Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of a low-cost weigh-in-motion vehicle characterization system

The integration of load tracking systems for structural health monitoring of road infrastructures is a big leap towards future smart cities, allowing efficient policy making for sustainable development and maintenance, also, supporting fast decision taking with respect to unforeseen events. To facilitate deployment, the load sensing system should be low-cost, easily applicable to any type of road infrastructure, highly durable, and require minimum maintenance. In this context, the authors introduce a novel weigh-in-motion (WIM) system for load sensing and vehicle characterization. The integration of the proposed WIM system with proper signal processing techniques enables the real-time alert of traffic conditions, for example overloads. The sensor is a smart road pavement that generates voltage signals upon the passage of a vehicle. The voltage signals are generated through the piezoresistive effect of the material produced by the inclusion of carbon micro fibers. These signals are processed to generate information about vehicle weight, speed, and class. Preliminary results from field tests show the promise of this technology at WIM sensing.
Polymer surface modification using He/O2 RF remote low‐pressure plasma

In this study, He/O2 plasma mixture, induced in a radio frequency (RF) low‐pressure remote plasma system, has been characterized and employed for polymer surface modification. Actinometry optical emission spectroscopy (AOES) and Langmuir probe techniques were used to evaluate the plasma active species contributing to polymer surface modification. These active species involve the atomic oxygen [O] and the electrons (ne). Five different polymers (poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMMA], polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE], polyethylene [PE], polyvinyl chloride [PVC], and polystyrene [PS]) were plasma treated and subsequently characterized for etching rate, surface morphology using atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique, and chemical elemental composition using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique.
Synthesis of Polysuccinimide and Determination of the Intrinsic Viscosity

Polysuccinimide of high molecular weight was gained,based on maleic anhydride as the raw material.The structure of polysuccinimide was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrum(FT-IR),which showed that the characteristic imide peaks of five members ring.According to the FT-IR image,the reaction mechanism was inferred.The decomposition temperature of polysuccinimide was 387 ℃ from thermogravimetry-differential scanning analysis.The molecular weight of polysuccinimide was determined by viscosity limit law.It was difficult to gain the molecular weight through conventional method due to the adsorption of polymer to the capillary inwall.It came a much better result through flow time(t)and solution density(ρ). Then the molecular weight of polysuccinimide was measured of 11,110,it was much higher than the reported in the literature.
Welding Technologies for Repairing Plastic Injection Moulds

The aim of the present paper is to investigate the metallurgical behaviour of AISI P20 tool steel frequently used in injection moulds, after welding. For this purpose Tig and Laser welding tests were conducted to determine the influence of the welding parameters, materials and preheating. The welding quality was assessed through the microstructural properties and microhardness evolution. The results achieved with the different processes were compared. This work allows to obtain a deeper knowledge concerning tool steels behaviour after welding.
The adaptation process of the Comprehensive Aphasia Test into CAT-Turkish: psycholinguistic and clinical considerations

ABSTRACT Background and Aim Cross-linguistic adaptations of aphasia assessment tools in Turkey are needed to improve aphasia assessment and rehabilitation with individuals speaking languages other than well-resourced languages. Aligned with this need, we conducted several studies to propose an adaptation of “The Comprehensive Aphasia Test” (CAT) into Turkish. Methods During this adaptation process; (a) lexical/linguistic and visual stimuli in CAT’s Language Battery subtests were evaluated by examining their imageability, familiarity, and name agreement features through rating studies, and two pilot studies for (b) Cognitive Screening and (c) Language Battery sections were carried out. In the stimuli norming studies, 71 undergraduate students (aged 20–24) rated 236 words in the Imageability and Familiarity tasks; 40 participants (aged 30–60) named 244 pictures in the Name Agreement task. Two sections of the CAT-TR were administered to different groups of subjects with aphasia (PWA) and matched controls. Fourteen PWA (and 14 controls) were presented the Cognitive Screening section, and a different group (PWA = 20, controls = 20) completed the Language Battery section. Results The imageability and familiarity ratings of 236 words and name agreement (% – H statistic) values of 244 pictures were calculated. Imageability and familiarity ratings of the words had a positive strong correlation with each other. Items with a name agreement of 85% or more were considered high name agreement. As anticipated, the control groups both in the Cognitive Screening and the Language Battery sections performed better than the PWA group. As a result, no further adaptive changes were suggested for these sections. Conclusion Results of these studies have shown that the Comprehensive Aphasia Test-Turkish is culturally and linguistically appropriate for Turkish speakers with aphasia. Therefore, future studies should assess its validity and reliability, and establish norms for its clinical interpretation.
A method of joining piecewise functions to produce continuous functions of difficult data

