Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What affect perceived ease of ICT usage: the case of village development and security committee members in Malaysia

Rural development and ICT cannot be separated in this modern days. Malaysia is well known with its effort to strengthen its ICT development and interestingly the rural community is one of the main targets of such developments. Rural community must be encouraged to continuously use ICT in their daily life. However, before the community is encouraged to use the ICT, are their leaders Village Development and Security Committee Members use ICT? How they perceive the ease of ICT usage? What are the factors that influence Village Development and Security Committee members perception towards ease of use in using ICT? This paper attempts to answer the above question which will uncover factors that determining Village Development and Security Committee members perceived ease of ICT usage. This is a quantitative study where a set of questionnaire was employed for the data collection process. A total of 240 respondents among Village Development and Security Committee members were selected. The respondents were selected from four states in Malaysia namely Kedah, Terengganu, Perak and Johor. Results from data analyses revealed that job relevance, self efficacy, compatibility and attitude recorded a high and significant relationship with perceived ease of ICT usage. Further insight into the analysis unveiled job relevance as the most significant factor towards perceived ease of ICT usage. In order to create a positive perceive ease of ICT usage among the Village Development and Security Committee, it is recommended that ICT learning session with the assistance of related agencies officers should be established within all the Village Development and Security Committee Members. On top of it, language is among the top matters that should be stressed in order to enhance Village Development and Security Members perceived ease of ICT usage.
Correlation Analysis Between Hematological Toxicity and Body Composition in Patients With Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma Treated With CHOP±R Regimen

Purpose: The tolerance of patients withdiffuse large B cell lymphoma（DLBCL） receiving CHOP±R regimen was significantly different, and grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity after chemotherapy in some patients resulted in prolonged hospital stay, increased risk of infection, delayed treatment, and directly or indirectly affected short-term efficacy and long-term prognosis. Lean body mass（LBM）and L3 skeletal muscle index （L3SMI）obtained from abdominal CT of DLBCL patients were analyzed to determine whether they could be used as independent predictors of hematological toxicity of CHOP± R regimen in DLBCL patients.Methods: The patients with DLBCL who underwent CHOP±R regimen at the Cancer Center of the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2015 to November 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The abdominal CT of the patient was analyzed by sliceOmatic5.0 software. The third lumbar disc planar imaging was selected, and two consecutive images were taken to calculate LBM and L3SMI. Single factor and multivariate analysis were performed on the correlation of LBM, L3SMIand chemotherapy-related grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity. The ROC curve was drawn to investigate the predictive value of various human indicators on the hematologic toxicity of grade 3~4 related to chemotherapy.Results: The L3 skeletal muscle index is associated with the occurrence of grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity (leukocyte and neutropenia) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with CHOP±R regimen. Those with lower L3SMI are prone to grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity.LBM is associated with the occurrence of grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity (leukopenia) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with CHOP±R regimen. This with lower LBM is prone to grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity.The L3 skeletal muscle index can be used as an independent predictor of grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity (leukocyte and neutropenia) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with CHOP ± R regimen. The cut-off value can be defined as 39.91 cm2/m2.Conclusion: We can draw the following conclusions:The L3 skeletal muscle index is associated with the occurrence of grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity (leukocyte and neutropenia) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with CHOP±R regimen. Those with lower L3SMI are prone to grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity.LBM is associated with the occurrence of grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity (leukopenia) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with CHOP±R regimen. This with lower LBM is prone to grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity.The L3 skeletal muscle index can be used as an independent predictor of grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity (leukocyte and neutropenia) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with CHOP ± R regimen. The cut-off value can be defined as 39.91 cm2/m 2.
Boxelder (acer negundo l) biomass component regression analysis for the Mississippi Delta

Forty-nine boxelder trees from 3.6 to 36.8 cm dbh from the Mississippi Delta were analyzed to determine volume and weight equations for bole wood, bole bark, limbs, and leaves. Data were fitted to the same weighted linear model to facilitate component additivity. Component proportions depend upon tree size but are constant for trees 15 cm dbh and larger. (Refs. 6).
Increasing the power transfer capability of an ac transmission line using a parallel small power dc link

The paper presents a method of increasing the power transfer level of an ac transmission line by using a parallel-small power dc link to improve the ac system small-signal stability. In order to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method, computer simulated dynamic response of the parallel ac-dc power system is compared with that of the ac system alone. In this study, the power flow in the small-power dc link is modulated by adding an auxiliary signal to the current reference of the rectifier firing angle controller to improve the damping of power flow oscillations in the ac transmission line. This modulation control signal is derived in response to the frequency oscillations in the rectifier end ac system (rate of change of generator angle oscillations). The simulations performed revealed that the use of a small-parallel dc link transferring about 2% of the normal ac power substantially increases the power transfer capability of the ac line.
The Effects of Intervention Based on the Trans-Theoretical Model on Physical Activity and Metabolic Control of Diabetic Women

