Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recruitment of trades instructors: current practices and challenges faced

The purpose of the present study was to identify what recruitment practices have been used by post-secondary trades training providers in British Columbia to assist in their process of hiring trades instructors and what challenges have they faced in ensuring that an adequate pool of trades instructors submit applications for job postings. It was hypothesized that the results of the study would indicate that the training providers were not using a detailed or strategic approach in their recruitment processes and that there would be a heavy reliance on the connections between existing faculty members and their respective trade industries to recruit applicants. It was also hypothesized that there would be significant economic challenges identified in recruiting trades instructors and that the training institutes would not feel that their recruitment processes were effective. In 2018, 11 Deans of post-secondary Trades Faculties in British Columbia participated in the study. The data collected revealed that training providers were using an array of recruitment practices, but not necessarily as part of an overarching recruitment plan. Professional relationships between Faculty members and their respective industry leaders was the most common theme of recruitment practices identified. Further, economic challenges were shown to impact the overall effectiveness of recruiting trades instructors at most of the training providers. RECRUITMENT OF TRADES INSTRUCTORS ii
Robust data envelopment analysis with uncertain date: An analysis to measure hotel efficiency in Crete

Due to strict competition in the global market for Tourism services and Hotels in the tourism industry and also the importance of satisfying tourists, awareness about the efficiency of hotel for hotel owners and hotel managers is very important. The purpose of this paper is measuring performance of hotels in Crete by using Robust Data Envelopment analysis (RDEA) technique considering uncertain data. The proposed method of this paper develops a RDEA method with the consideration of uncertainty on output parameters. In order to use robust optimization methods in this article, after the introduction of input and output, we calculate the efficiency of 50 luxury hotel in Crete by means of GAMS software. The method is based on the adaption of robust optimization approaches proposed in the literature. Finally, we compare the performance achieved with previous research on these hotels and our results. It is found that the efficiency decreases, but the level of confidence increases.
Panel Data Analysis of the Relationship between Earnings Management, Bank Risks, Loan loss Provision and Dividend per Share

This paper examines the relationship between earnings management (discretionary accruals), bank risks, loan loss provision and dividend per share. A balanced panel study of 10 banks over the period of 2000-2009 was used as to observe the effect of loan loss provision (LLP), risks and dividend per share (DPS) as the potential cause that thrive earnings management. The model is tested using both panel random effects and feasible generalized least square. The results revealed that earnings management is significantly affected by the level of LLP, operational risks and systematic risks. Field of Research: Earnings management, Discretionary accruals, Bank risk
Ionospheric precursors for crustal earthquakes in Italy

Crustal earthquakes with magnitude 6.0>M 5.5 observed in Italy for the period 1979-2009 including the last one at L'Aquila on 6 April 2009 were considered to check if the earlier obtained relationships for ionospheric precur- sors for strong Japanese earthquakes are valid for the Italian moderate earthquakes. The ionospheric precursors are based on the observed variations of the sporadic E-layer parameters (h 0 Es, fbEs) and foF2 at the ionospheric station Rome. Em- pirical dependencies for the seismo-ionospheric disturbances relating the earthquake magnitude and the epicenter distance are obtained and they have been shown to be similar to those obtained earlier for Japanese earthquakes. The dependences indicate the process of spreading the disturbance from the epicenter towards periphery during the earthquake prepara- tion process. Large lead times for the precursor occurrence (up to 34 days for M=5.8-5.9) tells about a prolong prepara- tion period. A possibility of using the obtained relationships for the earthquakes prediction is discussed.
Evaluation of genetic variation in Labeo fimbriatus (Bloch, 1795) populations using heterologous primers

The fringe lipped peninsula carp, Labeo fimbriatus , is native to lower peninsular region of India. It is a commercially important species widely fished and consumed throughout much of the tropical and subtropical region of south India. Knowledge of genetic diversity of this species is important to support management and conservation programmes which will subsequently help in sustainable production of this species. DNA markers, mostly microsatellites are excellent tools for evaluation of genetic variation of populations. However, development of these markers from each species is time consuming and costly. Therefore, we studied the usefulness of heterologous markers by assessing the genetic variation of three populations of L. fimbriatus . We examined population structure of L. fimbriatus from different riverine locations in India using rohu microsatellite loci. Out of 30 rohu microsatellite loci, 15 produced amplified products having unambiguous band pattern with clarity in allele scoring. Therefore, these 15 loci were used in 110 samples of L. fimbriatus collected from river Krishna (Vijayawada; n= 30), river Kaveri (Bengaluru; n=50) and river Mahanadi (Sambalpur; n=30). Out of 15 loci, only 3 loci were polymorphic in all the populations and remaining 12 loci were found to be monomorphic. The range of expected heterozygosity values for these polymorphic loci was 0.597 to 0.602. One locus did not satisfy Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (p=.004) in Kaveri population. Negative inbreeding coefficients (Fis) were found across populations with no significant population structuring (Fst) indicating existence of panmictic populations. As only 3 loci (20%) out of 15 were polymorphic, use of heterologous primers may not be a choice for population studies in L. fimbriatus .
Overview of current mouse models of autism and strategies for their development using CRISPR/Cas9 technology