This article describes a method of modelling data that involves splitting the curve into two (or more) and creating separate piecewise functions for each part; these functions are then concatenated via a linking function to create one overall continuous function that better describes the original data than is otherwise achievable. The linking function is able to do this by separating the original two (or more) subfunctions so that they are each active in only the relevant portion of the overall curve without the use of dummy variables. The final result is a continuous function in which it is straightforward to smooth the transition at the knot between the piecewise subfunctions. In addition, the piecewise subfunctions do not need to align at the knot since the degree of smoothing is very readily controlled. All types of functions may be concatenated so that the method is flexible and relatively simple to apply.
ECONOMIC BURDEN OF A NEGLECTED TROPICAL DIS-EASE IN AFRICA: THE CASE OF HUMAN AFRICAN TRYP-ANOSOMIASIS

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a category of diseases that cause severe infection to over one billion people worldwide. They impact the world’s poorest people, decrease the quality of life and productivity of employees, hinder physical and cognitive growth, contribute to maternal and child disease and even death. Despite the risks, they are overshadowed by the efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, and considered to be “other diseases” that are not really catered for. Hence, this paper analyzed the economic burden of neglected tropical diseases in Africa from 2000 to 2018. Data used were Gross Domestic Product (GDP), human African trypanosomiasis reported cases, current health spending, net official development assistance, consumer price index and exchange rate. The second-generation econometric methods were employed: cross sectional dependence, slope homogeneity, Westerlund cointegration, Pesaran and Smith MG, Pesaran CCEMG and Eberhardt and Teal AMG estimation. Findings confirm the following: first, cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity exist among African countries; second, there is a long run relationship between GDP and NTDs; third, NTDs impacted negatively and significantly GDP, therefore, they stand as a serious detriment to economic growth in Africa. The study suggested that governments in Africa should raise funds to eradicate NTDs and provide an improvement of the environmental conditions that lead to their spread, such as clean water, enhanced sanitation initiatives and vector control.
Application of smog chambers in atmospheric process studies

Abstract Smog chamber experimental systems, which have been widely used in laboratory simulation for studying atmospheric processes, are comprehensively reviewed in this paper. The components, development history, main research topics and main achievements of smog chambers are introduced. Typical smog chambers in the world, including their volumes, wall materials, light sources and features, are summarized and compared. Key factors of smog chambers and their influences on the simulation of the atmospheric environment are discussed, including wall loss, wall emission and background pollutants. The features of next-generation smog chambers and their application prospect in future studies of the atmospheric environment are also outlined in this paper.
“Shelter at Home, if You Can:” Community Vulnerability and Residential Sequestering During the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020

ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of community vulnerability on residential sequestering across counties in the United States. Powerlessness and racialized politics are two hypothesized reasons for why community vulnerability affects social distancing behavior. Powerlessness is tied to the socioeconomic disadvantages of places, which intertwines with politics and race to produce a stratified response to the pandemic. We examine these dynamics with analyses that account for the disease epidemiology and other demographic factors. Data come from multiple sources, including Google’s Mobility Reports and Cuebiq’s Mobility Insights. Growth curve analyses find that socioeconomic disadvantage, political orientation, and racial composition independently explain the rate of change in mobility and peak residential sequestering levels during the initial outbreak. These conceptually separate dimensions of community vulnerability operate in concert, rather than as substitutes or as competing explanations, to impact the behavioral response to COVID-19.
The moderating effect of perceived environmental uncertainty and task uncertainty on the relationship between performance management system practices and organizational performance: evidence from Vietnam

Abstract This study examines the moderating effect of perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) and task uncertainty on relationships between performance management system (PMS) practices and organizational performance in Vietnam. We examine the five PMS practices codified by Ferreira and Otley's paper in 2009,adopting non-financial performance measures (NFPMs), decentralizing decision-making, lower-level manager participation in setting organizational performance targets, interactive use of NFPMs, and objectivity in performance evaluation and rewards. Employing partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyze survey data obtained from managers of companies listed on the Vietnamese Stock Exchange, we find three PMS practices—adopting non-financial performance measures (NFPMs), decentralizing decision-making, lower-level manager participation in setting organizational performance targets—are positively associated with organizational performance. However, these positive associations are considerably malleable in the face of PEU and task uncertainty. Our finding suggests that only lower-level manager participation in setting organizational performance targets positively impacts organizational performance under PEU, whilst only decentralizing decision-making has a significant and positive effect on organizational performance under task uncertainty. The study contributes to a growing body of knowledge on the effectiveness of PMS practices for organizational performance, particularly in times of uncertainty.
Perception and Action under Different Stimulus Presentations: A Review of Eye-Tracking Studies with an Extended View on Possibilities of Virtual Reality

