Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deep penetrating anchor: Subseabed deepwater anchor concept for floaters and other installations

A new subseabed concept for anchoring of floaters denoted Deep Penetrating Anchor (DPA) is under development. The anchor comprises an arrow shaped steel construction with a trailing chain or steel rope, which is dropped from typically 20-40m above the seabed and penetrates to target depth by its kinetic energy. No external energy source, mechanical operations or intervention is required on the anchor itself during installation. The anchor design allows for standardized fabrication and utilizes standard procured elements with a minimum of pre-fabrication work. An anchor handling type vessel as well as any offshore type of construction vessel can perform installation.
Reducing the dependency of having prior domain knowledge for effective online information retrieval

Sometimes Internet users struggle to find what they are looking for on the Internet due to information overload. Search engines intend to identify documents related to a given keyphrase on the Internet and provide suggestions. Having some background knowledge about a topic or a domain will help in building effective search keyphrases that will lead to accurate results in information retrieval. This is further pronounced among students that rely on the internet to learn about a new topic. Students might not have the required background knowledge to build effective keyphrases and find what they are looking for. In this research, we are addressing this problem, and aim to help students find relevant information online. This research furthers existing literature by enhancing information retrieval frameworks through keyphrase assignment, aiming to expose students to new terminologies, therefore reducing the dependency of having background knowledge about the domain under study. We evaluated this framework and identified how it can be enhanced to suggest more effective search keyphrases. Our proposed suggestion is to introduce a keyphrase Ranking Mechanism that will improve the keyphrase assignment part of the framework by taking into consideration the part‐of‐speech of the generated keyphrases. To evaluate the proposed approach, various data sets were downloaded and processed. The results obtained showed that our proposed approach produces more effective keyphrases than the existing framework.
A novel linearizing technique for GaAs power amplifiers

A novel linearizing technique for GaAs power amplifier is proposed. This technique is introduced for digital mobile communication systems that employ /spl pi//4-shift QPSK modulation. It allows the power amplifier to offer both high efficiency and low adjacent-channel power leakage (ACP). A linearized amplifier achieves a power added efficiency (PAE) level approximately 10% higher than that of an ordinary amplifier.
Investigating Indonesian EFL pre-service teachers’ conceptions of culture and intercultural competence

Globalization inevitably increases communication among people from different languages and cultural backgrounds. This phenomenon dramatically demands changes in the traditional aims of language teaching which rely on the norms and values of native-speaking countries. A large body of literature encourages language teaching to be concerned more with intercultural competence (hereinafter IC), which is allegedly effective to help students achieve successful intercultural communication. Nonetheless, in the Indonesian context, there is still an iota of evidence regarding pre-service teachers’ understandings of the terms culture and IC. Thus, this study attempts to gain insights into Indonesian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pre-service teachers’ understandings of culture and IC. It is considered as a single case study employing questionnaires and interviews. In total, 26 EFL pre-service teachers participated in this study by answering a questionnaire, with mainly close-ended and some open-ended questions. From these participants, seven pre-service teachers were interviewed. The results suggested the discrepancy in the participants’ understandings of culture and IC. This condition may hinder the meaningful goals of cultural teaching and the effective pedagogical practices in their future EFL classrooms. Drawing on the results, the present study provides some recommendations for the pre-service teachers and teacher education in an attempt to develop cultural teaching in English Language Teaching (ELT).
Long working hours and exhaustion: A test of rumination as a mediator among mobile-flexible employees in activity-based offices

The present study examines the effect of extended work hours on experienced exhaustion in the evening in mobile-flexible employees who work in activity-flexible offices. In a seven-day diary study, it was anticipated that daily rumination is a mediator, linked to additional daily exhaustion in individuals. In a morning questionnaire, mobile-flexible employees completed daily questions about the link between extended work hours and exhaustion. Thirty-three employees completed daily questions on the extension of working hours, rumination, and exhaustion. Multilevel analyses of up to 238 daily measurements revealed that more intense extension of working hours predicted more rumination as well as exhaustion. Extended work hours and rumination both predicted more exhaustion. A test of the indirect effects showed no mediation from the extension of working hours via rumination to exhaustion. When designing mobile-flexible work models, overtime is a risk. Occupational prevention of exhaustion should promote recovery processes, especially as new work models may lead to increased rumination due to more personal responsibility of employees.
Youth in Residential Facilities: “Am I Safe?,” “Do I Matter?,” and “Do You Care?”

