Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selection of Antenna Type and Frequency for Pavement Surveys Using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

With the improvement of antennae technology and the advancement of data analysis techniques, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is playing an increasingly important role in nondestructive pavement surveys. To use GPR for various pavement evaluation tasks, a proper GPR antenna should be selected based on its type and frequency. However, no quantitative guidance is currently available to help practitioners and researchers choose the appropriate GPR system for a certain pavement evaluations. This paper proposes guidelines for selecting an appropriate GPR system for a particular pavement evaluation task. In this study, five antennae were investigated: 2.0GHz, 1.0GHz, and 0.5GHz air-coupled antennae; and 1.5GHz and 0.9GHz ground-coupled antennae. GPR tests were performed on various types of pavements, including full depth hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavements, plain concrete pavements, composite pavements with HMA surfaces over jointed concrete pavements (JCP), and continuously reinforced concrete pavements (CRCP). For each type of pavement, the authors provide recommendations for an appropriate GPR system based on resolution and penetration depth requirements.
The Perceived Likelihood of Spousal Violence: A Mind Genomics Exploration

We present a new way to understand how people perceive situations involving other people, situations that could be considered part of the everyday. The approach is Mind Genomics, which assesses the response of people to short, systematically varied vignettes about situations and other people. The responses to these vignettes are deconstructed into the part-worth contribution of the component elements that the vignette comprises, showing the ‘algebra of the mind. ’ The deconstruction also is done on response time to the vignettes, showing the ability of the elements to engage attention when the respondent makes a judgment. When Mind Genomics is applied to descriptions of family life under stress, the data suggest that some elements are linked to predicted violence, others are not. Women appear to be more sensitive than men to the individual elements. Three different mind-sets emerged with different perceived ‘triggers’ to predicted family violence, with each mind-set encompassing both men and women: Mind-Set 1 - no specific warning; Mind-Set 2 - Sensitive to the economy; Mind-Set 3 - Family has problems. We present the PVI (personal viewpoint identifier) as a technique to assign new people to these mind-sets.
Expressions of Authentic Voice: Urban High School Students’ Perceptions of Teaching as a Career Choice While Participating in a Pipeline Program for Aspiring Teachers of Color

Students of color do not pursue teaching careers as often as their white counterparts. Project Teacher Development (PTD) is a partnership between a large urban school district and a public regional university to recruit and prepare students of color as future educators. The goal of PTD is to identify, mentor, and inspire high school students to pursue careers in education using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as an interpretive framework. Results from this longitudinal qualitative study indicate increased awareness of teaching skills and expectations for college. Too often, programs in education expect future teachers of color to divorce themselves from their racial and ethnic identities. Participants in this study expressed authentic voice, which is essential to develop autonomy, relatedness, and competence—the foundational elements of SDT. While the challenges of recruiting and preparing teachers of color remain multifaceted, specialized pipeline programs that maximize success for marginalized students are essential.
Is Information Privacy Awareness Important for Indonesian Social Media Instagram Users?

In the current information technology era, social media users increase every year. Recorded in 2017, among 143.26 million internet users, 87.13% or about 124.82 million used social media as part of lifestyle. There are some crimes such as robberies and murder happen caused by posting pictures or video regarding the privacy of Instagram users. In this research, there are some actions that users can do to avoid the crimes. This research aims to measure the privacy awareness of Instagram users in Indonesia by doing measurement using three dimensions of awareness such as Attitude, Knowledge, Behavior with four focus areas of privacy, namely Perceived Surveillance, Perceived Intrusion, Secondary Use of Information, Disclosing Personal Information. This research used the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to measure the privacy awareness of Instagram users in Indonesia. Privacy awareness level in all dimensions is good. However, the attitude dimension with focus areas on perceived surveillance and perceived intrusion is still in the criterion of average awareness. It means that those focus areas potentially need treatment to improve such as being more careful while posting some content on Instagram because unauthorized people can get access more easily to the user's personal information and the users’ activities.
Manual

Fish ball tofu is a snack made with tofu and fish batter as a filling. The meatball molding by hand requires more energy and time and poses a risk to the quality of the fish ball tofu product. This research aims to make a batter-filling tool of fish ball tofu that is easy to use and safe for batter products. The fish ball tofu batter-filling tool is designed by considering the driving force, size, ease of operation, maintenance
Improving heavy vehicle emergency braking systems

This paper introduces a sliding mode braking force observer to support a sliding mode controller for air-braked heavy vehicles. The performance of the observer is examined through simulations and field testing of an articulated heavy vehicle. The observer was found to operate robustly during single-wheel vehicle simulations, and provide reasonable estimates of surface friction from test data. The effect of brake gain errors on the controller and observer are illustrated, and a recursive least squares estimator is derived for the brake gain. The estimator converged within 0.3 s in simulations and vehicle trials. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E219320.
Predicting PM10 concentration using Bayesian regression with Non-Informative Prior and Conjugate Prior Model