Rasht, Iran E-mail: Afkar@gums.ac. ir ©Telif Hakkı 2019 Gazi Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Makale metnine http://medicaljournal.gazi. edu.tr/ web adresinden ulaşılabilir. ©Copyright 2019 by Gazi University Medical Faculty Available on-line at web site http://medicaljournal.gazi. edu.tr/ doi:http://dx.doi. org/10.12996/gmj.2019. 35 The Effects of Intervention Based on the Trans-Theoretical Model on Physical Activity and Metabolic Control of Diabetic Women
Reinforcement Learning Based Gasoline Blending Optimization: Achieving More Efficient Nonlinear Online Blending of Fuels

The online optimization of gasoline blending benefits refinery economies. However, the nonlinear blending mechanism, the oil property fluctuations, and the blending model mismatch bring difficulties to the optimization. To solve the above issues, this paper proposes a novel online optimization method based on deep reinforcement learning algorithm (DRL). The Markov decision process (MDP) expression are given considering a practical gasoline blending system. Then, the environment simulator of gasoline blending process is established based on the MDP expression and the one-year measurement data of a real-world refinery. The soft actor-critic (SAC) DRL algorithm is applied to improve the DRL agent policy by using the data obtained from the interaction between DRL agent and environment simulator. Compared with a traditional method, the proposed method has better economic performance. Meanwhile, it is more robust under property fluctuations and component oil switching. Furthermore, the proposed method maintains performance by automatically adapting to system drift.
UAV Imagery Frame Rate and Resolution Requirements Study

Abstract : Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are used to conduct a variety of reconnaissance and surveillance missions with human operators interpreting the transmitted imagery at ground stations. Current UAV datalink designs require a limited capacity which are expected to result in some cost to the operator. Two common techniques by which video data rates can be reduced exist, data compression and simple data reduction such as frame rate and resolution reduction. This study utilized real mission imagery to assess the influence of experience and training, compression, frame rate reduction, and spatial resolution reduction on operator detection, recognition and tracking performance for military targets. The comparisons between the control group and other conditions under both frame rate and resolution manipulations demonstrated how data reduction techniques adversely influence operator performance. Additional analyses demonstrated that for some tasks, frame rate has a greater influence on some performance measures, and resolution has a greater influence on other performance measures. In addition to the real imagery study, an analysis of operator performance under simulated tracking conditions was also performed. Human Factors, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAV, Video imagery, Limited capacity datalink, Video data compression, Frame rate and resolution reduction, Target detection recognition and tracking performance, Simulation, JTIDS, JPEG.
Liver Morbidity in Patients Negative for Overt HBV and HCV Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis: a Hospital-based Study

Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is an increasing health problem worldwide. Older age, diabetes and hypertension, acute kidney damage are among some of the factors that play a role in ESRD. This study aims at exploring liver morbidity (LM) among hemodialysis (HD) patients in an endemic country. Methods: The study included 142 patients aged 12 to 75 years; 53.5% were males. Data were retrieved from files and all participants were examined by abdominal ultrasonography and tested for liver functions and markers and viremia of HCV and HBV. Results: Three patterns of LM were found in 62 (43.7%); fatty in 30, fibrous in 19 and hepatitis in 13. The duration of renal impairment (p=0.02), duration of hemodialysis (p=0.011), and total dialysis sessions (p=0.007) were associated with LM. ALT and AST >40 IU/L levels were elevated in 9.9% and 9.2% of patients. All 14 patients with high ALT showed evidence of LM (p=0.017) compared to 4 of 13 patients with elevated AST (p<0.001). The ROC curve revealed ALT and AST cut-off points of 16.5 and 25.5 IU/L to discriminate LM. According to the new values, 58.5% and 40.1% of the studied participants had high ALT and AST. Conclusion: LM is common among EDKD patients undergoing hemodialysis despite the limited role of ALT and AST. The use of ultrasonography and the new lower levels of ALT and AST could improve the screening approach of LM.
Projected Life of the SLAC Linac Braze Joints: Braze integrity and corrosion of cooling water hardware on accelerator sections

