Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adoption of Innovation among Beef Cattle Farmers in Peninsular Malaysia

Cattle farming has become one of the engine growth in agriculture industry since years ago. The role of this sector is assumed as essential to supply protein source for the population. However, the problem arises when the import rate for beef is higher, and the supply has failed to meet the population's demand. Hence, the introduced innovation such as artificial insemination, integration and feedlot technique is seen as a driver that can further accelerate this sector. The cooperation and involvement from other parties, including the government and private sector are essential to ensure the successfulness of the introduced innovation. This study examines the socio-demographic profile and the adoption level of beef cattle farmers in four regions of Peninsular Malaysia. Multi-stage random sampling has been employed, and 233 farmers have involved as the respondents of this study. The farmers' average age is 48 years and had 13 years of experience in beef cattle farming. Most of the farmers found that they had a high level of some obstacles such as financial and extension issues, which had hindered them from adopting innovation. The involvement of all stakeholders, including research centres, manufacturing and farmers, will benefit each other as the product can be supplied as the sample to enhance beef cattle production. Hence, a harmony and competitive situation can be created to ensure the food security of the country.
The effect of the acculturation process on consumers' acceptance of e-commerce platforms

The Internet has revolutionised the way in which business is conducted in the twenty-first century. It has changed the face and pace of business offering an indispensable opportunity to operate on digital platforms. Through those digital platforms, businesses find new sources of competitive advantage; thus, they are increasingly incorporating e-commerce, m-commerce and, more recently, social commerce platforms. But before businesses can benefit from the Internet and its global reach, they must understand the effect of culture on consumers’ acceptance of digital platforms, as cultural misunderstandings can cause business failure. Understanding consumers’ culture-specific behaviour, however, is increasingly complex nowadays. This is because of the phenomenon of acculturation, caused by globalisation and mass migration, which can change consumers’ culture-specific behaviour, as well as their attitudes, values and beliefs. Thus, the effect of the acculturation process on consumers’ acceptance of digital platforms should be investigated, and its consequences understood. This is the first study that aims to assess the effect of the acculturation process on consumers’ acceptance of e-commerce platforms. In order to reach this objective, two-phase transformative sequential research is conducted on the sample of Polish immigrants residing in the UK. In this two-phase research, first on the basis of a quantitative study (n=305), consumers’ attitudes, values and beliefs towards e-commerce are compared and contrasted from the perspective of two cultures (Polish- native and British- non-native culture) to reveal the factors which initially, due to cultural determinants, seem to prevent consumers from accepting e-commerce, can be overcome once the culture is changed. Such a change is accounted for as an effect of the process of acculturation on consumers’ acceptance of an e-commerce platform. The explanation of the revealed effect along with factors facilitating it is sought through a qualitative investigation (n=25) and their impact is verified quantitatively (n=298). This not only advances knowledge of the effect of culture on e-commerce acceptance, but it also derives a number of practical implications, which may serve as a guideline for designing global e-commerce strategies.
The Designing for Growth Field Book: A Step-by-Step Project Guide

The Four Questions The Steps Step 1: Identify an Opportunity Step 2: Scope Your Project Step 3: Draft Your Design Brief Step 4: Make Your Plans Step 5: Do Your Research Step 6: Identify Insights Step 7: Establish Design Criteria Step 8: Brainstorm Ideas Step 9: Develop Concepts Step 10: Create Some Napkin Pitches Step 11: Surface Key Assumptions Step 12: Make Prototypes 30 Step 13: Get Feedback from Stakeholders Step 14: Run Your Learning Launches Step 15: Design the On-Ramp What Now? What Next? The Tools Secondary Research Direct Observation Ethnographic Interviews Job to Be Done Value Chain Analysis Journey Mapping Personas 360 Empathy Creating Posters Brainstorming Anchors Bring-Build-Buy Map Forced Connections Combinatorial Play Visualization Basics Storytelling Storyboarding Co-Creation Tools Templates and Resources An Example Project Acknowledgements
Evolution of the Wx genotype combination in hybrid rice