The aim of this study is to predict the next day PM10 concentration using Bayesian Regression with noninformative prior and conjugate prior models. The descriptive analysis of PM10, temperature, relative humidity, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3) are also included. A case study used two-years of air quality monitoring data at three (3) monitoring stations to predict the future PM10 concentration with seven parameters (PM10, temperature, relative humidity, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3). The descriptive analysis showed that the highest mean PM10 concentration occurred at Klang station in 2011 (71.30 µg/m3) followed by 2012 (68.82 µg/m3). The highest mean PM10 concentration was at Nilai in 2012 (68.86 µg/m3) followed by 2011 (66.29µg/m3) respectively. The results showed that the Bayesian regression model used a conjugate prior with a normal-gamma prior which was a good model to predict the PM10 concentration for most study stations with (R2 = 0.67 at Jerantut station), (R2 = 0.61 at Nilai station) and (R2 = 0.66 at Klang station) respectively compared to a non-informative prior.
The assessment of correctness of engine adaptation for alternative LPG fueling based on full load engine characteristics of performance

The paper presents a set of full load engine characteristics of gasoline and LPG fueled engines. The vehicles were divided into groups according to the type of LPG fueling system. The purpose of the research was to show and assess the differences between torque values as a function of engine speed. Statistics of the distribution of differences were created, based on which the conclusions were formulated. The results of the analysis can constitute a basis for on-road calculations for vehicles fitted with dual fueling system.
Quantifying Rail-Highway Grade Crossing Roughness: Accelerations and Dynamic Modeling

Quality of surface is an important aspect affecting both the safety and the performance of rail-highway grade crossings. Roughness may increase the risk of crashes for both trains and automobiles. Annually, there are about 2000 rail highway crossing incidents in the US resulting in nearly 300 fatalities. The problem is ubiquitous - there are over 216,000 rail highway grade crossings in the US. With so many crossings, maintenance management is a large undertaking. As with other highway assets, crossings deteriorate if not maintained, and life cycle cost increases without preventive maintenance. While there are accepted methods to quantify highway roughness (e.g., IRI), no quantitative method currently exists to assess the condition of rail crossings in order to evaluate the performance of crossings and set a quantitative trigger for their rehabilitation. As conventional inspection relies on qualitative judgment based on driving a vehicle over the crossing, it cannot assess ride experienced by different vehicles nor can it differentiate between the effects of as-built geometry and crossing deterioration. A quantifiable and extensible procedure is desired. The paper reports on the use of LiDAR to collect a 3D surface point cloud as input to a customized vehicle dynamic model. The model predicts accelerations experienced by highway vehicles using the crossing. Actual accelerations at the crossing are compared to the model estimates as a first step towards developing a simple, repeatable method for quantifying crossing roughness for policy and maintenance input.
INTEGRATED GIS DATABASE FOR ROAD SAFETY MANAGEMENT

This paper describes the development of an integrated database in a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework for use in accident analysis and road safety management. The system uses the capability of the PC ARC/INFO GIS to integrate accident data, land use data, traffic management devices, traffic flow and the road network. It is flexible, easy to use and is fully automated, except where user choices are necessary, and requires no advanced knowledge of GIS.
Investigating the Change in Firm Performance using Balanced Scorecard: An Empirical Study of Logistics Service Providers in Egypt

The problem with many Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) in Egypt is to assess their performance that has been changing for many years especially when change became necessary due to severe competition, unstable economy and political environment, and a rapid change in technology. The purpose of this study is to recognize the role and effects of Change Management (CM) on the performance of LSPs in Egypt through using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). The BSC is one of the practical methods that can be used in evaluating the impact of changes on performance through linking the BSC’s four categories (financial, customer relations, internal business processes, and learning and growth) with the ‘change’ four categories (technological, social, leadership, and structural change). This research follows a quantitative approach using an online questionnaire to collect responses from approximately 450 LSPs in the Egyptian logistics industry to investigate the relationship between CM on performance. Descriptive statistics and inferential analysis are performed to analyze the data collected and achieve the research aim. The findings of this research showed a significant impact of the different types of changes on performance of LSPs through the BSC measurement. These types of changes would then be emphasized as key to drive performance improvement. This research would contribute into filling the gap in literature in the field of LSP in Egypt, nevertheless in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and draw the attention of researchers to this topic that can support the effectiveness of the supply chain business in Egypt. This research could influence LSPs in Egypt to use the BSC as a tool to assess their performance. In addition, it provides a novel approach in the method of assessing the impact of change on the performance of LSPs in Egypt for further recommended developments.
Strategies to Increase Seat Belt Use: An Analysis of Levels of Fines And the Type of Law