The objective of this study was to ascertain the condition of braze joints and cooling water hardware from an accelerator section after prolonged use. Metallographic analysis was used to examine critical sites on an accelerator section that had been in use for more than 30 years. The end flange assembly showed no internal operational damage or external environmental effects. The cavity cylinder stack showed no internal operational damage however the internal surface was highly oxidized. The internal surface of the cooling water tubing was uniformly corroding at a rate of about 1 mil per year and showed no evidence of pitting. Tee fitting internal surfaces are corroding at non-uniform rates due to general corrosion and pitting. Remaining service life of the cooling water jacket is estimated to be about 20 years or year 2027. At this time, water supply pressure will exceed allowable fitting pressure due to corrosion of tubing walls.
Development of an in-situ method for testing neutron sensors used in nuclear-power-plant reactor-protection systems. Final report, September 1981-September 1982

This report describes a method for testing neutron sensor response time to meet the provisions of ISA S67.06, IEEE Std 338-1977, and NRC Regulatory Guide 1.118. The method requires the perturbation of the high voltage from the power supply to the neutron sensor and measurement of the signal response from the sensor. The method can potentially be applied on-line, does not require reactor shutdown or other interference with plant operation, does not require installation of special sensors, and only minor sensor modification. The high voltage perturbation method uses a mercury-wetted contact relay switch (designed and constructed in this study) to turn on the high voltage bias to the sensor in less than 10 nanoseconds. This provides an effective step and facilitates measurement of the sensor step response. Evaluation of the technique was made through simulated detector and cable degradation. The boron lined chamber response was investigated for two different fill gases: nitrogen (i.e., normal fill gas) and xenon. The fission ion chamber response was investigated for a sensor in a normal state and one with known failure of the seal between the chamber and signal cable.
Biophysically-Based Measurement of Plant Water Status Using Canopy Temperature

In situ optical meters are widely used to estimate leaf chlorophyll concentration, but non-uniform chlorophyll distribution causes the optical measurement to vary widely among species for the same chlorophyll concentration. Over 30 studies have sought to quantify the in situ/in vitro (optical/absolute) relationship, but neither chlorophyll extraction nor measurement techniques for in vitro analysis have been consistent among studies. Here we: 1) review standard procedures for measurement of chlorophyll, 2) estimate the error associated with non-standard procedures, and 3) implement the most accurate methods to provide equations for conversion of optical to absolute chlorophyll for 22 species grown in multiple environments. Tests of five Minolta (model SPAD-502) and 25 Opti-Sciences (model CCM-200) meters, manufactured from 1992 to 2013, indicate that differences among replicate models are less than 5 %. We thus developed equations for converting between units from these meter types. There was no significant effect of environment on the optical/absolute chlorophyll relationship. We derive the theoretical relationship between optical transmission ratios and absolute chlorophyll concentration and show how non-uniform distribution among species causes a variable, non-linear response. These results more rigorously link in situ optical measurements with in vitro chlorophyll concentration and provide insight to strategies for single-leaf radiation capture among diverse species.
Efficient compressed sensing reconstruction frameworks for accelerated cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging requires rapid data acquisition to provide an appropriate combination of spatial and temporal resolution, and volumetric coverage for clinical studies. In the most challenging clinical situations, conventional dynamic MR scanners are often incapable of simultaneously providing images with sufficient temporal resolution and high spatial resolution. In practice, clinicians are often forced to compromise between these parameters, often resulting in sub-optimal performance. Cardiac MRI is the most challenging and inspiring dynamic MRI application. In cardiac MRI, the main challenge is the sensitivity of reconstruction methods to large inter frame motion. The reconstructions often suffer from temporal blurring and motion related artifacts at high acceleration factors. In this dissertation, three novel approaches are proposed specifically designed to minimize the sensitivity of the reconstructions to inter frame motion. First, a compressed sensing (CS) based image reconstruction method in conjunction with spiral sampling is developed for the reconstruction of dynamic MRI data from highly accelerated / under-sampled Fourier measurements. In the second algorithm, the problem of motion artifacts including respiratory motion and cardiac motion in compressed sensing reconstructions is addressed. A motion estimation/motion compensation algorithm based on a modified search that aids block matching and results in improved residual reconstruction is incorporated into the CS reconstruction for dynamic MRI. In the third algorithm, a novel formulation for the joint estimation of the deformation and the dynamic images in cardiac cine MR imaging is introduced. The motion estimation algorithm estimates the deformation by registering the dynamic data to a reference dataset that is free of respiratory motion, which is derived from the measurements themselves. A variable splitting framework is used to minimize the objective function, and thus derive the deformation and the dynamic images. The validation of the proposed algorithms is illustrated using a numerical phantom and in-vivo cine MRI data to show the feasibility in precisely recovering cardiac MRI data from extensively under-sampled data.
Single impact injury of Vertebral Endplates, without Structural Disruption Initiates Disc Degeneration In Vitro