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of highly heterogenous neurological disorders that are believed to have strong genetic component. Due to the limited use of approaches of functional genomics in human medicine, creating adequate animal models for the study of complex human diseases shows great potential. There are several already established mouse models of autism that offer insight into single phenotypic traits, although causes for its complex phenotype have not yet been fully understood. Development of new technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, represent great capability for targeted genome engineering and establishment of new animal models. This article provides an up to date overview of current knowledge in the area of autism genomics and describes the potential of CRISPR/Cas9 technology for the establishment of new mouse models, representing sgRNA design as one of the initial steps in planning a CRISPR/Cas9 single knock-out experiment. In addition, it offers an overview of current approaches to behavioural studies, explaining how relevant animal models could be developed.
Protecting E-healthcare Data Privacy for Internet of Things Based Wireless Body Area Network

This study aim to give an analysis of the threats to privacy in wireless sensors in the context of the Internet of things and we review the pros and cons of some of the proposed solutions in order to ensure privacy. We propose a solution for the management of security keys based on symmetric encryption, taking into account two important factors, the sensors resources constraints and their mobility being linked to the patient body that may move occasionally. Tests gave significant results confirm that our proposed solution is secure, energy efficient and unable to deal with mobility. The field of healthcare knew an important development due to the evolution of the technology used in its applications, from sophisticated equipment in the operating rooms, to diagnostic and analysis equipment offering accurate and effective results. Among devices that have contributed to the development of the field of healthcare is the mobile monitoring sensors that are placed on the patient's body. By the emergence of the Internet of Things, it became possible to access to them remotely, so the possibility of offering patients a continuous and real-time monitoring and keep track of his health condition wherever he goes, from inside his home, in the street, in the workplace, etc. However, the main drawback of these applications is the lack of consideration of data security and privacy. The nature of these sensors from a wireless connection and limited capacities, making them vulnerable to a range of attacks aimed at eavesdrop or tamper patients' personal information.
ISOLATION OF ANTICANCER AGENTS FROM Tabernaemontana divaricata (L.) R. Br. ex Roem. & Schult.

Treatment of breast cancer is not easy because of the complexity in molecular physiology. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy includes different sources of treating breast cancer. The systemic chemotherapy faces lot of challenges, mainly adverse effects. So, there is a need of newer drugs to be developed against breast cancer. The present work tries to justify the folklore claims of Tabernaemontana divaricata (L.) R. Br. ex Roem. & Schult. through a sound scientific background using modern analytical tools. It was found that phytoconstituents of the plant showed good docking score against 3ERT protein. The petroleum ether extract and chloroform extract showed anticancer activity. Petroleum ether extract was found to have GI50 value of 18. 7µg/ml. Phytochemical Studies lead to the isolation of two compounds, 1 and 2. These compounds, isolated from the leaves were studied and characterized tentatively with the help of modern analytical tools like FTIR, 1H NMR and MS. Based upon spectral studies, compound 1 was characterized as 2-(1,6a,6b,9,9,12a,14b-heptamethyl 1, 2, 4a, 5, 6, 6a, 6b, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 12a, 12b, 13, 14b-hexadecahydropicen-3-yl) propan-2-yl nonanoate. Compound 2 was found to be not pure enough to be characterized. The isolated compounds were also tested for their anti-proliferative activity against breast cancer.
The effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG 8000) supplementation on in vitro gas production kinetics of leaves from tannin containing trees