Background: With increased interest in the quality characteristics of hybrid rice, its quality traits have received a certain extent of improvement. However, comparisons to high-quality conventional rice, especially its eating quality, have revealed that more work is still required. Amylose content is a key determinant of the eating quality of rice, and Wx , the major gene controlling amylose content, has many allelic variants. A complete understanding of the Wx allelic variations in cultivated rice and the evolution process of the Wx genotype in hybrid rice are the premises for the rational utilization of rich genetic resources in the quality breeding of hybrid rice. Based on the 3K RGP re-sequencing data, we sought to analyse the allelic variation at the Wx locus and develop a set of Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR markers. Furthermore, we used the markers to analyse the evolution of a combination of the Wx genotype in hybrid rice.Results: Eight known alleles existing globally were identified, and their evident regional preferences and Indica - japonica background differences were revealed. An additional five non-synonymous mutations were identified in the coding region of the Wx gene for the first time, including a new functional site located in the active centre of OsGBSS1. By genotyping the basic hybrid parents obtained from 1976 to 2018, we found that only three Wx allelic variations existed. Wx lv was widely used in the female parents of the three-line hybrid rice, and Wx a was used in the female parents of early two-line hybrid rice; however, they were gradually replaced by Wx b . Conclusions: In this study, the Wx lv allele was found to be the cause of the poor eating quality of early hybrid rice. With the elimination of the Wx lv allele and introduction of Wx b in both parents, the eating quality of hybrid rice was generally improved. Only three allelic variations were present in the previous hybrid rice. For further eating quality improvement of hybrid rice, more Wx alleles should be introduced.
Australia's Sporting Success: The Inside Story

When it comes to success in sport, Australia - a country of fewer than 20 million people - punches well above its weight. Australian men and women have been acclaimed as world champions in sports as diverse as archery, athletics, boxing, cricket, cycling, equestrianism, field hockey, golf, netball, rowing, rugby union and rugby league, shooting, squash, swimming, surfing and tennis. The performances of Australian athletes and an awareness of the system that fostered them, probably only came to the world's attention during the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, when Australia was placed fourth in the overall medal count and then first in the subsequent Paralympics. Following these triumphs, Australia won 39 team and individual world championships in 2001, many of them in non-Olympic sports. How has a relatively small country achieved so much? This book traces the development of Australian sport from the early 19th century rivalry between white native-born Australians and the new settlers to the early 21st century. The early rivalry enabled qualities such as nationalism, social cohesion and tenacity to develop as distinctive traits of the Australian character. The primary focus of the book is on the modern era and how adroit investment in science, management, coaching and junior sport, as well as in talent identification and development, has produced the outstanding results we see today. The Australian sports system has become a blueprint for success, and is being copied in many countries around the world.
Application of Reliability-Centered Maintenance for Tugboat Kresna 315 Cooling Systems

Reliability-Centered Maintenance uses the risk management principle of a component’s failure so that the type of maintenance can be determined properly. By using an appropriate type of maintenance, the possibility of failures in a component can be detected and prevented. The proper usage of Reliability-Centered Maintenance can have a positive impact on cost savings, both maintenance costs and repair costs, as well as reducing the consequences of failures. The object of this research is the cooling system aboard Tugboat Kresna 315. The cooling system is an important system on a ship, which is designed to prevent the main engine from overheating. The aim of this research is to apply Reliability-Centered Maintenance methods on the cooling system of Tugboat Kresna 315 and determine the types of maintenance tasks required. The results of Reliability-Centered Maintenance identified 16% of the overall failures to be a type of hidden failure while 86% were identified as evident failures, thus allowing the maintenance division to perform maintenance activities in accordance with the planned maintenance system on each tugboat.
“I THINK HAVING ASPERGER’S HELPED ME WITH MY TRANSGENDER IDENTITY”: THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF YOUTH WITH GENDER DIVERSE IDENTITIES AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

With a growing body of research suggesting the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and gender variance (GV), only a handful of published studies have investigated the perspectives and experiences of GV youth with ASD. Current clinical care guidelines for this population have generally been obtained through expert knowledge and fail to consider the contribution and perspectives of key stakeholders with an insider perspective such as youth and their caregivers. As such, a semi-structured focus-group and interview were conducted to explore the experiences and perspectives of four GV youth with ASD. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for themes. The key themes identified were: 1) a clear understanding of their gender identity and related needs 2) significant perceived stigma related to their ASD diagnosis, 3) recognition of how ASD identity and gender identity intersect and impact one another, 4) complexities of medical systems can be challenging to navigate for youth with ASD, so a comprehensive team approach to services is important. This study seeks to increase our understanding of this population and contribute to improving the quality of clinical services for this transgender youth with ASD.
Flood Risk Analysis for Critical Infrastructure Protection: Issues and Opportunities in Less Developed Societies

