Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does the use of the TPACK model enhance digital pedagogies: We don’t understand the present so how can we imagine the future?

This paper reflects on the use of the TPACK model in e-learning courses to enhance students’ ability to use technology in their learning and later in their professions and to introduce the concept of digital pedagogies . To maximize students’ learning, this model was disseminated in the design of the course, the learning activities and the assessment. The aim was to encourage students to become reflective learners and to create knowledge collaboratively. Different technological tools such as iPads, ePortfolio together with digital pedagogies were used to enhance the students’ learning experience and obtain students’ reflections and feedback on the unit. Digital pedagogies refer to teaching – learning approaches in which new technologies change the way we teach. From the thirty postgraduate students in the unit, there were different responses to digital pedagogies. Some felt it transformed their learning while others resisted and did not participate in the interactive spirit of the class.
DRIVER FATIGUE: CONCEPTS, MEASUREMENT AND CRASH COUNTERMEASURES

This report addresses the topic of driver fatigue, an issue which is receiving increasing attention in the road safety field. A range of subject areas is reviewed in detail, including concepts and theories directly related to fatigue, the measurement of fatigue, factors contributing to the onset and development of fatigue, the degree to which fatigue is associated with road crashes, countermeasures having potential for offsetting the degrading effects of fatigue on safety, and an identification of research issues having promise for reducing the role of fatigue in crashes.
Ultrabroad bandwidth and high-coupling-efficiency compact coupler using multilevel grating structure

A compact multilevel grating coupler based on SOI material structure is proposed to realize coupling between waveguide and waveguid, which has the ultrabroad bandwidth and extremely compact dimension (with the grating length of 3μm). The incident wave is TE polarization and designed as normal incidence. The influences of the grating coupler characteristics, for instance, grating period, grating height and grating length, as well as the thickness of SiO2 layer on the coupling efficiency have been discussed. The simulation results indicate that the 3dB bandwidth of 160nm from 1390nm to 1550nm can be obtained, accompanied by the coupling efficiency of approximately 50% around 1550nm. Simultaneously, the sufficient high coupling efficiency of 67.5% at the wavelength of 1460nm has also been observed.
New configurations of oscillatory flow pumps using bimorph piezoelectric actuators

Precision flow pumps have been widely studied over the last three decades. They have been applied in the areas of Biology, Pharmacy and Medicine in applications usually related to the dosage of medicine and chemical reagents. In addition, thermal management solutions for electronic devices have also been recently developed using these kinds of pumps offering better performance with low noise and low power consumption. In previous works was presented the working principle of a pump based on the use of a bimorph piezoelectric actuator inserted in a fluid channel to generate flow. This work presents a novel configuration of piezoelectric flow pumps using a bimorph piezoelectric actuator of different aspect ratio. Sensibility studies of the rectangular cross-sectional area channel are conducted computationally (CFD) and three parameters are investigated: resonance frequency and oscillation amplitude of the piezoelectric actuator, and pressure inside the channel. Also, experimental tests are conducted to verify the influence of clamps' rigidity and actuator's insulator. The experimental results show that improving these two aspects it is possible to achieve higher flow rates.
Two Kinds of Discrimination in AI-Based Penal Decision-Making

The famous COMPAS case has demonstrated the difficulties in identifying and combatting bias and discrimination in AI-based penal decision-making. In this paper, I distinguish two kinds of discrimination that need to be addressed in this context. The first is related to the well-known problem of inevitable trade-offs between incompatible accounts of statistical fairness, while the second refers to the specific standards of discursive fairness that apply when basing human decisions on empirical evidence. I will sketch the essential requirements of non-discriminatory action within the penal sector for each dimension. Concerning the former, we must consider the relevant causes of perceived correlations between race and recidivism in order to assess the moral adequacy of alternative standards of statistical fairness, whereas regarding the latter, we must analyze the specific reasons owed in penal trials in order to establish what types of information must be provided when justifying court decisions through AI evidence. Both positions are defended against alternative views which try to circumvent discussions of statistical fairness or which tend to downplay the demands of discursive fairness, respectively.
Fedwire Funds Service: Payments, Balances, and Available Liquidity