Background : Intervertebral disc degeneration is usually attributed to ageing, genetic, mechanical, and nutritional factors et al. It has been acknowledged that the degenerative process is associated with an aberrant cell-medicated response to structural failures, such as vertebral burst fracture, radial fissures, and endplate fracture. Vertebral endplate trauma, due to, Kirschner wire use or drill holes, can induce degenerative changes of the intervertebral disc (IVD). However, whether a single impact injury of the endplates without structural disruption, which is common seen in the clinic, is sufficiently to initiate disc degeneration is still controversial. This study is to further evolve an in vitro impact injury model of IVD and to investigate if a single impact injury of the endplates without structural disruption can initiate intervertebral disc degeneration(IVDD). Methods. Rats spinal segments (from L1/2 to L5/6, n=54) were harvested and randomly assigned into three groups: Control (n=18), Low Impact (12 J/cm 3 , n=18) and High Impact (25 J/cm 3 , n=18). Samples in both of the impact groups were subjected pure axial impact loading using a custom-made apparatus, and cultured for 14 days. The degenerative process was investigated by using histomorphology and real-time PCR. Results: The discs in both of the impact groups showed significant degenerative changes at 14 days, both of which showed much higher histological scores and up-regulation of the catabolic (MMP-9, MMP-13) genes transcription than that of the control group ( P ＜0.05). The discs with endplate fracture compared to that with intact endplate also showed strongly up-regulated catabolic (MMP-9, MMP-13) genes transcription, and more significant degenerative changes based on the histological scoring ( P ＜0.05). No significant difference of anabolic (TGF-β, Col1α1, Col3α1) genes transcription was found between different groups( P ＞0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that a single impact loading (12 J/cm 3 ) on the spinal segments of the rats could initiate IVDD at 14 days after injury and not only endplate impairment but also a single impact loading without structural disruption could also promote IVDD.
Extending EDF for Soft Real-Time Scheduling on Unrelated Multiprocessors

Though recent work has established the soft real-time (SRT)-optimality of Earliest-Deadline-First (EDF) variants on multiprocessor models with limited heterogeneity (e.g., uniform speeds or affinity masks), such models are insufficient to describe modern multiprocessors, which have grown increasingly heterogeneous. This fact highlights the need to extend theoretical results to more asymmetric models, such as the unrelated multiprocessor model. This paper presents an EDF variant tailored for this model and proves that it is at least nearly SRT-optimal. Simulation results for random task systems are also presented that suggest that the proposed EDF variant may actually be SRT-optimal.
Analyzing ethnic and cultural materials : insights into ELT materials

Ethnic and cultural materials and English Language Teaching (ELT) materials are related especially in terms of the emphasis on cultural knowledge and skills as well as the language and critical thinking skills. This study intends to research on ethnic and cultural materials within the perspectives of English language materials design. Specifically, the objectives of the study are to investigate the relevance and implications of such materials to ELT materials. The materials were selected from the content of Ethnic Relations course as it contained rich ethnic and cultural elements. When examining such materials from the perspectives of English language materials design, three aspects are considered: learner factors, text factors and task factors. The instrument used for the study was a checklist derived from works by Contazzi and Jin (2001), Nunan (2001), Tomlinson (2001) and Banks (1990). Basically, the checklist consists of 25 items and it was divided into three parts, learner factors, text factors, and task factors. The materials were analyzed using the checklist according to the specified criteria and the data obtained were represented in the form of description, examples and evidence. In addition, lecturers’ perceptions on the materials were attained using a set of interview questions. The findings indicate that a) ethnic and cultural materials have positive impacts on students’ interest and motivation, b) such materials include useful cultural elements and are comprehensible to students, and c) the tasks given are relevant and meaningful. The study also proves that lecturers dealing with ethnic and cultural contents are aware of the benefits of using such materials for teaching language and culture as it can foster critical thinking and develop communicative competence. Thus, the use of ethnic and cultural materials has a direct and significant implication to English language teaching and learning if the same criteria were to be applied when selecting and using ELT materials.
Building a Research Model for Mobile Prepaid Phone Cards: An Evidence of Telkomsel in Bengkulu

The growth of telecommunication companies has led to competition in getting the customers to buy their data plan through the purchase of prepaid card. However, little is known on the factors that influence mobile phone users’ decision to purchase prepaid card. This study aims to examine the effects of product quality, promotional strategy, and price on the intention to purchase prepaid car, which can be used by prepaid card providers to attract more users in purchasing prepaid card for their mobile phones. An online survey method was used to collect data, and 123 questionnaires were properly completed and submitted by mobile phone users in the Telkomsel mobile telecommunication market. Data was tested using a PLS-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results of this study indicate that there is a positive and significant effect on product quality, promotional strategy and price on purchase intention.