Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EVALUATION OF DIABETIC PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY IN KNOWN CASES OF TYPE 2 DIABETES IN URBAN AND RURAL POPULATION

Background: Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is one of the microvascular complications of diabetes, and is responsible for most of the amputations in diabetes. Measurement of Vibration Perception Threshold (VPT) is useful in assessment of peripheral neuropathy. The aim of the study is to study the role and correlation of age, duration of diabetes, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1C, and microalbumin: creatinine ratio with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in known cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus in urban and rural population of Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods: Study was done on two groups comprising of 30 cases with normal VPT and 30 cases with abnormal VPT in type 2 diabetes. Age, duration of diabetes, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1C, and microalbumin: creatinine ratio were recorded and analyzed. Results: Significant difference in age, duration of diabetes, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1C, and microalbumin: creatinine ratio is observed between groups (P < 0.05). There is significant correlation of age, duration of diabetes, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1C, and microalbumin: creatinine ratio with VPT (P < 0.05) in all cases. Among the correlating parameters multiple regression analysis revealed that age and HbA1C are good predictors of VPT (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Age, duration of diabetes, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1C, and microalbuminuria were associated with DPN in urban and rural population. However age and HbA1C are strong predictors of changes in VPT. There is need to study the prevalence of and other risk factors associated with DPN with a larger sample size in this area.
RFID Enabled B2B E-Commerce Technologies and Applications

In recent years RFID emerged as powerful and disrupting technologies (Krotov and Junglas, 2008), which can have a major impact on enterprise business practices, changing the way business processes are designed (Lefebvre et al., 2005). It is perhaps the biggest thing to hit the IT world since the Internet (Heinrich, 2005). In fact, it has been coined as “the next big thing for management” (Wyld, 2006), the “key to automate everything” (Want, 2004) enabling “the next wave of the IT revolution” (Srivastava, 2004), and fostering a higher level of electronic integration between supply chain members (Bendavid et al., 2009). RFID represents far more than a technological hype and has deep implications for organizations B2B E-Commerce practices. It is still an emerging phenomenon with a relatively rapid speed of adoption and its diffusion global, spanning over industries in different continents. In 2008 the value of the entire RFID market was estimated to $5.29 billion, up from $4.93 billion in 2007 (IDTechEx, 2008). Although the current slow-down in the economic environment is impacting the worldwide RFID market for RFID hardware, software and services, according to VDC Research Group (2008), compared to earlier estimates, the market forecasts have to be lowered ABSTRACT
Omnidirectional Robot Construction at the Math Class

The goal for this workshop is to expose participants to an example of the Experience Workshop Math-Art Movement’s implementation of robot-design and construction in the mathematics classroom. While participants experiment with solving the problem of how to build an omnidirectional robot—a vehicle capable of driving in any direction in a 2D plane—several physical phenomena and properties can be discovered through geometrical measurements and mathematical calculations. After the mechanical problems have been resolved, the participating students can develop individual character to their robots by improving the aesthetics of their design, while also considering practical and technological questions. The workshop combines hands-on learning with digital modeling, an approach based on combining a Hungarian ReBOT Kit with the Korean 4Dframe as well as GeoGebra dynamic geometry software. The workshop is suitable for students above the age of 12 years. Students work in teams to develop their collaborative problem solving skills. Introduction: Omnidirectional Robots in Real Life and in Education Implementing robotics in education is a fast growing field, which is among the prioritized areas of STEM and STEAM movement. Several studies suggest that robots increases motivation, engagement and attitude towards learning, just as designing, constructing and programming robots can develop creative thinking, and can improve problem-solving skills. [1] Physics and mathematics plays the major role in these projects and many of these subjects’ topics can be explored through robotics. [2] Experience Workshop Math-Art Movement [3] offers a great variety of robotics workshops for several age groups from early childhood education to programs for university students. The Arduino-based, Hungarian ReBOT Kit—available to make robots from simple, recycled cardboard materials, such as milk boxes—, the Korean 4Dframe, BBC micro:bit as well as the GeoGebra dynamic geometry software are often used in our events. We present a combination of ReBOT with 4Dframe and GeoGebra in this paper, focusing on the topic of omnidirectional robots. Bridges 2017 Conference Proceedings
Family of Man

Hailed as the most successful and inspiring exhibition of photography ever assembled, the Family of Man opened at The Museum of Modern Art in January 1955. This book, the permanent embodiment of Steichen's monumental exhibition, reproduces all of the 503 images that Steichen described as "a mirror of the essential oneness of mankind throughout the world.Photographs, made in all parts of the world, of the gamut of life from birth to death.Photographs of lovers and marriage and child-bearing.Photographs concerned with man's dreams and aspirations and photographs of the flaming creative forces of love and truth and the corrosive evil inherent in the lie. " This is a classic and inspiring work, in print for more than forty years.
A brief review on recent developments of superconducting microwave resonators for quantum device application