We analyze the universe of payments settled through the Fedwire Funds Service--the primary U.S. real-time gross settlement service operated by the Federal Reserve--for the period January 2004 to December 2020. We report on trends in payments volume, payments value, balances, and overdrafts, in addition to documenting changes in the behavior of financial institutions transacting via the Fedwire Funds Service.
Spatio-temporal mapping and analysis of soil salinity: an integrated approach through electromagnetic induction (EMI), multivariate and geostatistical techniques

Abstract The information on salt load in soil is needed to enable suitable soil, crop and water management practices for crop production in salt affected land. An investigation was conducted to test the hypothesis that an integrated approach of electromagnetic induction (EMI), multivariate and geostatistical techniques can provide rapid and reliable information on soil salinity (ECe) at spatio-temporal scale. EMI survey and the analyzed data indicated that ECe better correlates with horizontal mode (EMH) of apparent soil electrical conductivity (R 2=0.83) than the vertical (EMV). Principal component (PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis revealed that Na+1, Ca2++Mg2+ and Cl−1 are the major soil chemical properties affecting apparent soil electrical conductivity. The spatial map of soil salinity based on EMH showed close proximity with the area represented by ECe observations. Study indicated that EMI methodology can be effectively used to predict, map and identify salinity zones for devising strategies for reclamation of saline soils.
Design and Analysis of Parallel-Connected Grid-Forming Virtual Synchronous Machines for Island and Grid-Connected Applications

Transmission system operators (TSOs) are increasingly requesting frequency support, reactive power compensation, and grid-forming capability to power plants interfaced by power converters. In these plants, a large number of converters is operated in parallel and all of them should be adequately coordinated to provide these services. For that purpose, the virtual synchronous machine (VSM) control technique is commonly adopted. However, the dynamic characteristics of the whole plant depend on the number of converters connected, their size, control parameters, and electrical interconnections. This makes it difficult to know the aggregated dynamic characteristic of the plant and how each VSM contributes to the plant response. In this article, the operation of VSMs in parallel configuration for island and grid-connected applications is studied. The developments make it possible to adapt the VSMs parameters so that the grid sees the power plant as an equivalent generator whose low-frequency characteristics do not vary with the number of converters in operation. The developments were validated in a laboratory consisting of four 15 kVA converters operating as VSMs, and a grid emulator.
NOVEL NANO THERAPEUTIC MATERIALS FOR THE EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS-RECENT INSIGHTS

Recent advances in science and technology and greatly modified the way we stumble on, deal with and prevent special diseases in all components of human lifestyles. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most not unusual complex multifactorial joint related autoimmune, chronic, severe systemic inflammatory ailment with unknown etiology completed with increased cardiovascular risks. It is regularly associated with critical synovial joint inflammation, autoantibody production, cartilage/bone tissue destruction, cardiovascular, pulmonary, skeletal disorders and massive inflammatory infiltration which might in the end motive extreme disability, huge complications, premature mortality and decreased life quality. Pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-1, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 were dependable for the induction of inflammation in RA patients. It has a global occurrence of around 1% with the incidence among women being 2-3 times extra in men. Preclinical RA, genetic variables, and environmental factors have all been linked to the disease's etiology. Because there is no known cure for RA, the primary goal of treatment is to achieve the shortest possible illness duration and, if possible, rehabilitation. Current clinical remedies of RA display numerous drawbacks which include excessive doses, common administration, speedy metabolism, bad absorption, low responsiveness, higher cost and serious side consequences. These obstacles have inspired extremely good growth of the studies and to enhance those obstacles, nanoparticles that are able to encapsulating and protecting tablets from degradation earlier than they reach the target site in vivo, might also function drug delivery structures. Bioavailability and therapeutic bioactivity can be improved, and limited emphasis on damaged joints can be allowed. The current study provides a platform for different lipid nanoparticle methods for RA therapy, using the newly developing field of lipid nanoparticles to improve a targeted theranostic device for RA treatment. This review aims to present the most recent major application of lipid nanoparticles as a biocompatible and biodegradable transport device for improving RA concentration on over free drugs by presenting tissue-specific concentrated on of ligand-controlled drug release by modulating nanoparticle composition. Additionally, we also discuss the pivotal demanding situations to be addressed, as well as destiny views. Therefore, it is feasible to claim that nanoparticles will, within the near future, play a critical role in advanced treatment and affected person-particular cures for human diseases which include RA.
Comparative study of the impact of competency-based training on 5 “S” and TQM: a case study