The main objectives of this study were to determine the relationships between seat belt use in the States and (1) the type of seat belt law enforcement (primary versus secondary), and (2) seat belt fine levels. The study examined law type and levels of fines as predictors of seat belt use for two time periods (1997 to 2002 and 2003 to 2008) using panel regression analyses. Two outcome measures were examined: seat belt use among front-seat occupants over age 8 killed in passenger vehicle crashes from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the observed statewide seat belt use of front-seat occupants in passenger vehicles. The results indicated that primary law upgrades were associated with 9- to 10-percentage-point increases in FARS use and 10- to 12-percentage-point increases in observed seat belt use. By comparison, increasing a State’s fine amount from $25 (the current median value) to $60 was associated with a nearly 4-percentage-point increase in both FARS and observed seat belt use. Alternatively, increasing the fine amount from $25 to $100 was associated with a nearly 7-point increase in use.
PREDICTING ROUGHNESS PROGRESSION OF ASPHALT OVERLAYS: JOINT C-SHRP/ALBERTA BAYESIAN APPLICATION

A Bayesian regression model was developed to predict the roughness progression of asphalt overlays (first rehabilitation cycle) placed on existing asphalt concrete pavements with granular base courses. The model will be applicable in central Alberta. Field data used in the analysis consisted of 311 records from the Alberta pavement management system. In accordance with Bayesian statistical theory, the "prior knowledge" of the modelling system was provided by five pavement engineers from the agency. Their expert judgment was encoded and linked to form the input prior. Combining the field data with the input prior resulted in a model which expresses the riding comfort index as a function of the RCI of the original pavement (RCI perf), a soil factor, overlay thickness, age, initial RCI, and cumulative traffic loading. The model can be used in Alberta's PMS although some changes in the PMS program would be needed to facilitate its integration into the software. The authors believe that the Bayesian modelling tool should be further investigated by Alberta Transportation & Utilities, particularly when historical data is limited. Furthermore, the methodology is not limited to pavement engineering problems. Other areas where Bayes can potentially prove useful include traffic engineering, location studies and geotechnical engineering applications. (A)
Ultrasonication-assisted ultrafast solvothermal reduction of graphene oxide

Solvothermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO) is one of the suitable way to prepare a dispersion of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) in organic solvents that is stable at high concentration without surfactants. However, it is a long-term process and often requires elevated pressure. Ultrasonic irradiation of GO dispersion in N-methylpyrollidone (NMP) at high temperature promotes full reduction of GO in ten minutes, which is several decade faster than conventional solvothermal reduction of GO. Synthesized RGO was characterized by XRD, Raman, FTIR and XPS methods.
Research to address the performance of lightly reinforced concrete walls during the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes

During the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes, several reinforced concrete (RC) walls in multi-storey buildings formed a limited number of cracks at the wall base with fracture of vertical reinforcement occurring. This failure mode is typical of lightly reinforced concrete members, where the area of reinforcing steel is insufficient to develop the tension force required to form secondary cracks. The minimum vertical reinforcement limits for RC walls in different concrete design standards were compared, and a series of numerical analyses were used to investigate the behaviour of an example RC wall designed according to the minimum requirements of each standard. The analysis results confirmed the observed failure mode of an RC wall with less than the current minimum vertical reinforcement that was damaged during the Canterbury earthquakes. Furthermore, RC walls built in accordance with current minimum vertical reinforcement requirements in both ACI 318-11 and NZS 3101:2006 are still susceptible to limited flexural cracking and premature bar fracture. The ductility of RC walls with concentrated reinforcement at the wall ends, such as that required by Eurocode 8, CSA 2004 and GB 50010, was significantly improved. A comprehensive experimental program is also currently underway to verify the seismic performance of lightly reinforced concrete walls, and a test setup has been developed to subject RC wall specimen to loading that is representative of a multistorey building. Numerical analyses of the test walls further confirmed that RC walls designed according to current NZS 3101:2006 minimum vertical reinforcement requirements may be susceptible to limited flexural cracking and premature reinforcement fracture. Additionally, the analyses indicated that drift capacity of RC walls with minimum vertical reinforcement improved as the aspect ratio or axial load ratio was increased.
Acoustic Measurements with a Quadcopter: Embedded System Implementations for Recording Audio from Above