ABSTRACT Youth in residential facilities need to perceive that they are safe. Their perceptions of the quality of treatment and care they receive are affected by how staff behave toward and communication with them as well as by the extent to which they can participate in decisions about their daily lives and futures. To better understand how youth perceive safety and experience residential facilities, we conducted a qualitative study involving eight youths between 16 and 18 years of age living in Norwegian public residential facilities. We investigated 1) their perceptions of safety and 2) their experiences of and reaction to staff behaviors and attitudes. Our findings show that these youths perceive safety as related to their own room and to the people around them. They also indicate that the everyday life of youths can vary: it may be characterized by passivity and by waiting for the start of life or of daily activities, such as school. Our findings about staff attitude and behavior point to the need for youth care services to focus on the communication abilities of staff rather than on the problematic behaviors of youth. These findings have implications for facilities that provide care and treatment to youth.
Correlations between Persistent Olfactory and Semantic Memory Disorders after SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Background: One of the main symptoms of COVID-19 is hyposmia or even anosmia. Olfactory identification is most often affected. In addition, some cognitive disorders tend to appear following the infection, particularly regarding executive functions, attention, and memory. Olfaction, and especially olfactory identification, is related to semantic memory which manages general knowledge about the world. The main objective of this study was to determine whether semantic memory is impaired in case of persistent post COVID-19 olfactory disorders. Methods: 84 patients (average age of 42.8 ± 13.6 years) with post COVID-19 olfactory loss were included after consulting to the ENT department. The clinical evaluation was carried out with the Pyramid and Palm Tree Test, the word-retrieval task from the Grémots, the Sniffin’ Sticks Test and the Computerised Olfactory Test for the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. Results: Semantic memory was impaired in 20% (n = 17) of patients, especially in the 19–39 age-group. The olfactory threshold was only significantly correlated with the semantic memory scores. Conclusions: Similar to all cognitive disorders, semantic disorders can have a negative impact on quality of life if left untreated. It is essential to carry out specific assessments of post COVID-19 patients to accurately determine their disorders and to put in place the best possible rehabilitation, such as speech and language therapy, to avoid quality-of-life impairment.
Hepatic Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Risk of Liver Disease in an Ovine Model of “PCOS Males”

First-degree male relatives of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) sufferers can develop metabolic abnormalities evidenced by elevated circulating cholesterol and triglycerides, suggestive of a male PCOS equivalent. Similarly, male sheep overexposed to excess androgens in fetal life develop dyslipidaemia in adolescence. Dyslipidaemia, altered lipid metabolism, and dysfunctional hepatic mitochondria are associated with the development of non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD). We therefore dissected hepatic mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism in adolescent prenatally androgenized (PA) males from an ovine model of PCOS. Testosterone was directly administered to male ovine fetuses to create prenatal androgenic overexposure. Liver RNA sequencing and proteomics occurred at 6 months of age. Hepatic lipids, glycogen, ATP, reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA damage, and collagen were assessed. Adolescent PA males had an increased accumulation of hepatic cholesterol and glycogen, together with perturbed glucose and fatty acid metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, with altered mitochondrial transport, decreased oxidative phosphorylation and ATP synthesis, and impaired mitophagy. Mitochondrial dysfunction in PA males was associated with increased hepatic ROS level and signs of early liver fibrosis, with clinical relevance to NAFLD progression. We conclude that excess in utero androgen exposure in male fetuses leads to a PCOS-like metabolic phenotype with dysregulated mitochondrial function and likely lifelong health sequelae.
Virtual Reality versus Desktop Experience in a Dangerous Goods Simulator

Virtual Reality applications have become a trend in training simulators as an alternative to desktop applications. However, further study is needed on how these types of serious games, which often include several modes of interaction, can improve the user experience. In this sense, this paper analyzes the differences between playing serious first-person games on a desktop computer versus playing in Virtual Reality. For this purpose, two versions of a dangerous goods unloading simulator have been implemented. The first one was developed as a classic desktop game with keyboard and mouse-based interaction, while the second was for Virtual Reality devices. The user experience has been measured with the In-game version of the Game Experience Questionnaire. With this, aspects related to immersion, flow, positive emotions, and psychological needs have been compared for these two platforms. The study shows that the Virtual Reality experience produces a better overall game experience for most analyzed items. Nevertheless, the results highlight a significant dependence between the application type and the game experience induced on the player.
Controllability and Optimization of Multibody Systems

There are various designs and control tasks for multibody systems (MBS), where continuously increasing demands for higher speed, improved motion accuracy, and reduced energy consumption are to be satisfied. In order to achieve such complicated performance optimization, it is very important to study MBS controllability and their design criteria. An explicit, necessary and sufficient condition has been found to guarantee robustness of decentralized controllers against arbitrary, but bounded disturbances. Thus the feedback control design can be based on optimal trade-off relationships between the bounds of disturbances and the control force limits. These and other reasonable design criteria will be considered in this paper. The design concepts will be illustrated with several examples concerning shape, mass distribution, as well as actuators sizes and locations of controlled MBS.
Requirements Gathering for the Development of a Game for Therapy Sessions with Autistic Children to Encourage Social Communication