Abstract Quantum information processing using superconducting qubit based on Josephson junctionhas become one of the most promising candidates for possible realization of a quantum computer. In the heart of the qubit circuits, the superconducting microwave resonator plays a key role in quantum operations and measurementswhich , enables single-photon level microwave quantum optics. During last decade, t he coherence time, or the lifetime of the quantum state, of the superconducting qubit has been dramatically improved. Among several technological innovations, improvement of superconducting microwave resonatorthe ’s quality has been the main driving force in the gettingqubit performance almost ready for elementary quantum computing architecture. In this paper, I will briefly review very recent progresses of the superconducting microwave resonators especially aimed for quantum device applications during the last decadeThe progresses have been driven by ingenious circuit d. gn, esimaterial improvement, and new measurement techniques. Even a rather radical idea of three-dimensional large resonators have been successfully implemented in a qubit circuit. All those efforts contributed our understanding of the qubit decoherence to mechanism and as a result to the improvement of qubit performance.
Linearity Testing in Time-Varying Smooth Transition Autoregressive Models under Unknown Degree of Persistency

Building upon the work of Vogelsang (1998) and Harvey and Leybourne (2007) we derive tests that are invariant to the order of integration when the null hypothesis of linearity is tested in time-varying smooth transition models. As heteroscedasticity may lead to spurious rejections of the null hypothesis, a White correction is also considered. The asymptotic properties of the tests are studied. Our Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the newly proposed tests exhibit good size and competitive power properties. An empirical application to US inflation data from the Post-Bretton Woods period underlines the empirical usefulness of our tests.
Improved microwave absorption in lightweight resin-based carbon foam by decorating with magnetic and dielectric nanoparticles

Carbon foams (CFoams) are sponge-like high performance lightweight engineering materials that possess excellent electrical and mechanical properties as well as thermal stability. CFoams possess bulk density in the range from 0.30 to 0.40 g cm−3 and open porosity of more than 70%. The CFoam consists of pore walls, i.e., ligaments, which are responsible for the conduction path and hence the electrical conductivity due to mobile charge carrier (delocalized π electron), are interconnected to each other. The high value of electrical conductivity causes the CFoam to act as an electromagnetic radiation reflector rather than an absorber; however, in certain applications, shielding materials must be able to absorb the maximum electromagnetic radiation. Therefore, to improve the absorptivity of electromagnetic radiation in lightweight CFoams, the CFoams are decorated by Fe3O4 and ZnO nanoparticles. It is observed that coating with Fe3O4 and Fe3O4–ZnO nanoparticles not only improved the absorption losses but also enhanced the compressive strength of CFoam by 100%. This modified CFoam demonstrated excellent shielding response in the frequency range from 8.2 to 12.4 GHz, in which the total shielding effectiveness (SE) was dominated by absorption losses. The total SE is −45.7 and −48.5 dB of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4–ZnO-coated CFoam, respectively, and it is governed by absorption losses of −34.3 dB and −41.5 dB, respectively. Moreover, the absorption losses increased by 236% in Fe3O4-coated CFoam and 281% in Fe3O4–ZnO-coated CFoam without much enhancement in the bulk density. This is due to the high level of magnetic and dielectric losses of nanoparticles with high surface area. Note that the absorption losses are 80% higher than any value reported for CFoam; thus, lightweight CFoam decorated with magnetic and dielectric nanoparticles is an excellent material for stealth technology.
A Metaheuristic Algorithm Based on Chemotherapy Science: CSA

Among scientific fields of study, mathematical programming has high status and its importance has led researchers to develop accurate models and effective solving approaches to addressing optimization problems. In particular, metaheuristic algorithms are approximate methods for solving optimization problems whereby good (not necessarily optimum) solutions can be generated via their implementation. In this study, we propose a population-based metaheuristic algorithm according to chemotherapy method to cure cancers that mainly search the infeasible region. As in chemotherapy, Chemotherapy Science Algorithm (CSA) tries to kill inappropriate solutions (cancers and bad cells of the human body); however, this would inevitably risk incidentally destroying some acceptable solutions (healthy cells). In addition, as the cycle of cancer treatment repeats over and over, the algorithm is iterated. To align chemotherapy process with the proposed algorithm, different basic terms and definitions including Infeasibility Function (IF), objective function (OF), Cell Area (CA), and Random Cells (RCs) are presented in this study. In the terminology of algorithms and optimization, IF and OF are mainly applicable as criteria to compare every pair of generated solutions. Finally, we test CSA and its structure using the benchmark Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP).
Significance and Strengthening Private Sector Engagement in the Management of Public Protected Areas: Experiences from Malawi