This chapter presents all-important discussions relating to flood risk analysis which arguably is a subject of overwhelming significance within the context of less developed societies, for example Nigeria. Whilst a possible means of eradicating flooding from human environment is inconceivable, debates for more effective flood risk reduction methodologies for critical infrastructure protection must continue. Increased population and urbanisation scenarios drive worsened flood risk which trigger increased efforts for corporate adaptability to flooding. To ensure that social systems can cope with floods, it is important to investigate why best practices in flood risk reduction are not fully applicable. This chapter explores these issues drawing from extant dialogues on flood risk management (FRM). Arguably, the current flood modelling techniques and assessment of vulnerability operations largely do not support a realistic analysis of flood risk. Funnelled through an interpretative research paradigm, the chapter conceives that these limitations fall under five cardinal issues – (1) data, (2) theories and concepts, (3) existing flood risk analyses methods, (4) legislation and policy, and (5) sustainable development. It argues that the realisation of a more effective flood risk reduction for the poorer and less developed societies will depend on effective tackling of these issues which creates opportunities for flood risk analyses through simplified approaches, and use of free and open geospatial data infrastructure.
Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere [Greek hydor water and sphera sphere] refers to the water on or surrounding the surface of the globe, as distinguished from those of the lithosphere (the solid upper crust of the earth) and the atmosphere (the air surrounding the earth). More specifically, the hydrosphere includes the region that includes all the earth’s liquid water, frozen and floating ice, water in the upper layer of soil, and the small amounts of water vapour in the earth’s atmosphere. The hydrosphere is the major setting for the earth’s hydrologic cycle [see HYDROLOGIC CYCLE].
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RECYCLES CONCRETE FREEWAYS

In 1983 and 1984, the Michigan Department of Transportation completed 4 major interstate projects providing for recycling existing concrete pavement into a new concrete highway/shoulders. These projects, located on I-94 near Kalamazoo and on I-75 south of Detroit, totaled ~27 miles in length, and the average costs were $850,000/dual 24' roadway mile. Major state-of-the-art construction innovations from these projects are described. Special attention will be given to the type of materials used and the condition of the current pavement. These facts will determine the final mix design. Several more sections of 30-year-old interstate highway will also be recycled in 1985. Life-cycle cost analyses, completed on 1 specific project, indicate that at a 5% discount rate and determining the major contract maintenance that would be needed for a 35-year life for each alternate, an approximate 15% cost advantage is attained in using concrete over the comparable bituminous design alternates used in this project.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN INNOVATION PROCESSES

Innovation processes are rarely smooth and disruptions often occur at transition points were one knowledge domain passes the technology on to another domain. At these transition points communication is a key component in assisting the smooth hand over of technologies. However for smooth transitions to occur we argue that appropriate structures have to be in place and boundary spanning activities need to be facilitated. This paper presents three case studies of innovation processes and the findings support the view that structures and boundary spanning are essential for smooth transitions.
SEMI-ACTIVE HYBRID SEISMIC ISOLATION SYSTEMS: ADDRESSING THE LIMITATIONS OF PASSIVE ISOLATION SYSTEMS

Passive seismic isolation systems consisting of passive isolation bearings and passive damping devices have been utilized in at least five building structures located in regions of potentially strong seismic activity. As the application of performance-based seismic design specifications becomes more widespread, it is expected that the number of such applications of hybrid structural control technology will increase. The performance of such hybrid control systems, however, may be further enhanced by modifying the passive damping devices to behave as semi-active control elements. This paper discusses the features of semi-active hybrid seismic isolation systems that address some of the limitations of passive hybrid isolation systems. In addition, some of the implementation issues related to the use of semi-active hybrid seismic isolation systems are discussed. Finally, the development of a semi-active hybrid seismic isolation system consisting of passive sliding isolation bearings and semi-active fluid damping devices is presented.
Assessment in Driving Simulators: Where We Are and Where We Go

This paper describes the mindset at the start of a three year project to develop a test on a driving simulator. It reviews the literature, presents background information on driver training simulators and their relation with assessment. It then introduces some of the ideas behind this project, the adaptive cognitive model that will be used, as well as the interoperable assessment module we will develop.
Factors influencing the choice of concrete blocks as a pavement surface

This paper examines the factors affecting the safety and environmental impact of concrete block paving. The paper begins by reviewing the surface characteristics of block pavements. In particular, surface colour and texture, pavement roughness, skid resistance and road noise are considered. The contributions made by these factors to the control of traffic, safety and the mitigation of adverse environmental impacts are then discussed. Inter alia it is shown that block paving is exceptionally versatile in the control that it provides to designers and specifiers in the construction of safe and environmentally acceptable pavements (a).
Full Cost Vs Successful Efforts Accounting: A Systematic Review

