Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring VET Systems of Major EU Competitor Countries - The Cases of China, India, Russia and Korea

The study on VET systems of major EU competitor countries is based on the objective of the (revised) Lisbon agenda to become the most competitive region of the world based on a knowledge driven production and social cohesion. Building on experts opinion and literature research this study aims at monitoring VET policies in China, India, Russia and South Korea. With these countries a set of recently evolved top-performers in the global economy is under observation. The study analyses five themes which are assumed to be of outstanding importance for understanding the current performance and the developing potentials of VET systems. The addressed thematic fields are: background and structure of the education systems; current general policies in VET; image and attractiveness; financing of VET; early skills recognition. The study ends up with a set of conclusions emphasising possible recommendations that might be formulated for European countries and the European Union in order to support their struggle for achieving the Lisbon goals, i.e. achieving a good position in the global economy, innovation with more and better jobs and social cohesion during the coming decades. (DIPF/orig.) Diese Untersuchung der Berufsbildungssysteme der wichtigsten mit der EU konkurrierenden Lander basiert auf den uberarbeiteten Zielen der Lissabon-Agenda, die Europa auf der Grundlage wissensbasierter Produktionssysteme zum wettbewerbsfahigsten und dynamischsten Wirtschaftsraum in der Welt entwickeln will, der zugleich sozialer Gerechtigkeit verpflichtet ist. Die vorgelegte Studie zielt darauf ab, mit Hilfe von Expertenmeinungen und durch Literaturrecherchen die Berufsbildungspolitik in China, Indien, Rusland und Sudkorea zu analysieren und die Lernchancen fur europaische Lander aufzuzeigen. Mit dieser Landerauswahl sind vier wichtige »Aufsteigernationen« in den globalen Wettbewerb unter Beobachtung. Dabei werden funf Felder identifiziert, die fur das Verstandnis der aktuellen Leistungsfahigkeit und der Entwicklungspotenziale von Berufsbildungssystemen von ausschlaggebender Bedeutung sind: Grundlagen und Struktur der Bildungssysteme; Aktuelle allgemeine Trends in der Berufsbildungspolitik; Image und Attraktivitat von beruflicher Bildung; Finanzierung beruflicher Bildung; Fruherkennung von Qualifikationsbedarf. Die Untersuchung schliest mit Empfehlungen fur die EU und deren Mitgliedsstaaten, was von den Wettbewerberlandern zu lernen ware, um die Ziele der Lissabon-Agenda Â– erhohte globale Wettbewerbsfahigkeit, verbesserte Innovationsfahigkeit, die zusatzliche und bessere Arbeitsplatze schafft und eine grosere soziale Gerechtigkeit in den kommenden Jahrzehnten ermoglicht Â– umzusetzen. (DIPF/Orig.)
A bearing fault detection method based on compressive measurements of vibration signal

The general method for bearing fault detection is achieved by using bearing vibration signals which sampled in the frame of Shannon sampling theory. So it is necessary to sample and save abundant original vibration data in the process of uninterrupted monitoring, and this will generate masses of original data which would burden the storage and transmission. For this issue, a fault detection method based on compressed sensing theory is proposed in this paper. It only needs to sample and save fewer compressive measurements of bearing vibration signal directly compared to original signal. There is no need to recover the original signal accurately for detecting bearing faults, while it just requires referring to the prior training result and reconstructing the overall energy distribution of the original signal in some transform domain. The availability and effectiveness of the method proposed is validated with bearing vibration signals sampled in practice.
Numerical Simulations of Laser-Driven Cratering Experiments into Porous Graphite

We present the results of an experimental campaign conducted on the LULI2000 laser facility. Semi-infinite targets of a commercial grade of porous graphite were submitted to high-power laser irradiation inorder to generate craters. A 15 ns pulse duration was used along with a focal spot diameter of 900 µm to deliver energies up to 750 J. Numerical simulations of these shots have been performed following a specificmethodology which can be divided in three steps. Firstly, the mechanical loading induced by the laser iscalibrated by simulating the same shot on a thin aluminum target of which free surface velocity is measured byPDV and line-VISAR. Secondly, the same shot is performed on a thin graphite target to validate the materialmodel of graphite. Thirdly, the craterization shot on semi-infinite target is simulated. Numerical results arecompared to experimental measurements of craters obtained using an interferometric profilometer.
Does chronic kidney disease impact on cardiovascular complications and mortality in the elderly

