Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Students Readiness and Motivation to Use Mobile Phone for Learning English at Higher Learning Institution

The rapid growth on ICT have reshaped our live today, and nowadays? university students in Higher Learning Institutions have an immense use of mobile phones, iPads and other portable devices. Mobile learning or m-Learning focuses on the mobility of the learner while interacting with portable technologies. The use of mobile learning among university students is seen as an alternative to increase their interest and motivation on learning the academic programmes at Higher Learning Institution. The m-learners use mobile device for educational purpose at their own time convenience. An online questionnaire survey will be used to collect data for this study. The findings will reveal on the students? readiness which are basic readiness, skills readiness, psychological readiness and budget readiness at a public university in Malaysia in relation to mobile learning. The study will also explore the students? motivation towards the use of mobile technologies for learning English in the university. A discussion on the implications of the findings will also be presented.
Automated sleep classification using the new sleep stage standards

Automated Sleep Classification Using the New Sleep Stage Standards Elizabeth Ann Fehrmann Supervising Professor: Dr. Juan Carlos Cockburn Sleep is fundamental for physical health and good quality of life, and clinicians and researchers have long debated how best to understand it. Manual approaches to sleep classification have been in use for over 40 years, and in 2007, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) published a new sleep scoring manual. Over the years, many attempts have been made to introduce and validate machine learning and automated classification techniques in the sleep research field, with the goals of improving consistency and reliability. This thesis explored and assessed the use of automated classification systems with the updated sleep stage definitions and scoring rules using neuro-fuzzy system (NFS) and support vector machine (SVM) methodology. For both the NFS and SVM classification techniques, the overall percent correct was approximately 65%, with sensitivity and specificity rates around 80% and 95%, respectively. The overall Kappa scores, one means for evaluating system reliability, were approximately 0.57 for both the NFS and SVM, indicating moderate agreement that is not accidental. Stage 3 sleep was detected with an 87–89% success rate. The results presented in this thesis show that the use of NFS and SVM methods for classifying sleep stages is possible using the new AASM guidelines. While the current work supports and confirms the use of these classification techniques within the research community, the results did not indicate a significant difference in the accuracy of either approach—nor a difference in one over the other. The results suggest that the important clinical stage 3 (slow wave sleep) can be accurately scored with these classifiers; however, the techniques used here would need more investigation and optimization prior to serious use in clinical applications.
Nonlinear Reduced Order Modeling of Plasticization Cylinder

In this paper, we construct a nonlinear reduced order model of a plasticization cylinder of injection machines, which has a spatially distributed nonlinear dynamics. First, a distributed parameter model for the overall control system is derived based on the physical laws. Next, we attempt to reduce the model complexity focusing on the specific structure of the nonlinearity, which arises from a temperature-dependency of the rate of heat loss of heaters subjected to natural convection. This enables us to obtain a 28 dimensional model (via an 808 dimensional spatially discretized model) while theoretically guaranteeing a practically satisfactory accuracy. The obtained model is examined experimentally by using a prototype system.
A proposed model for Quranic Arabic WordNet

Most recent Arabic language computing research focuses on modern standard Arabic, but the classical Arabic of the Qur’an has been relatively unexplored, despite the importance of the Qur’an to Islam worldwide which can be used by both scholars and learners.This research work proposes to develop a WordNet for Qur’an by building semantic connections between words in order to achieve a better understanding of the meanings of the Qur’anic words using traditional Arabic dictionaries and a Qur’an ontology. The Qur’an corpus will be used as text and Boundary Annotated Qur’an Corpus (Brierley et al, 2012) will be used to explore the root and Part-of-Speech for each word and the word by word English translations. Traditional Arabic dictionaries will be used to find the Arabic meaning and derived words for each root in the Qur'anic Corpus. Then, these words and their meanings (Arabic, English) will be connected together through semantic relations. The achieved Qur’anic WordNet will provide an integrated semantic Qur’anic dictionary for the Arabic and English versions of the Qur'an.
The Relationship between Structural Empowerment and Job Satisfaction : a Case Study of a Thai Automobile Company

Empowerment is a modern management technique that is essential to organizational change. As most previous research has focused on empowerment at the individual, psychological level, employee empowerment at the organization level represents a research gap that requires investigation. For Thailand, the automotive industry is considered a critical industry that affects investment and employment. This study aimed to explore the structural empowerment level and job satisfaction level of employees at a Thai automobile company, including the investigation of the relationship between structural empowerment and job satisfaction. A questionnaire was used to gather the data for empirical analysis. The samples were 226 first-line employees at an automobile company and systematic random sampling was used to select the samples. For measurement, the structural empowerment variable consisted of information, support, resources, and opportunities, and job satisfaction consisted of work itself, advancement, recognition, responsibility, and opportunity for growth. To collect the data, electronic mailing was used and the response rate was 86.28%. The finding revealed that structural empowerment was positively related to employees’ job satisfaction. The support factor was found to be especially strongly related to job satisfaction. Further research should consider the impact of psychological empowerment on job satisfaction.
Stability and pre-thermalization in chains of classical kicked rotors

Periodic drives are a common tool to control physical systems, but have a limited applicability because time-dependent drives generically lead to heating. How to prevent the heating is a fundamental question with important practical implications. We address this question by analyzing a chain of coupled kicked rotors, and find two situations in which the heating rate can be arbitrarily small: (i) linear stability, for initial conditions close to a fixed point, and (ii) marginal localization, for drives with large frequencies and small amplitudes. In both cases, we find that the dynamics shows universal scaling laws that allow us to distinguish localized, diffusive, and sub-diffusive regimes. The marginally localized phase has common traits with recently discovered pre-thermalized phases of many-body quantum-Hamiltonian systems, but does not require quantum coherence.
The mechanism of intrusion of the Inyo Dike, Long Valley Caldera, California

We analyze the intrusion of the 11-km-long Inyo Dike at the margins of Long Valley caldera, eastern California. The dike trends N07°W and is divided into at least three segments which are rotated by as much as 25° with respect to the main trend. The dike seems affected primarily by the regional stress field of right-lateral shear of the western United States and by the local thermal conditions of the crust; the dike seems unaffected by the preexisting caldera margins and Sierra-Nevada frontal fault system. The high heat flow in Long Valley caldera implies that crustal rocks below 3–4.5 km deform by steady state creep under tectonic strain rate and support low to vanishing tectonic shear stresses. The upper rocks, above 3–4.5 km, deform by frictional slip along fractures and may support tectonic shear stresses as high as 24 MPa. We demonstrate that depth variations of tectonic stresses may have a profound effect on the segmentation and rotation of dikes, both at Long Valley and in other areas of high heat flow. The analysis places constraints on several tectonic conditions. The Inyo Dike intruded under a tectonic stress state with a horizontal maximum compression oriented N07°W. The maximum extensional fracture strength of the host rocks is 1–2.5 MPa, and the pressure drop within the propagating Inyo Dike was about 0.55 MPa/km. The volatile overpressure in the magma chamber was about 15 MPa during eruption of rhyolitic lavas at the Inyo Domes.
Voiceless subjects? Research ethics and persons with profound intellectual disabilities

Abstract This paper discusses possibilities of designing ethical research practice in relation to people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). We will argue that in the case of this group of people, research ethics is about ethically justifiable research aims, design, methods, and practices that are based on the recognition of their equal worth as humans. We argue that the turn to emancipatory methods in disability studies has effectively excluded persons with PIMD as they implicitly assume that research participants have the kind of cognitive and communicative capacities that persons with PIMD lack. Their exclusion from disability studies is further reinforced by the theoretical tradition of the field that has emphasised the material arrangements of society, as well as the ableist cultural ideologies as key factors contributing to disabled people’s social exclusion. It is problematic to apply these approaches to individuals whose lives are marked by insurmountable impairment effects. Research ethics should take into account potential disparities of cognitive ability and power between researchers and research participants. Using an ongoing ethnographic study about the lives of persons with PIMD as an example, we describe in detail what positioning research participants as moral subjects could mean in practice.
Work-in-Progress: Persistence Improvement for Distributed Cache with NVM Based Storage System

In this paper, we consider to improve the performance of Distributed Cache Systems (DCS) by using Non Volatile Memory (NVM) based storage device, which can accelerate the read and write speed when doing persistent operations. We propose the placement policy for two kinds of persistent files in DCS, and design an optimal checkpointing mechanism to improve the system reliability. We finally take Redis as an example and conduct several experiments to evaluate our design.
Evolutionary Based BEL Controller Applied to a Magneto-Rheological Actuator

This paper addresses the problem of finding the best Brain Emotional Learning (BEL) controller parameters in order to improve the response of a single degree-of-freedom (SDOF) structural system under an earthquake excitation. The control paradigm considered is based on a semi-active system to control the dynamics of a lumped mass-damper-spring model, being carried out by changing the damping force of a magneto-rheological (MR) damper. A typical BEL based controller requires the definition of several parameters which can be proved difficult and non-intuitive to obtain. For this reason, an evolutionary based search technique has been added to the current problem framework in order to automate the controller design. In particular, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method was chosen as the evolutionary based technique to be integrated within the current control paradigm. The obtained results suggest that, indeed, it is possible to parametrize a BEL controller using an evolutionary based algorithm. Moreover, simulation shows that the obtained results can outperform the ones obtained by manual tuning each controller parameter individually.
Fast and Simultaneous Determination of Antioxidant Activity, Total Phenols and Bitterness of Red Wines by a Multichannel Amperometric Electronic Tongue

An electronic tongue based on a flow injection system equipped with a multichannel amperometric detector was used to determine the antioxidant activity, total phenols and bitter taste of red wines. The detector composed of four glassy carbon electrodes, arranged in a square configuration, where two parallel electrodes (poised at E1 = +400 and E2 = +800 mV) were followed by other two electrodes (poised at E3 = +800 and E4 = 400 mV). This configuration allowed to gain information on the content of the antioxidants activity (E1) and total phenols (E2 and E3). E1/E2 was used to express the proportion of strong vs. weak antioxidants. E3/E4 was used to express an index of reversibility. Finally, the ratio E2/E3 was used to control the system. Overall, the four electrodes led to seven variables, which provided a characteristic pattern profile. The eleven variables in total were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) to determine, the antioxidant activity, total phenol content and bitterness value of red wine samples. The results of antioxidant activity were correlated with the Folin Ciocalteu index (R =0.94). Bitterness was correlated with the descriptors of the e-tongue (R =0.81). Overall, the analysis with the proposed electronic tongue is simple (only a dilution is required), fast (the analysis takes less than 20 seconds per sample), objective (precision within 5 %, expressed as RSD%) and cheap compared to classical sensory analysis.
Microfluidics for Soft Electronics

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Abstract Microfluidics- based soft electronic systems have the potential to assist conventional rigid devices and circuits to achieve extreme levels of elasticity in wearable electronics and oth‐ er applications. The goal of employing microfluidics-based approach among other exist‐ ing methods is to enhance users comfort through fulfillment of wearable’s mechanical performance requirements such as flexibility, twistability, and stretchability. This chapter presents a brief survey of different solutions for developing elastic electronics and a thor‐ ough review of the progress in microfluidics-based approaches. This chapter mainly fo‐ cuses on the description of the fabrication process, design, and measurement steps of different antennas and complex systems realized using microfluidic interconnects.
Effect of Delay in Tuberculosis Diagnosis on Pre-Diagnosis Cost

Background: Delay in TB diagnosis can increase the financial burden of patients, especially those who are suffering from poverty. The cost of Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, either pre- or postdiagnosis, is an important concern in TB control programs worldwide. The new Tuberculosis (TB) patients that diagnosed at Tuberculosis referral centre, Sana’a, Yemen were the subjects of this study. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the pre-diagnosis costs for delayed TB patients (prior to the actual TB diagnosis) in a tuberculosis referral center in Sana’a, Yemen. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study on newly diagnosed TB patients was performed by the National Tuberculosis Control Program in a tuberculosis center in Sana’a, Yemen. A total of 505 new TB patients were interviewed using a questionnaire. The study period was from 2008 to 2010. Information on the pre-diagnosis costs (direct medical and non-medical costs) for the newly diagnosed TB patients was collected. Results: Differences in the pre-diagnosis costs between delayed (%) and non-delayed patients (%) were obtained. The medical (medication, laboratory investigation, and chest X-ray test) and non-medical (food, transportation, and accommodation) costs incurred by the TB patients were statistically different between the delayed and non-delayed TB groups (p Key words: Cost, TB, DOTS, Yemen, Prediagnosiss, Delay.
Development of thin-film multijunction thermal converters at NIST

This paper gives an overview of the development of thin-film multijunction thermal converters (FMJTCs) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). A historical perspective of film thermal converters is presented, followed by descriptions of the motivation, fabrication processes, physical characteristics and the electrical properties of the FMJTCs produced at NIST. Integrated micropotentiometers which incorporate FMJTCs and thermal converters, produced by an alternative fabrication technology using a CMOS foundry, are also described. The paper concludes with a report on the current status of the FMJTC project and future directions.
In Vitro Osteoblast Model for Bone Wound Infections and Antimicrobial Therapy