This paper presents the significance and strategies to strengthen private sector engagement in the management of public protected areas in Malawi. The study emanates from desk reviews of various relevant documents, stakeholder consultations and Malawi national Community Based Natural Resources Management forum discussions. In addition, focus group discussions with selected local communities surrounding conservation areas were conducted. Data analysis was conducted through content analysis and critical discourse analysis. Promotion of environmental education in protected areas, involvement of local communities in managing natural resources, Infrastructure development and conducting research studies on and in protected areas were found to be significant roles of private sector involvement in public protected areas. Unfavorable economic climate, weak regulation enforcement, poor monitoring mechanism of the activities undertaken by concessioners in managing the protected areas and poor dispute settlement mechanisms were seen to be the challenges. Lastly, enabling policy environment, long term tenure security, clear rights and responsibilities and selection of concessionaires by tender were found to be strategies for enhancing private sector participation in managing protected areas. A follow-up study should be conducted quantitatively in order to provide empirical evidence on the role and ways of strengthening private sector participation.
The relationship between cultural and geographic parameters in algorithmic design – sample algorithm

Abstract The article presents selected issues related to the role of cultural and geographic parameters in architectural and urban design. The author defines the groups of parameters and analyses a relationship between them and its influence on design process. The relationship between the groups of parameters is presented at the example of evolutionary algorithm that searches for proper location for Roman military camp. Presented algorithm is an example of possible usage of the relationship between the groups of parameters in modern algorithmic design where cultural factors are used for evaluation of geographic parameters.
A NOVEL METHOD FOR SPEED CONTROL OF SWITCHED RELUCTANCE MOTOR BY FUZZY PI CONTROLLER

This paper presents a speed control of switched reluctance motor using fuzzy PI controller . Depending on the non linear model of the SRM with negligible mutual inductances and the torque depending on the rotor position of the motor, the subsystems are modeled using MATLAB/SIMULINK . The fuzzyPI controller is robust to sudden changes in reference speed and shows its effect on transient response and decreases the steady state error. This paper provides a better control on the speed of the SRM when compared with conventional PI controller.
Performance-based compensation vs. guaranteed compensation: contractual incentives and performance in the Brazilian banking industry

Top management from retail banks must delegate authority to lower-level managers to operate branches and service centers. Doing so, they must navigate through conflicts of interest, asymmetric information and limited monitoring in designing compensation plans for such agents. Pursuant to this delegation, banks adopt a system of performance targets and incentives to align the interests of senior and unit managers. This paper evaluates the causal relationship between performance-based salaries and managers' effective performance. Using data from January 2007 to June 2009 of a large Brazilian retail banks, we find that that agents with guaranteed variable salary contracts have inferior performance compared with agents who have performance-based compensation packages. We conclude that there is a moral hazard in the behavior of agents who are subject to guaranteed variable salary contracts.
Methods of Dynamic Image Analysis for Hydroxyl Tagging Velocimetry

This article presents the method of analyzing a mach 2 flow of air through a scramjet and over a cavity using hydroxyl tagging velocimetry (HTV). This method is of particular use in supersonic engines, where, fuel is ignited by a flame protected from airflow by a cavity. Emphasis of the experiment discussed is placed on the image analysis portion of the HTV experiments. The current software used to analyze laser intersections, created by Michigan State University, is user-intensive and inefficient because of the large number of inputs needed to produce a result. The conceptual method behind this imaging software is explained along with the mathematical algorithms related to the spatial correlation technique. The spatial correlation technique offers a way to determine the distance that an object has moved from one photograph to another. This work focuses on improvements to the dynamic analysis of images to expand the applicability of current software tools. The failures and successes of each method are explained. Hydroxyl tagging velocimetry (HTV) is the process of extracting the velocity vectors of an air flow by splitting apart water molecules in air and tagging the OH atom. The OH atom is tagged by taking a photograph of the molecule at an initial position and a final position over some time interval. The velocity vector of the molecule and airflow is determined by dividing the change in position by the finite time interval. Using the HTV process, Dr. Robert Pitz, Michael D. Lahr, and Zach W. Douglas determine how air flow, traveling at mach 2 in a scramjet nozzle, reacts when it encounters a small rectangular cavity of height 17 mm, width 153 mm, and length 66 mm. This cavity may be used in future systems to act as a place where a flame pilot may be used to ignite fuel. In a typical mach 2 flow, the flame would not ignite the fuel because it had no air-flow resistance. The cavity will be used to provide protection for the flame (Pitz et al. 2005, 6693). The experimental setup is as follows. Humid air is pushed through a two-dimensional nozzle at mach 2, with a flow rate of 1.4 kg/s, with isentropic conditions of a pressure of 22 kPa, and a temperature of 290 K. As the humid air flows into the testing section, an ArF excimer laser of approximately 193 nm photo-dissociates water molecules into OH and H atoms. The lasers used in the experiment consist of two sets of eleven split lasers intersecting at 121 points, positioned by using a beam splitter, mirror, 300 mm focal length cylindrical lens, and 300 mm focal length cylindrical lenslets. The OH tags may
Nutrient Availability from Douglas Fir Bark in Response to Substrate pH