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent among elderly patients and the risk of CKD increases with age. Reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is well-recognized risk factor for development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CVS) disease. It is also an independent predictor of increased all-cause and CVS death. Albuminuria, another parameter of kidney damage, is even better prognostic factor for adverse outcome. Excessive risk of CVS complications in patients with CKD translates into relatively lower risk of end-stage renal disease in elderly people as compared to the younger age groups – much more patients in an advanced age with CKD die before reaching the more advanced stages of CKD and need of dialysis or kidney transplantation. Although many therapeutic strategies applied to limit the burden of CVS disease and mortality in the general population were not tested in CKD, it seems appropriate to assume than many of them are also effective in patients with CKD. These include: aspirin, statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, betablocking agents and revascularization procedures. Elderly patients with CKD deserve special attention and care to limit their excessive CVS mortality.
Investigation of the Mechanism of Period-doubling Bifurcation in Voltage Mode Controlled Buck-Boost Converter

An investigation of the mechanism of period-doubling bifurcation in a voltage mode controlled buck-boost converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode is conducted from the viewpoint of nonlinear dynamical systems. The discrete iterative model describing the dynamics of the close-loop is derived. Period-doubling bifurcation occurs at certain values of the feedback factor. Results from numerical simulations and experiments are provided to verify the evolution of perioddoubling bifurcation, and the results are consistent with the theoretical analysis. These results show that the buck-boost converters exhibit a wide range of nonlinear behavior, and the system exhibits a typical period-doubling bifurcation route to chaos under particular operating conditions.
Are service-based business models of the video game industry blueprints for the music industry?

The internet, peer-to-peer technology and mobile devices are radically changing markets for digital media such as recorded music. Incumbent companies in these industries have severe difficulties in reacting to these changes and finding effective business models. The fundamental challenge is how to capture value from delivering digital music files which users expect to download for free. It is the consumer's capability to handle digital content that opens up possibilities for new business models where consumers are active partners helping to co-create value along with companies. Compared to the music industry, the video game industry was more successful in adapting its business models. By conducting an exploratory study among recently founded video game startups and two case studies of music-technology startups, whether and how the video game industry is a vital source from which to draw analogies for the music industry will be analysed in this paper.
The Italian productivity slowdown in a Real Business Cycle perspective

This paper investigates the structural relation between the Italian weak macroeconomic performances and the productivity decline experienced over the last 15 years, estimating a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium model. Modifying Ireland and Schuh’s (Rev Econ Dyn 11:473–492, 2008) two-sector RBC model in order to account for cointegration between consumption and investment, we interpret the unsatisfactory Italian economic dynamics in the light of a permanent negative shock to the component of productivity which is common across the consumption-good and the investment-good sector. In the light of our results, the common view that the Italian productivity problems involve only the Made in Italy sectors is only partially confirmed, since growth in the investment-good sector relies on the counterbalancing properties of its transitory sector-specific productivity component. Moreover, the model indirectly stresses the importance of the intermediate-good productions in the observed productivity decline. The short- and long-run implications of productivity dynamics for consumption, investment and hours worked are also discussed.
New Heterogeneous Clustering Protocol for Prolonging Wireless Sensor Networks Lifetime

Clustering in wireless sensor networks is one of the crucial methods for increasing of network lifetime. The network characteristics of existing classical clustering protocols for wireless sensor network are homogeneous. Clustering protocols fail to maintain the stability of the system, especially when nodes are heterogeneous. We have seen that the behavior of Heterogeneous-Hierarchical Energy Aware Routing Protocol (H-HEARP) becomes very unstable once the first node dies, especially in the presence of node heterogeneity. In this paper we assume a new clustering protocol whose network characteristics is heterogeneous for prolonging of network lifetime. The computer simulation results demonstrate that the proposed clustering algorithm outperforms than other clustering algorithms in terms of the time interval before the death of the first node (we refer to as stability period). The simulation results also show the high performance of the proposed clustering algorithm for higher values of extra energy brought by more powerful nodes.
Genetic transformation of chilli ( Capsicum annuum L.) with Dreb 1A transcription factor known to impart drought tolerance

Chilli, an important commercial crop, is recalcitrant to in vitro regeneration. In the present study, an attempt has been made to optimize the in vitro regeneration of two chilli local cultivars, viz., G4 and LCA334, and transform G4 with a transcription factor dreb1A under the control of a desiccation inducible promoter rd29A, known to impart desiccation tolerance, using binary vector pCAMBIA 2301. Different phytohormones and their concentrations in MS medium were evaluated for in vitro response; 0.25 mg L -1 zeatin and 2 mg L -1 phenyl acetic acid (PAA) supported the highest regeneration rate (37.86%). Among the explants, cotyledonary leaf exhibited a higher (51%) regeneration response compared to that of hypocotyls (24.73%), and genotype G4 had better (33.80%) regeneration rate compared to LCA334. Rooting of the shoots was the highest in MS medium with 2 mg L -1 indole butyric acid (IBA) compared to other hormones. The presence of transgene was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blotting. The acclimatized transformants were grown in pots and screened for drought tolerance. Some of the transformants showed improved tolerance to drought by lower wilting compared to the control plants. The transformation and regeneration protocol described in the present study may help in optimization of transformation of chilli for agronomic traits of interest.
Intracluster age gradients in numerous young stellar clusters