Abstract : We proposed to determine the changes in osteoblast differentiation in vitro when infected with multidrug resistant bacteria and the therapeutic effects of two well characterized antimicrobial peptides. For the first part of the study, an in vitro 3 dimensional(3D) model of primary human osteoblasts in a collagen scaffold was developed for infection. The 3D osteoblast cultures were infected with clinical isolates of multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Custom PCR arrays with genes associated with osteoblast differentiation/maturation were used to study gene expression in primary osteoblasts at several time points 4, 24, 48 and 72 hours post infection. The temporal gene expression patterns of infected osteoblasts in the 3D model were studied by real time PCR. Initial work suggested changes in the expression of osteoblast marker genes, several transcription factors, cell adhesion related genes and proinflammatory cytokines may contribute to an impediment for osteoblast differentiation and maturation when osteoblasts harbor any of these 3bacteria as intracellular pathogens. Antimicrobial therapy was tested with KSL-W peptide on osteoblasts in 3-D scaffolds and was effective against extracellular Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae compared to uninfected controls. KSLW was not effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. KSL-W was not effective against intracellular bacteria. The outcome of our findings may contribute to accelerate treatment options and management of osteomyelitis due to drug resistant bacteria in the Wounded Warrior.
ESTIMATION OF GENETIC AND PHONOTYPIC TRENDS FOR AGE AT FIRST CALVING, CALVING INTERVAL, DAYS OPEN AND NUMBER OF INSEMINATION TO CONCEPTION FOR ISFAHAN HOLSTEIN COWS

For the current research the records of 62 farms in Isfahan province were available. To estimate genetic and phonotypic trends of reproductive traits such as age at first calving, calving interval, days open and number of insemination to conception rate the records of 63,866 cows including 167793 reproductive records were employed. Farms were covered by Vahdat industrial Agriculturists and Dairymen Cooperative of Isfahan during 1986 to 2012. Genetic parameters estimated by linear animal model using Restricted Maximum Likelihood Method (REML). Genetic and phonotype trends were estimated by using regression of average breeding values and phonotype values on calving year. Heritability of age at first calving (0.19±0.007), calving interval (0.06±0.005), days open (0.041±0.004) and number of insemination to conception (0.071±0.004) were estimated. Phonotypic trends of age at first calving, calving interval, days open, number of insemination to conception in first parity and number of insemination to conception in second parity onward were estimated to be -3.48± 1.08, -0.41±0.4, 0.42±0.2, 0.013±0.0025 and 0.031±0.01 respectively. Estimated genetic trends for age at first calving, calving interval, days open, for number of insemination to conception in first parity and number of insemination to conception in second parity onward were estimated to be 0.07±0.06, -0.56±0.5, 0.02±0.06, 0.0015±0.001 and 0.0005±0.005, respectively.
EVALUATION OF REPEATED DOSE-90-DAY ORAL TOXICITY STUDY OF L-DOPA AND HYOSCINE HYDRBROMIDE COMBINATION IN RATS

Objective: The present study was done to evaluate repeated-dose 90-day oral toxicity studies of l-dopa and hyoscine hydrbromide combination in rats. Methods: Repeated-dose 90-day oral toxicity study was performed according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines 408. In the present study, combination of L-dopa and hyoscine hydrobromide was administered at 5 times the upper limit of therapeutic dose of each drug which is 1200 mg per day for L-dopa and 0.75 mg per day for hyoscine hydrobromide for adult human being and which was converted to required dose for Wistar rats (5 males and 5 females). Results : The combination of L-dopa and hyoscine hydrobromide at 5 times the upper therapeutic dose produced no treatment-related signs of toxicity or mortality in any of the animals tested during 90 d of the study. The subchronic administration of the combination of L-dopa and hyoscine hydrobromide did not produce any significant difference in any of the assigned parameters between the control and all treatment groups. Conclusion: It is established that the combination of L-dopa and hyoscine hydrobromide therapy is safe on repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity at 5 times the upper limit of therapeutics dose of each drug.
Disease-responsive drug delivery: An emerging concept for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases

In this talk, we will discuss about one of the emerging concept in the field of biomaterials and drug delivery, i.e., disease-responsive biomaterials. A significant leap in drug delivery is an autonomous system that titrates the amount of drug released in response to a disease, for instance, inflammation, ensuring the drug is released only when needed at therapeutically relevant concentration. Diseases have inherently fluctuated in nature such as inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, in particular, pose an enormous challenge to deliver drugs in safe, efficient and compliant manner. In what follows we will take a brief look at current approaches about biomaterials-based therapeutics and with examples taken from our work to examine how disease-responsive biomaterials have developed to i) improve the lifetime of the transplanted organs, ii) locally injectable hydrogels for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis, and iii) inflammationtargeted drug delivery to alleviate inflammatory bowel diseases.