Visual anticipation is essential for performance in sports. This review provides information on the differences between stimulus presentations and motor responses in eye-tracking studies and considers virtual reality (VR), a new possibility to present stimuli. A systematic literature search on PubMed, ScienceDirect, IEEE Xplore, and SURF was conducted. The number of studies examining the influence of stimulus presentation (in situ, video) is deficient but still sufficient to describe differences in gaze behavior. The seven reviewed studies indicate that stimulus presentations can cause differences in gaze behavior. Further research should focus on displaying game situations via VR. The advantages of a scientific approach using VR are experimental control and repeatability. In addition, game situations could be standardized and movement responses could be included in the analysis.
Stabilization of water-in-water pickering emulsions by charged particles

Abstract The stability of Pickering emulsions depends on interfacial coverage of the emulsion droplets. Since, the interfacial thickness of water-water interface is very high, particles of comparable thickness can stabilize water-in-water (w/w) emulsions. To achieve this, mixture of oppositely charged particles are used, which are known to form large neutral aggregates and can be effective stabilizers for such emulsions. The w/w emulsions were formed by mixing PEO and dextran at different composition and the effect of surface charge of the particles on the kinetic stability of dextran-in-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) (D/P) emulsions was investigated. The phase preference of charged particles was also determined. The emulsions were visualized by confocal laser scanning microscope and characterized by drop size distribution and time evolution of drop size. It was found that negatively charged particles and mixture of oppositely charged particles (OCP) preferred the PEO phase and stabilize D/P emulsions. However, only the OCP were more effective stabilizers as they achieved complete interfacial coverage. Graphical Abstract
Academic success factors in university students with disabilities: a systematic review

ABSTRACT This study provides a systematic review of the literature on what factors university students with disabilities recognise as necessary for their academic success. This systematic review was conducted in ERIC, Scopus and Web of Science. The opinions of 3854 students in a total of 31 qualitative and quantitative studies were analysed through a system of categories and codes. The results were organised according to the description of the studies (type of methodology, country and type of disability) and personal and external factors favouring success. Among the personal factors of students with disabilities who progress and remain at university, self-advocacy, self-awareness, self-determination, self-esteem and executive functioning stood out. Regarding external factors, the following were identified: family, disability offices, staff and faculty members, and peers that influence their academic success. This paper includes significant findings that universities can use to develop actions that promote the development of some of the factors identified in this study, thus favouring the learning and academic success of students with disabilities.
Number of Acquaintances vs Individual Social Capital of Librarians

ABSTRACT Social capital is an important factor that stimulates integration and engagement of local communities. Libraries may contribute to these processes, provided they meet specific conditions. First of all, the librarians need to be outgoing, trusting and eager to help, to make contacts with users easier. A high level of individual social capital and an active and extensive social network (measured by the number of acquaintances) contribute to the development of social capital in library communities. The purpose of the analysis presented in this paper is to show the social activity of library personnel, focusing in particular on the number of acquaintances. A statistical analysis of survey feedback from librarians from 20 countries across the world was conducted in order to determine how extensive the social network of librarians working in different types of libraries and on different positions is and what independent variables influence that network. The number of acquaintances is another indicator, alongside the level of trust, of social capital. The study provided a better insight into the social relations mechanisms that take place in libraries. This is important, because library functions have been evolving in recent years, shifting their focus to social engagement and integration.
A Radiocarbon Sequence for the Late Bronze to Iron Age Transition at Ashkelon: Timing Early Philistine Pottery

From 1985–2014, the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon excavated a trench on the north side of Ashkelon’s central mound (Grid 38) exposing a Bronze and Iron Age sequence over an area of some 450 m2. By combining different radiocarbon sampling strategies used over the years of excavation, an absolute chrono-cultural scheme is constructed for the latter half of the 2nd millennium b.c.e. with a focus on the transition to the Iron Age. This chronology is then synchronized with several nearby sites.
Adaptive Shape Fitting for Lidar object Detection and Tracking in Maritime Applications