The pace and pattern of star formation leading to rich young stellar clusters is quite uncertain. In this context, we analyze the spatial distribution of ages within 19 young (median t<3 Myr on the Siess et al. (2000) timescale), morphologically simple, isolated, and relatively rich stellar clusters. Our analysis is based on young stellar object samples from the MYStIX and SFiNCs surveys, and a new estimator of pre-main sequence (PMS) stellar ages, AgeJX, derived from X-ray and near-infrared photometric data. Median cluster ages are computed within four annular subregions of the clusters. We confirm and extend the earlier result of Getman et al. (2014): 80% percent of the clusters show age trends where stars in cluster cores are younger than in outer regions. Our cluster stacking analyses establish the existence of an age gradient to high statistical significance in several ways. Time scales vary with the choice of PMS evolutionary model; the inferred median age gradient across the studied clusters ranges from 0.75 Myr/pc to 1.5 Myr/pc. The empirical finding reported in the present study -- late or continuing formation of stars in the cores of star clusters with older stars dispersed in the outer regions -- has a strong foundation with other observational studies and with the astrophysical models like the global hierarchical collapse model of Vazquez-Semadeni et al. (2017).
Examining the effects of environmental components on tourism destination competitiveness: The moderating impact of community support

Contemporarily, tourism sector is a highly competitive environment, which forces tourism players to provide better visitor services in order to stay competitive. In rural tourism, a growing niche in the tourism market, multiple components of environmental constructs play a crucial role in contributing to the sustainability and competitiveness of rural tourism destinations. Hence, this study examines the impact of environment components on development of rural tourism destination competitiveness from a local community perspective. In addition, community support was adopted as moderator variable to examine the relationship among the constructs. 299 respondents comprising of residents of rural tourism in Sarawak, Malaysia took part voluntarily in this study. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Version 21.0 and Smart PLS 2.0 (M3) to assess the developed model, based on path modelling and then bootstrapping. Interestingly, the findings revealed that four of the environmental constructs have had a significant positive impact on destination competitiveness from local communities' perspective.
Relationship between 2D:4D digit ratio with waist to hip ratio, muscle mass and strength in postmenopausal women

Background: In previous studies the ratio between 2D:4D hand digits was proposed as an indicator of testosterone level and can be related to aging-induced sarcopenia. Based on the notion, the aim of present study was to investigate the relationship between (2D:4D digit ratio and waist to hip ratio (WHR), muscle mass and strength in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: One-hundred forty eight postmenopausal women (average age: 53.74±4.38 years) were selected purposefully. Anthropometric characteristics of subjects, skeletal muscle mass index, handgrip strength and quadriceps strength were measured. Results: The results showed a significant negative correlation for 2D:4D digit ratio with handgrip strength and quadriceps muscle strength (r=-0.62, r=-0.51 and P<0.001). In addition, a weak negative correlation between the (2D:4D digit ratio and calf-circumference and skeletal muscle mass index (r=-0.21, P=0.008; r=-0.32, P=0.001, respectively) was observed, but there was no significant correlation between WHR and digit ratio (r=-0.14, P=0.08). Moreover, regression analysis showed that the 2D:4D digit ratio is a more predictive power for handgrip strength and quadriceps muscle strength (R2=0.38, R2=0.26, P<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Among the postmenopausal women the 2D: 4D digit ratio has a stronger correlation with handgrip strength and quadriceps muscle strength than the other variables. This finding can be used to check the possibility of reduced muscle strength in postmenopausal women.
Survey of texture mapping techniques for representing and rendering volumetric mesostructure

Representation and rendering of volumetric mesostructure using texture mapping can potentially allow the display of highly detailed, animated surfaces at a low performance cost. Given the need for consistently more detailed and dynamic worlds rendered in real-time, volumetric texture mapping now becomes an area of great importance. In this survey, we review the developments of algorithms and techniques for representing volumetric mesostructure as texture-mapped detail. Our goal is to provide researchers with an overview of novel contributions to volumetric texture mapping as a starting point for further research and developers with a comparative review of techniques, giving insight into which methods would be fitting for particular tasks. We start by defining the scope of our domain and provide background information regarding mesostructure and volumetric texture mapping. Existing techniques are assessed in terms of content representation and storage as well as quality and performance of parameterization and rendering. Finally, we provide insights to the field and opportunities for research directions in terms of real-time volumetric texture-mapped surfaces under deformation.
A framework for rapid post-earthquake assessment of bridges and restoration of transportation network functionality using structural health monitoring