Harmonization of the accounting practice has long been on the front burner as an agenda for improving the quality of financial reporting the world over. This study is a qualitative review of the Full cost (FC) and Successful efforts (SE) methods of accounting in the oil and gas sector, given the ongoing controversy over which method should take precedence. A unique analysis was adopted by assessing the merits and demerits of the FC and SE methods based on selected qualitative criteria (conceptual, IASB framework and industry-specific). The study found significant differences between the two methods and argues that the SE method produces better qualitative financial information than the FC method based on the IASB framework criteria. The study also found low-risk exposure in Nigeria for investors in the oil and gas industry as a majority of the oil and gas firms operate within the downstream sector. Further research is required to determine the long-run impact of the choice between FC and SE on the performance of oil and gas firms.
Evaluating Transit Ridership Overestimation in Mode Shift Modeling

This paper aims at investigating the over prediction of public transit ridership by traditional mode choice models estimated using revealed preference data. Five different types of models are estimated and analyzed, namely a traditional Revealed Preference (RP) data-based mode choice model, a hybrid mode choice model with a latent variable, a Stated Preference (SP) data-based mode switching model, a joint RP/SP mode switching model, and a hybrid mode switching model with a latent variable. Comparing the RP data-based mode choice model to the mode choice models with latent variable showed that the inclusion of behavioural factors (especially habit formation) has improved the models significantly. Moreover, the reasons why traditional mode choice models tend to over predict transit ridership were elucidated by revealing the role played by different transit level of service (LOS) attributes and their relative importance to mode switching decisions. It is clear that the SP data complements the RP information, resulting in improved forecasting performance. Findings of this study provide general guidelines for developing accurate transit ridership forecasting models.
Identification of regulatory networks and hub genes controlling mammary gland development and lactation in dairy goats during the late lactation, dry period, and late gestation stages

Background From the late lactation to late gestation stages, the mammary gland tissue of goats undergoes a process from involution to remodeling and then to high differentiation of mammary gland tissue. From the perspective of lactation, this is a continuous development process of the goat mammary gland from the termination of lactation to the restoration of lactation. We performed transcriptome sequencing on goat mammary gland tissues at three mammary gland developmental stages to screen for differentially expressed genes that affect mammary gland development and the physiological process of lactation and mapped their expression profiles in three stages. The objective of this study is to reveal the expression characteristics of these genes and their potential function during mammary gland development and lactation. Results We identified 1,381 differentially expressed genes in the mammary gland during three stages and found that the expression level of genes encoding casein, such as alpha-s1-casein (CSN1S1), alpha-s2-casein (CSN1S2), beta-casein (CSN2), and kappa-casein (CSN3), and alpha-lactalbumin (LALBA) were higher in mammary gland tissues during the late lactation stage and late gestation stage than those during the dry period. In addition, we constructed six functional networks related to differentially expressed genes and found that these genes are closely related to mammary gland growth and development, apoptosis, immunity, substance transport, biosynthesis, and metabolism. Finally, we identified 35 differentially expressed transcription factors, which were classified into 16 families, and predicted that transcription factors of the basic leucine zipper domain (bZIP) family and basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family regulated the expression levels of genes related to mammary gland development and lactation. Conclusions Among the late lactation, dry period, and late gestation stages, there are differences in the expression levels of genes related to mammary gland growth and development, apoptosis, immunity, basic substance transport, biosynthesis, and metabolism in mammary gland tissues. Some genes in the same family or with similar functions have similar expression patterns. These differentially expressed genes or transcription factors work synergistically to participate in the regulation of mammary gland development and the physiological process of lactation.
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE UTILITY OF VARIOUS METRICS FOR THE EVALUATION OF DRIVER INFORMATION SYSTEMS

The introduction of advanced driver information systems may affect the driver's ability to control the vehicle safely. These systems must be evaluated to ascertain that they do not impose an unreasonable demand on the driver. This paper discusses a practical experiment to evaluate the use of driver information systems on observable driver behaviour, while driving on the road. An investigation was made into the visual demands and subjective mental workload resulting from the use of a congestion warning device, an in-car entertainment system and normal driving. Video tape was used to record the driver's visual behaviour. This was then analysed to calculate glance frequency, glance duration, eyes off-road time and percentage time off away from the forward view. NASA R-TLX was employed to determine subjective mental workload. The results of the study suggest that the measures employed detected a significantly greater visual demand and subjective mental workload imposed by the driver information system than by either the in-car entertainment system or the control condition. However, the difficulties in comparing such a study with other reported work are highlighted. For the covering abstract see IRRD E102207.