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are very sensitive to social situations and have difficulties interacting with their peers. In order to mitigate this difficulty, therapeutic treatment is often used. Games, which can be used for many different purposes, can also be used as an Assistive Technology (AT) in the therapy process, in order to encourage social communication and collaboration, which are very important skills in daily life. A Systematic Review (SR) was conducted using two research questions to gather more information about the theme. In parallel, a survey was applied to support the results of the SR. We found that genres of games that are likely to enhance collaboration are collaborative brain games (such as puzzle or memory games). We also found that games should be very minimalist (with a low number of players) and contain clear language, avoiding figures of speech. The results of this paper will be used as a basis to develop a game as an AT for the therapy of children with ASD in the future.
Multi‐unit ownership and market power: A study of the lodging industry in Texas

As franchisees in the retail and service industries become experienced and acquire local market knowledge, they are likely to own multiple franchised units. Given non(or weak) exclusive clauses in franchising contracts or industry norms, some of these multi-unit owners are affiliated with multiple franchisors. Agency and transaction cost theories, the classic theoretical framework to analyze franchising, cannot explain this type of multi-franchisor affiliation because this type of ownership would create incentive problems across franchisors. Conversely, this paper investigates whether this type of the multi-unit ownership can be explained by the exercise of market power by these franchisees. We test this hypothesis in geographically clustered markets (hotels near the interstate highway exits), where multi-unit ownership is common. We first show that multi-unit owners affiliated with multiple franchisors charge higher prices than other franchisors. Then, in our main analysis, we show that one explanation for this pattern is the existence of market power: without multi-unit ownership, prices at these hotels would decrease by 9%, on average (and market-level volume sales would increase by 7.52%). These results help explain why franchisors might be willing to engage in franchising contracts with franchisees that operate units associated with different franchisors.
Multimorbidity and mortality: A data science perspective

Background With multimorbidity becoming the norm rather than the exception, the management of multiple chronic diseases is a major challenge facing healthcare systems worldwide. Methods Using a large, nationally representative database of electronic medical records from the United Kingdom spanning the years 2005–2016 and consisting over 4.5 million patients, we apply statistical methods and network analysis to identify comorbid pairs and triads of diseases and identify clusters of chronic conditions across different demographic groups. Unlike many previous studies, which generally adopt cross-sectional designs based on single snapshots of closed cohorts, we adopt a longitudinal approach to examine temporal changes in the patterns of multimorbidity. In addition, we perform survival analysis to examine the impact of multimorbidity on mortality. Results The proportion of the population with multimorbidity has increased by approximately 2.5 percentage points over the last decade, with more than 17% having at least two chronic morbidities. We find that the prevalence and the severity of multimorbidity, as quantified by the number of co-occurring chronic conditions, increase progressively with age. Stratifying by socioeconomic status, we find that people living in more deprived areas are more likely to be multimorbid compared to those living in more affluent areas at all ages. The same trend holds consistently for all years in our data. In general, hypertension, diabetes, and respiratory-related diseases demonstrate high in-degree centrality and eigencentrality, while cardiac disorders show high out-degree centrality. Conclusions We use data-driven methods to characterize multimorbidity patterns in different demographic groups and their evolution over the past decade. In addition to a number of strongly associated comorbid pairs (e.g., cardiac-vascular and cardiac-metabolic disorders), we identify three principal clusters: a respiratory cluster, a cardiovascular cluster, and a mixed cardiovascular-renal-metabolic cluster. These are supported by established pathophysiological mechanisms and shared risk factors, and largely confirm and expand on the results of existing studies in the medical literature. Our findings contribute to a more quantitative understanding of the epidemiology of multimorbidity, an important pre-requisite for developing more effective medical care and policy for multimorbid patients.
Establishing physical functioning, quality of life and well-being during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia

The sudden emergence of COVID-19 has led to the confinement of people in homes around the world. In Croatia as well, people were in self-isolation and stayed at home. Since confinement conditions may greatly affect physical and mental health, we investigated the scope of physical activity (PA), well-being and quality of life. A total of 580 adults were surveyed online about PA and health-related quality of life during the lockdown in Croatia. The results have shown that men are more involved in vigorous-intensity PA and have better physical and mental health in almost all domains. When comparing respondents regarding categories of PA, participants with high levels of PA function better physically, have fewer role limitations due to emotional problems and have higher levels of emotional well-being, vitality, and general health. Males, participants with lower BMI, fewer role limitations due to emotional problems, greater vitality and better social functioning have better physical health. Participants who consider that their PA is adequate and engage more in PA, who have fewer role limitations due to physical health, less physical pain, and better general health have better mental health. The results provide insights into the physical and mental components of health during the pandemic. This supports the premise that physical and mental health are highly dependent, and that there is a need to promote the importance of PA, especially for women and those who are less physically active in pandemic times.
High‐speed 6‐DOF structural displacement monitoring by fusing ViSP (Visually Servoed Paired structured light system) and IMU with extended Kalman filter

In previous studies, a visually servoed paired structured light system (ViSP) was proposed to estimate structural displacement with high accuracy at low cost. Although the performance of the system has been verified from various simulations and experimental tests, it has a limitation that high‐speed dynamic displacement cannot be measured properly due to the relatively low sampling rate. To speed up ViSP, in this paper, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) with a high sampling rate is concurrently used with ViSP in a Kalman filtering framework. By combining measured accelerations and angular velocities from the IMU with the estimated 6‐DOF displacement from ViSP, high‐speed structural movement can be monitored with high accuracy. In the proposed data fusion method, named ViSP‐IMU, random biases of the IMU are calibrated by using the estimated displacement results from ViSP‐IMU. We perform experimental tests and verify the efficacy of the proposed algorithm as a promising structural displacement estimation method which guarantees high accuracy and a high sampling rate. Also, the proposed bias compensation method can effectively reduce the displacement estimation error by minimizing the difference between estimated displacements from the IMU and ViSP‐IMU. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Steel bridge long-term performance research technology framework and research progress

To ensure structural sustainability, it is necessary to conduct steel bridge long-term performance study, including bridge design, evaluation, maintenance, and reinforcement technology. The research on steel bridge long-term performance is introduced in four aspects: (1) fatigue performance experimental study for full-scale orthotropic steel bridge decks in laboratory to study its fatigue failure mechanism, in order to improve fatigue design methodology and find rational reinforcement and maintenance method; (2) conducting steel bridge out-of-plane distortion-induced fatigue performance study, and developing cold reinforcement method; (3) performance study for base material and typical joint under long-term vehicle and environmental effect in aging steel bridges, and safety assessment and maintenance of existing steel bridge; (4) temperature gradient monitoring for steel box girder model to build the temperature design mode. Meantime, in-situ tests and monitoring are conducted for steel bridge long-term performance detection, assessment, and maintenance. The study results in this article build the research framework of steel bridge long-term performance preliminarily, which is the basis for steel bridge sustainable design, maintenance, and cold reinforcement methodology system.
The Effect of MI Varnish™ on Caries Increment and Dietary Habits among 6- and 12-Year-Old Children in Riga, Latvia: A 3-Year Randomized Controlled Trial

Aims: This randomized controlled trial investigated the effect of MI Varnish™ (5% NaF/CPP-ACP) on caries increment in 6- and 12-year-old children in Riga, Latvia within 36 months. Methods: Forty-eight 6-year-old children (Group 1) and forty-seven 12-year-old children (Group 3) received quarterly varnish application, while forty-eight 6-year-old children (Group 2) and thirty-seven 12-year-old children (Group 4) did not have varnish applied. All children/parents received the same preventive advice. All children were visually examined using ICDAS-II criteria. Questionnaires on dietary habits were completed by the children/parents at baseline and after 36 months. DMFS and dfs were calculated from ICDAS data. The statistical analysis was performed (α = 0.05) using a Chi-squared test, paired t-test (Welch test) and the Pearson correlation coefficient. The trial registration number is ISRCTN10584414. Results: In Group 1 versus Group 2, the DMFS(SD) (Baseline/36 months) values were 5.02(5.85)/13.21(6.67) (p < 0.001) versus 2.65(4.54)/10.81(6.14) (p < 0.001), respectively; the dfs(SD) (Baseline/36 months) values were 36.75(12.96)/24.04(12.9) (p < 0.001) versus 33.67(12.74)/23.88(11.91) (p < 0.001), respectively. In Group 3 versus Group 4, the DMFS(SD) (Baseline/36 months) values were 48.62(23.18)/70.96(23.28) (p < 0.001) versus 34.73(17.99)/54.95(16.09) (p < 0.001), respectively; the dfs(SD) (Baseline/36 months) values were 1.7(4.4)/0 (p < 0.05) versus 2(6.39)/0 (p = 0.06), respectively. The prevalence of caries (dfs + DMFS) decreased by 4.52 (p < 0.001) and 1.63 (p < 0.001) in Groups 1 and 2, respectively, but increased by 20.64 (p < 0.001) and 18.22 (p < 0.001) in Groups 3 and 4, respectively. An analysis of the questionnaires indicated the habitual, frequent consumption of a sugary diet by all the children. A significant correlation (r = 0.321; p < 0.05) was observed between caries increment and the frequency of daily intake of sugary snacks, soft drinks and tea with sugar at baseline only in Group 1. Conclusions: A quarterly application of MI varnish (CPP-ACP/fluoride) reduced caries increment in 6- and 12-year-old children in Riga, Latvia.