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of inclusion of polyethylene glycol (PEG 8000) during in vitro incubation on gas production kinetics, organic matter digestibility (OMD) and the metabolisable energy (ME) content of foliage from the tannin containing tree species, Pistica lentiscus, Arbutus andrachne and Juniperus communis. The amount of gas produced when the foliage was incubated with buffered rumen fluid, was determined after 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of incubation in the presence of PEG at inclusions rates of 15, 30, 60 and 90 mg and in the absence of PEG. Their kinetics were described using the equation p = a + b (1-e -ct ). Addition of PEG resulted in an increased gas production at almost all incubation times in all tree species. However species showed variable responses. After 3 h of incubation the PEG addition showed no significant effect on gas production when the foliage from A. andrachne was incubated, but had a significant effect on gas production as duration of incubation extended. The increase in gas production in response to increased levels of PEG inclusion was linear for P. lentiscus and J. communis. However, when the PEG inclusion rates exceeded 60 mg there was no significant increase in gas production when A. andrachne was incubated. The estimated parameters such as gas production rate(c) and gas production (a) from the immediately soluble fraction were not affected by the level PEG treatment, except that PEG addition at 90 mg had a significant effect on the gas production (a) from immediately soluble fraction of leaves of J. communis. Gas production (b) from the insoluble fraction (mL) and potential gas production (a+b), OMD and ME of tree leaves increased significantly with increasing levels of PEG addition. However, when PEG inclusion exceeded 60 mg these parameters showed no significant increase when leaves from A. andrachne were incubated. Although the mean increase in OMD per mg PEG supplementation was 0.131 digestibility units, the increase in ME per mg PEG supplementation was 0.0201 ME units. The elevated levels of gas produced, and increased OMD and ME estimates with the inclusion of PEG demonstrated the negative effect of tannins in foliage on digestibility.
Possible correlation between mineral profile and protein content of foods

Objective: High K+ value does not serve just to maintain osmotic balance. It is hypothesized that the relatively high intracellular levels of K+ maintained by most cells functions to furnish other cellular functions such as augmentation of protein levels through either synthesis or metabolism of protein. The study aimed at establishing a correlation between the mineral and protein contents of foods. Methods: The mineral (Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and protein contents of some randomly selected plant liquid products were estimated. Concentration-dependent mineral profiles were drawn up and ratios of the various minerals, protein/ (K+), protein/(Na+) and (K+)/ (Na+) versus protein levels were calculated.
Impact-Induced Delamination Detection of Composites Based on Laser Ultrasonic Zero-Lag Cross-Correlation Imaging

This paper presents impact-induced delamination visualization by zero-lag cross-correlation (ZLCC) imaging computed using fully noncontact laser scanned ultrasonic wavefields. The proposed technique enables instantaneous visualizing of invisible delamination of composite materials without any sensor installation. Moreover, it provides robust damage diagnosis without comparing with baseline data obtained from the undamaged condition of a target structure, making it possible to minimize false alarms. First, the existence of internal delamination-induced standing waves is proven by employing a finite element analysis. Then, how ZLCC can physically isolate and visualize only the standing wave feature from the measured ultrasonic wavefields is shown. To experimentally validate the proposed technique, a fully noncontact laser ultrasonic imaging system is introduced, and the internal delamination is visualized by laser scanning in a graphite fiber composite plate. The experimental results reveal that hidden delamination is successfully and automatically visualized and quantified without any users’ intervention.
PROXY SELECTION AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF A DYNAMIC PROXY FRAMEWORK

The benchmark of a proxy-based service creation and content delivery framework called the Chek Proxy Framework (CPF) was described. Unlike conventional proxy-based systems, CPF was an application level approach that provoked the use of client machines to host at runtime an intermediate object called the Dynamic Application Proxy Server (DAPS) based on the designed clustering policy. We conduced performance analysis of CPF in a video broadcasting environment based on two clustering policies, namely the Neighbor and Regional clustering policy, under the context of two proxy selection algorithms, i.e. the conservative and greedy algorithms. The results showed that the conservative algorithm works well at low request loads while the greedy algorithm performed better at higher request loads. Compared to the Neighbor policy, applying the combined policy (Neighbor and Regional) with the greedy algorithm further decreased the server workload by 11.38%, and enhanced the average client receiving rate and network throughput by at least 100% and 35%, respectively.
Computational Prediction and Analysis of Interaction of Silver Nitrate with Chitinase Enzyme

Silver nitrate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula AgNO3. Silver or silver ions have long been used in many areas due to their strong antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microbes such as bacteria, yeast, fungi and algae. Trichoderma spp. are considered as biocontrol and growth promoting agents for many crop plants due to their antagonistic properties against plant pathogens. We, in this study, checked the possible interaction between silver nitrate and Chitinase enzyme. We used Molegro virtual docker (MVD). The results obtained from docking showed us that the best pose which is derived from MolDock score for Chitinase was -49.1418 with reranking score equal to -58. 1719. It is concluded that silver nitrate and Chitinase have interaction. Obtained results showed that silver nitrate can be attached to Chitinase in Trichoderma fungi cells leading to deactivation the enzymes.
Organisational barriers in working with child sexual abuse (Csa) cases: the Malaysian professionals’ experiences.