Two studies were conducted to determine the influence of substrate pH on nutrient availability in Douglas fir bark. Douglas fir bark was amended with either calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) or calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH) 2 ] at 13 rates to generate substrates with low to high pH. A nonamended control was also maintained. The substrates received no other fertilizer amendments. Substrates were filled into nursery containers (2.8 L) and maintained in a nursery setting with 1.2 cm·d -1 overhead irrigation. At 1 and 6 weeks after potting, four containers of each lime treatment were harvested to determine substrate pH and availability of 13 nutrients. Substrate solutions used for analysis were obtained with the saturated media extract method. Water-extractable phosphorus and DTPA-extractable boron, iron, copper, and aluminum decreased with increasing substrate pH. Other nutrients were either nonresponsive to substrate pH or the observed response was deemed more likely caused by calcium competition on cation exchange sites.
A Tale of Two Departments: Success and Failure in Higher Education Leadership in American Geography at Mid-Century

In 1948, Harvard’s president, James Conant declared “geography is not a university subject,” and the institution’s geography program folded. Only a few years before, in a parenthesis in a cow pasture in the middle of Pennsylvania, a newly hired young geographer walked into the office of the Dean and stated that he “wanted to make geography at Penn State the best in the world. ” A bold statement, to be sure, for the institution had not yet awarded a single degree in the field; but within two decades, the program placed 11th in the U.S., and in 1995, the National Research Council ranked the department in State College as first among its peers. The demise of geography at Harvard had little, if anything, to do with the nature of the discipline, but everything to do with the laissez faire leadership of the program director, Derwent Whittlesey. In contrast, Penn State’s success is a fortunate outcome of the vision, inspiration, and transformational leadership of E.W. Miller, who administered the development of the geography program in the 1940s and 1950s. This work relates accounts of these contrasting episodes in the history of the geographic discipline in reference to higher education leadership, with the intention to lend critical insight to chairpersons of contemporary academic departments in their efforts to lead their colleagues in the 21st century.
The concept of relationship quality in Government Linked Companies (GLCs): Evidence from Malaysian automotive industry

Government Linked Companies (GLCs) represent 36% of total market capitalization in Bursa Malaysia. This percentage contributes a significant role in Malaysian economic backbone.Some GLCs are not performing well and their poor performance has tainted the public perceptions on GLC specifically Proton Holdings Berhad as one of the non performing GLC in automotive industry.Alarming weak performance and declining market share has diverged from the main purpose of its existence and consequently impact public confidence on its ability to preserve the country’s asset.Product quality and customer service are the means to capture the further weakening in Proton’s market share. Although previous literatures have established the importance of quality towards business profitability, this study has further explored another aspect of quality which is the role of relationship as an important ingredient to strengthen the long term bonding between customer and firms.This study examines relationship quality (RQ) and proposed a conceptual model linking quality performance dimension, customer value especially the price as mediating variable between product quality dimension and RQ. The model was developed based on observed practical gap, industry reports and review of empirical literatures on RQ in multi-dimensional disciplines using RELQUAL measurement technique.Findings from this research revealed a significant relationship between quality performance measurements, customer value and RQ.It finally recommends that in order to increase level of customer retention and business profitability, firms specifically automotive industry should strengthen their customer relationship, quality performance and simultaneously increase customer value to remain competitive in the industry.
The control of time-dependent buckling patterns in thin confined elastomer film

Low energy metal ion implantation has been used to combine an easy “bottom-up” way of creating and tuning different topographic structures on submicron to micrometer scales with the embedding of a metallic element-rich functionalized layer at the surface for a variety of scientific and technological applications. The self-organizing and complex patterns of functionalized topographic structures are highly dependent on the implanted metal ion species, variations in the geometric confinement of the buckled areas on the larger unmodified elastomer film, and the boundary conditions of the buckled regions. Systematic investigations of these dependencies have been carried out via optical and atomic force microscopy, and confirmed with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy.