertheless, image obtained in this frequency range is pretty poor because the diffraction at their relatively long wavelength cannot be ignored in such case. In this paper, we shall briefly introduce the high-resolution (HR) reconstruction for terahertz imaging utilizing the ideology and methodology of super-resolution (SR) restoration in image processing which aims at recovering a high-resolution image from a single low-resolution image. Through the preliminary feasibility research, we applied the image super-resolution algorithm based on the deep convolutional neural network (CNN) to the single passive terahertz image reconstruction. Our deep CNN demonstrates state-of-the-art restoration quality and achieve fast speed as well. Our results indicate that the processed passive terahertz images have clearer edges as well as outlines and are easier to identify suspicious items than the original ones. On the whole, our method outperforms other methods such as the interpolation method and the learning-based image super-resolution reconstruction algorithm. The results indicate a promising prospect for HR terahertz imaging reconstruction.
Affiliated Participation in Open Source Communities

Background: The adoption of Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FOSS) by institutions is significantly increasing, and so is the affiliated participation (the participation of industry engineers in open source communities as part of their jobs). Aims: This study is an investigation into affiliated participation in FOSS communities. So far, little is known about the affiliated participation and the forces that influence it, even though the FOSS innovation model is increasingly becoming a serious contender for the private investment model in many sectors. Method: We present a qualitative inquiry into affiliated participation in the Robot Operating System (ROS) and Linux Kernel communities, using twenty-one in-depth interviews and participatory observation data from twenty-nine community events. Results: Our results show that affiliated participation in these communities is constrained by several barriers: objections of senior management, protection of the company’s image, protection of intellectual property, undefined processes and policies, the high cost of participation, and unfamiliarity with the FOSS system. Conclusions: These barriers should be addressed in any organization considering using FOSS as a significant acquisition, distribution, and development strategy.
(Ideo)Logical Reasoning: Ideology Impairs Sound Reasoning

Beliefs shape how people interpret information and may impair how people engage in logical reasoning. In three studies, we show how ideological beliefs impair people’s ability to (1) recognize logical validity in arguments that oppose their political beliefs and (2) recognize the lack of logical validity in arguments that support their political beliefs. We observed belief bias effects among liberals and conservatives who evaluated the logical soundness of classically structured logical syllogisms supporting liberal or conservative beliefs. Both liberals and conservatives frequently evaluated the logical structure of entire arguments based on the believability of arguments’ conclusions, leading to predictable patterns of logical errors. As a result, liberals were better at identifying flawed arguments supporting conservative beliefs and conservatives were better at identifying flawed arguments supporting liberal beliefs. These findings illuminate one key mechanism for how political beliefs distort people’s abilities to reason about political topics soundly.
DBPedia Based Meta Search Engine

Retrieving information on the web has become more challenging due to the overwhelming growth of online data. Consequently, even a good ranking algorithm is not able to deliver a precise search result. Traditional search engines work based on keyword search rather than the meaning of the keyword being searched. The main problem with keyword search is that it cannot solve the synonym and polysemy problems. Semantic search engines address this problem by focusing on the meaning of the query rather than considering it as a mere search phrase (keywords). In this work, we propose MEOW, a semantic meta search engine that utilises the power of a traditional search engine and enriches the search results by trying to understand the meaning of the search query. The proposed meta search engine uses DBPedia as its knowledge base and Google to generate the search results. The search results classify which semantic concept for a given query is used for different context. The main idea of this work is to transform non-semantic search results into semantic results by extending the search query to get more quality results based on the meaning of the search query.
Intelligent Plagiarism Detection for Electronic Documents

Plagiarism detection is the process of finding similarities on electronic based documents. Recently, this process is highly required because of the large number of available documents on the internet and the ability to copy and paste the text of relevant documents with simply Control+C and Control+V commands. The proposed solution is to investigate and develop an easy, fast, and multilanguage support plagiarism detector with the easy of one click to detect the document plagiarism. This process will be done with the support of intelligent system that can learn, change and adapt to the input document and make a cross-fast search for the content on the local repository and the online repository and link the content of the file with the matching content everywhere found. Furthermore, the supported document type that we will use is word, text and in some cases, the pdf files –where is the text can be extracting from themand this made possible by using the DLL file from Word application that Microsoft provided on OS. The using of DLL will let us to not constrain on how to get the text from files; and will help us to apply the file on our Delphi project and walk throw our methodology and read the file word by word to grantee the best working scenarios for the calculation. In the result, this process will help in uprising the documents quality and enhance the writer experience related to his work and will save the copyrights for the official writer of the documents by providing a new alternative tool for plagiarism detection problem for easy and fast use to the concerned Institutions for free.
Transliteration Feasibility as a Means of Communication between Arab Expatriates and Their Progeny Abroad

This study is dedicated to exploring and understanding the role of transliteration as a means of remote communication between Arab expatriates and their children in foreign countries. Expatriates need this type of writing communication to communicate with their children for several reasons; especially when the vocal communication is impossible or not available due to technical problems or family and individual privacy. The study tries also to figure out the difference between transliteration and electronic chatting on one hand, and transliteration, translation and creative translation on the other hand. The study is mainly based on a questionnaire professionally and objectively designed and forwarded to a number of Arab expats living in The Netherlands in order to verify the hypothesis made related to the feasibility of transliteration technique and how far it is useful and practical as a remote means of communication between the Arab expatriates and their children due to the lack of proficiency of one of the parties in using the writing system of either language. The study highlights the importance of voice transmission in clarifying the correct pronunciation of words and phrases in a way that is accessible to all around the world beyond being obliged to know the characters of the language from which they are taken. Furthermore, the researcher has scrutinized, studied and analyzed the participants’ answers and consequently described them relying on objective and scientific criteria.