The purpose of this study is to examine organisational barriers faced by professionals working with child sexual abuse (CSA) cases in Malaysia. This study was conducted from a diverse sample of 18 social workers, medical social workers, counsellors and police officers who worked in CSA cases.These participants came from different organisations namely the royal police of Malaysia, the welfare department, hospitals and non-government agency. A qualitative approach was used for collecting and analysing data; and semi structured interview was used to guide the interview. Two main factors had been identified as barriers in working with CSA cases, namely within and between organisations. In terms of within organisations, participants identified factors such as inadequate support, excessive workload, safety issue and lack of resources as the major barriers. As for between organisations,factors such as conflict of power and disorganised system were mentioned as factors preventing capabilities of professionals in giving help. This paper provides an in depth analysis of major barriers facing by professionals working with CSA in Malaysia.
Electron spin noise under the conditions of nuclei-induced frequency focusing

We study theoretically the electron spin noise in quantum dots under non-equilibrium conditions caused by the pumping by a train of circularly polarized optical pulses. In such a situation, the nuclear spins are known to adjust in such a way, that the electron spin precession frequencies become multiples of the pump pulse repetition frequency. This so called phase synchronization effect was uncovered in [Science {\bf 317}, 1896 (2007)] and termed nuclei-induced frequency focusing of electron spin coherence. Using the classical approach to the central spin model we evaluate the nuclear spin distribution function and the electron spin noise spectrum. We show that the electron spin noise spectrum consists of sharp peaks corresponding to the phase synchronization conditions and directly reveal the distribution of the nuclear spins. We discuss the effects of nuclear spin relaxation after the pumping is over and analyze the corresponding evolution of nuclear spin distributions and electron spin noise spectra.
EEG Microstates for BCI Therapist Feedback: Preliminary Results on a Stroke Patient

Brain-Computer Interfaces convey a great potential in the field of stroke rehabilitation, where the continuous monitoring of the execution of mental tasks could support the positive effects of the therapy by reinforcing specific mental patterns. We propose the use of EEG Microstates as the building blocks of a novel BCI for Operators, and we show that preliminary results on a stroke patient seem to confirm that topographic information can provide hints on salient activity patterns on the affected hemisphere not recognizable within a simple discriminant framework. Furthermore, the technique could easily keep track of the evolution of these maps over different rehabilitation sessions, thus providing a strong hint of plasticity phenomena and cortical reorganization.
Uniform Ergodicity and Exponential α-Mixing for Continuous Time Stochastic Volatility Model

A continuous time stochastic volatility model for financial assets suggested by Barndorff-Nielsen and Shephard (2001) is considered, where the volatility process is modelled as an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck type process driven by a general Lévy process and the price process is then obtained by using an independent Brownian motion as the driving noise. The uniform ergodicity of the volatility process and exponential α-mixing properties of the log price processes of given continuous time stochastic volatility models are obtained.
Relationships between motivation type and sport participation among Indian students

This study sought to understand the relationship between certain motivation drivers and sport participation. It also explored the gender variable and whether there are differences between male and female athletes in terms of their motivation for participating in sport. A non-probability sample was used and 199 respondents participated. Results indicate that there was a negative correlation between amotivation and sport participation. Furthermore, it was found that there is a positive correlation between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. A last finding is that there are no significant differences between the gender groups and their motivation for sport participation
Improving QoS in VANETs: A Survey

The systems in which information and communication technologies and systems engineering concepts are utilized to develop and improve transportation systems of all kinds are called “The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)”. ITS integrates information, communications, computers and other technologies and uses them in the field of transportation to build an integrated system of people, roads and vehicles by utilizing advanced data communication technologies. Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks which is a subset of Mobile Ad-hoc Networks, provide Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle to Roadside (V2R) and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) communications and plays an important role in Intelligent Transportation System. Due to special characteristics of VANETs, QoS (Quality of Service) provisioning in these networks is a challenging task. QoS is the capability of a network for providing superior service to a selected network traffic over various heterogeneous technologies. In this paper we present an overview of Vehicular Networks, QoS Concepts, QoS challenges in VANETs and approaches which aim to enhance the Quality of Service in Vehicular Networks