environmental perception and monitoring play essential roles in maritime automation. besides radar, the use of LidAr for maritime surveillance has been increasing in recent years thanks to its high accuracy, high data density and good robustness against varying lighting conditions. this paper presents a novel approach for an adaptive shape-fitting technique using LidAr point clouds in maritime applications, improving the object-tracking performance. the clustered LidAr point clouds are fitted into bounding boxes or elliptic cylinders depending on their geometric shapes. A fitting score based on mean squared error is used for the shape decision. Afterwards, the extracted objects are associated with those in the past frames and tracked using an adaptive extended kalman filter. the proposed algorithm is validated in simulation and post-processing using real-world test data. in simulations, the proposed adaptive shape-fitting technique shows a high object positioning and heading accuracy and guarantees a good object-tracking behaviour with a positioning error of 1.5 m. the proposed algorithm’s efficiency and robustness are further validated using test data recorded in the real-world using an unmanned surface vehicle equipped with LidAr and gnss in rostock harbour, germany. test results show that the proposed adaptive shape-fitting technique helps the multi-object tracker reach a 2d position error of approximately 2 m with an update rate of 10 hz, which is sufficient for object tracking in maritime applications. the size accuracy is improved by 10%, and heading accuracy is improved by 16% compared with multi-object tracking approaches only using L-shape fitting.
Youtube musicians and self-perceived multimedia, hypermedia, intertextual and transmedia competencies

ABSTRACT YouTube has grown into an unprecedented music industry where informal learning practices converge among young musicians now considered authentic internet (micro)celebrities. Due to the rise of music video trends on the platform and the educative demands to explore youth interaction on the internet, this study analyses the self-perception of youtubers in terms of multimedia, hypermedia, intertextual and transmedia competencies. For this purpose, we developed a questionnaire on musical competencies (TransMuQ), in which 603 young youtubers from Spanish and English-speaking countries participated. We found that YouTube’s performers consider themselves proficient in the aesthetics, participation and interaction, multimodal languages, technology, content creation and risk and individual management dimensions. After an extensive theory on the experimental analysis of these competencies in citizenship, we propose a new approach towards interactive codes of young YouTube musicians. The research provides a clarifying positivism about what youtubers themselves believe they are learning in the era of ephemeral digital content.
Design in the public sector: Toward a human centred model of public governance

ABSTRACT In recent years, design has emerged as an approach to shaping public policies and services. However, how design works in the public sector has not been rigorously studied. This paper analyses 15 cases of design in the public sector to arrive at a theoretical characterization of design in the public sector that aligns with descriptions in non-public settings, with some differences. We also consider whether public design practices might signal the emergence of human centred models of public governance that offer new openings for creative influences and serve as a constructive counterbalance to more bureaucratic and analytical traditions.
Experimental study of bubble-droplet interaction in water; the effect of water salinity on the drainage time

Abstract Interaction between an air bubble and an oil droplet in aqueous mediums was studied experimentally to investigate the encapsulation phenomena in ternary fluid systems. A special experimental setup was designed, and the influence of the bubble-droplet size and water salinity on the drainage times of the intervening pseudo-emulsion film were investigated. The drainage, coverage, and rupture times for the studied sizes (200–700 µm) were found to be in the range of 0.07–5.6 s, 20–70 ms, and less than 1 ms, respectively. The drainage times for de-ionized water first increase with equivalent radius, from slightly more than 1 s to around 3 s, then decrease into 1 s again for radiuses larger than 550 µm. On the other hand, a decrease in the measured drainage times was observed in the high salt concentrations (1 M NaCl), and their values remain less than 1 s for the studied bubble-droplet radius. The results also show that the drainage times in pure water are scattered, while the obtained data for the salt solution suggests a concentrative nature. Based on the interplay between capillary and disjoining pressures, it was argued that in the latter case, the outcome of the interaction is independent of the random fluctuations and instabilities and seems to be deterministic, while for the former, these microscopic events control the drainage and coalescence process. Graphical Abstract
Agrivoltaic Systems Design and Assessment: A Critical Review, and a Descriptive Model towards a Sustainable Landscape Vision (Three-Dimensional Agrivoltaic Patterns)

As an answer to the increasing demand for photovoltaics as a key element in the energy transition strategy of many countries—which entails land use issues, as well as concerns regarding landscape transformation, biodiversity, ecosystems and human well-being—new approaches and market segments have emerged that consider integrated perspectives. Among these, agrivoltaics is emerging as very promising for allowing benefits in the food–energy (and water) nexus. Demonstrative projects are developing worldwide, and experience with varied design solutions suitable for the scale up to commercial scale is being gathered based primarily on efficiency considerations; nevertheless, it is unquestionable that with the increase in the size, from the demonstration to the commercial scale, attention has to be paid to ecological impacts associated to specific design choices, and namely to those related to landscape transformation issues. This study reviews and analyzes the technological and spatial design options that have become available to date implementing a rigorous, comprehensive analysis based on the most updated knowledge in the field, and proposes a thorough methodology based on design and performance parameters that enable us to define the main attributes of the system from a trans-disciplinary perspective.