At present, making audio recording requires an investment of time and energy. Microphones must be setup, connected to amplifiers and filters, and then passed into a computers sound card. If the micro-phone is not positioned properly, someone must manually move the microphone stand and re-test the audio. If multiple measurements are needed from around a room, a significant portion of time will be spent just moving the microphone and cables. An automated method of moving the microphone around the room is often desired and this thesis lays out the option of using a quadcopter to facilitate this work. Explored here are two different embedded systems that are capable of making measurements from a hovering quadcopter. The first is a rapidly developed design using an Apple iPod Touch. While the recording quality and the ease-of-use of the iPod are very high, the system does not offer any low-level OS control, resulting in unpredictable delays when synchronizing to the loudspeaker setup. However, this system does allow for making significant measurements of quadcopter noise and stabil-ity, which prove valuable for future designs. The second design seeks to improve upon the synchroni-zation issue. Built using two Atmel SAM4L Xplained Pro development boards, the system achieves a sample accurate synchronization between the quadcopter and loudspeaker systems. The final conclusions combine the results from both systems. Recommendations for future iterations of the SAM4L design are discussed. Suggestions for the SAM4L design include improving audio re-cording quality, reducing the amount of noise the quadcopter generates, and multiple methods for can-celling noise that is recorded by the microphone.
Grazing impacts on ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) abundance and diversity on a semi-natural grassland

Semi-natural grasslands are commonly managed as a grazing resource for domestic livestock but, due to their unique biodiversity, they are also of conservation interest. Numerous drivers have impacted on the status of these grasslands in recent decades, most importantly changing grazing management strategies. These changes have the potential to affect the biodiversity associated with these habitats, including on some rich invertebrate assemblages. Responses, however, are often dissimilar between different invertebrate taxa. We investigated the responses of ground beetles to different grazing regimes within a long-term grazing experiment on upland semi-natural grassland in Scotland. Although there was substantial overlap between ground beetle assemblages in different grazing treatments, species richness, mean abundance and Shannon diversity of ground beetles were significantly lower in ungrazed plots than in plots subject to high- or low-intensity sheep grazing. Ground beetle abundance (but not species richness or diversity) were lower in ungrazed plots compared to those with low-intensity mixed grazing by sheep and cattle. However, no differences were identified in abundance, species richness or diversity between the three grazed treatments. Our results suggest that ground beetles may show different responses to grazing compared to responses of some other invertebrate groups and demonstrates the difficulty of carrying out management for a multi-taxon benefit.
AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT BROILER MEAT CONSUMERS

The purpose of this study was to empirically evaluate and study the misconceptions hovering in the minds of people regarding the broiler chicken and its meat. In this study, quantitative data was collected through questionnaire surveys from 498 consumers randomly from nine towns of Lahore by adopting a cluster sampling technique. The data were analyzed through Excel software by using a pivot table technique. The results showed that consumers have many reservations regarding broiler meat available in the market. These include reservations regarding the type of feed given, usage of antibiotics/hormones, and speedy growth, etc. The results are presented in the form of tables, graphs, and pie charts. It is recommended that a national campaign must be launched to educate the consumers about the realities of the broiler industry to overcome prevailing misperceptions of consumers otherwise these consumers will gradually leave broiler meat. Finally, this situation will lead to severe protein deficiency among the general public of Pakistan leading to aggravating food insecurity. The findings of this study will guide industrialist, poultry farmers and marketers to develop and refine their marketing strategies to reduce misperceptions and increase the acceptability of broiler meat.
LQG AUTOPILOT AND RUDDER ROLL STABILIZATION CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN

Roll stabilisation or reduction is to minimise the largest annular excursion of roll when a ship is subjected to wave disturbance. This is necessary to improve the comfort of personnel and the working efficiency of the crew on board. In ships which carry helicopters or vertical take-off and landing aircrafts, roll reduction enables the ship to operate in a more severe sea condition before the roll motion is excessive for the safe landing, taking-off and handling of these aircrafts.
Getting the measure of your business

Part I. Process Overview: 1. What is performance and why measure it? 2. What does a performance measurement system include? 3. The process of performance measurement system design 4. Summary of phase 1 of the procedure 5. Summary of phase 2 of the procedure 6. Participation 7. Internal participation 8. External participation 9. Process and project management 10. Launching the process 11. Further reading Part II. Selecting a Facilitator: 12. Launching the process 13. The workbook 14. What are our main customer-product groups? 15. What are our business objectives? 16. Are we achieving our business objectives? 17. Have we chosen the right measures? 18. Using our measures to manage the business 19. What can we use to drive performance towards our objectives? 20. Which performance drivers are the most important? 21. How do we know these drivers are working? 22. Have we chosen the right measures for the drivers? 23. Using these measures to drive business performance.