Quick and reliable assessment of the condition of bridges in a transportation network after an earthquake can greatly assist immediate post-disaster response and long-term recovery. However, experience shows that available resources, such as qualified inspectors and engineers, will typically be stretched for such tasks. Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems can therefore make a real difference in this context. SHM, however, needs to be deployed in a strategic manner and integrated into the overall disaster response plans and actions to maximize its benefits. This study presents, in its first part, a framework of how this can be achieved. Since it will not be feasible, or indeed necessary, to use SHM on every bridge, it is necessary to prioritize bridges within individual networks for SHM deployment. A methodology for such prioritization based on structural and geotechnical seismic risks affecting bridges and their importance within a network is proposed in the second part. An example using the methodology application to selected bridges in the medium-sized transportation network of Wellington, New Zealand is provided. The third part of the paper is concerned with using monitoring data for quick assessment of bridge condition and damage after an earthquake. Depending on the bridge risk profile, it is envisaged that data will be obtained from either local or national seismic monitoring arrays or SHM systems installed on bridges. A method using artificial neural networks is proposed for using data from a seismic array to infer key ground motion parameters at an arbitrary bridges site. The methodology is applied to seismic data collected in Christchurch, New Zealand. Finally, how such ground motion parameters can be used in bridge damage and condition assessment is outlined.
Trend analysis of the 20-year time series of stratospheric ozone profiles observed by the GROMOS microwave radiometer at Bern

Abstract. The ozone radiometer GROMOS (GROund-based Millimeter-wave Ozone Spectrometer) has been performing continuous observations of stratospheric ozone profiles since 1994 above Bern, Switzerland (46.95° N, 7.44° E, 577 m). GROMOS is part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). From November 1994 to October 2011, the ozone line spectra were measured by a filter bench (FB). In July 2009, a fast Fourier transform spectrometer (FFTS) was added as a back end to GROMOS. The new FFTS and the original FB measured in parallel for over 2 years. The ozone profiles retrieved separately from the ozone line spectra of FB and FFTS agree within 5 % at pressure levels from 30 to 0.5 hPa, from October 2009 to August 2011. A careful harmonisation of both time series has been carried out by taking the FFTS as the reference instrument for the FB. This enables us to assess the long-term trend derived from stratospheric ozone observations at Bern. The trend analysis was performed by using a robust multilinear parametric trend model which includes a linear term, the solar variability, the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index, the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), the annual and semi-annual oscillation and several harmonics with period lengths between 3 and 24 months. Over the last years, some experimental and modelling trend studies have shown that the stratospheric ozone trend is levelling off or even turning positive. With our observed ozone profiles, we are able to support this statement by reporting a statistically significant trend of +3.14 % decade−1 at 4.36 hPa (37.76 km), covering the period from January 1997 to January 2015, above Bern. Additionally, we have estimated a negative trend over this period of −3.94 % decade−1 at 0.2 hPa (59 km).
Arthroscopic Treatment of Recurrent Anterior Glenohumeral Instability

The glenohumeral joint achieves the greatest mobility compared with all other joints in the human body. Due to its complex anatomy, its stability is conferred by a combination of bone, soft tissue and muscular structures. It is therefore the most commonly dislocated joint, with an overall incidence of approximately 17/100.000 per year (Kroner et al, 1989). The classification of shoulder instability is complex, depending on the cause (traumatic vs. atraumatic), degree (dislocation, subluxation, or microinstability), direction (anterior, posterior, inferior or multidirectional), and chronology (acute, chronic, or acute on chronic). Traumatic glenohumeral instability is defined as occurring after an inciting event that results in subjective or objective subluxation or dislocation that is reduced either spontaneously or by a health professional (Cadet, 2010). Atraumatic instability occurs as the sequel of generalized ligamentous laxity or repetitive motion, as in overhead throwing athletes. Inferior and multidirectional instabilities are less common than anterior and posterior ones and have been described to combine the presence of a sulcus sign or inferior subluxation of the humeral head with symptoms of pain or instability (Neer & Foster, 1980). Anterior shoulder instability accounts for 95% of acute traumatic dislocations. Although many patients who suffer an initial shoulder dislocation never experience a second episode of instability, a significant percentage present with recurrent instability that results in morbidity and decreased functionality in respect to the demands placed on the joint during everyday, occupational and athletic activities.