Purpose – The Japanese have had a phenomenal impact on the world's market using 5 “S” and total quality management (TQM) philosophy. Though Indian companies also claim to follow these philosophies, however India has not been able to make substantial s in this regard. India has been ranked very low (India's rank has been 35 out of 59 economies) as per the IMD world competitiveness year book 2012 report. During a literature survey, it was found that competency-based training contributes to a greater extent for the success of 5 “S” and TQM implementation. Therefore, research was undertaken to study the effect of competency-based training on the implementation of 5 “S” and TQM principles. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper attempts to assess and compare the role of competency-based training on the status of 5 “S” and TQM in Mayur Uniquoters Ltd (MUL) and SKH Metals Ltd. This paper compiles a list of the most important competency variables and prepares a competency.
Optimal Coordination of Directional Overcurrent Relays Using PSO-TVAC Considering Series Compensation

The integration of system compensation such as Series Compensator (SC) into the transmission line makes the coordination of directional overcurrent in a practical power system important and complex. This article presents an efficient variant of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm based on Time-Varying Acceleration Coefficients (PSO-TVAC) for optimal coordination of directional overcurrent relays (DOCRs) considering the integration of series compensation. Simulation results are compared to other methods to confirm the efficiency of the proposed variant PSO in solving the optimal coordination of directional overcurrent relay in the presence of series compensation.
Validation of the Developed Multi-Gas Monitoring System

The study was a validation of a developed gas monitoring system. The objective of the study was to determine the accuracy of the prototype in identifying gas concentrations. Experimental research method was utilized in the study. In evaluating the system’s ability to sense carbon monoxide, toluene, methane, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), smoke and ammonia, three trials tests using cigarette smoke, kitchen lighter gas and aromatic spirit of ammonia were conducted. The device was found to be sensitive with toluene, ammonia, smoke, carbon monoxide, LPG and methane. The system attained the accuracy of 90.10% in detecting LPG and 97.32% for methane using kitchen lighter gas test; 79.81% for carbon monoxide and 80% for smoke using the cigarette smoke test; and 85.54% for ammonia and 71.93% for toluene. In addition, an accuracy of 95.39% was attained as the device was compared to the reading of an existing PETC device in measuring carbon monoxide.
Application of sigmoidal functions based on atomic functions in a machine learning problem of the analysis of biomedical and biometric data

The paper proposes sigmoidal activation functions based on atomic functions. The properties of atomic functions are described, which allow them to satisfy the conditions for transfer functions in artificial neural networks. The applied problems of using the presented functions are considered on the example of problems of analysis of biophysical signals of cardiac activity. The results obtained using the constructed classifiers using various architectures of neural networks, including MLP, RNN, LSTM, GRU, CNN networks, are presented. The efficiency of using atomic functions in the constructed neural networks on the examples of the problem of automated diagnostics of pathologies based on seismocardiography data and biometric authentication by heart rate was determined using metrics of accuracy, recall, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F-measure.
A fast method to find the state of switches after forced commutations in switching converters

A new method for finding the topology entered by switching power converters after forced commutation is presented in this paper. Using the compensation theorem, a master-slave connection matrix is defined, whose entries give the current variations caused in each switch by the forced commutation of any switch in the circuit. The method permits capture of the switch states which is consistent with any network state imposed by sources and reactive elements. Some applications to the analysis of power electronic circuits are proposed to outline the effectiveness of this method.
Performance Analysis and Design of MIMO Systems for Terrestrial Transmission of UHDTV

In this paper, we propose transmission systems for ultra high definition television (UHDTV) through terrestrial transmission by applying the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) technology. The space time block code, hybrid STBC, V-BLAST and linear dis- persion code are considered to support a high data rate of the UHDTV system. The performance of proposed MIMO systems are evaluated through computer simulations. Then we suggest MIMO parameters, number of antennas and optimal transmission scheme to achieve the transmission rate of the UHDTV system.
Six decades of infectious bursal disease in poultry: The journey so far and challenges ahead

Despite six decades of concerted efforts, Infectious bursal disease (IBD) still remains a major threat to the poultry industry worldwide. Most importantly, the emergence of variant and very virulent strains of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) has dramatically changed the epidemiology of the disease, thus resulting in the renewed efforts in the search for effective control measures. Currently, live attenuated, inactivated, and immune-complex vaccines are among the immune-therapeutic approaches employed for the control of IBD in the field alongside adequate biosecurity, albeit with various degrees of success and limitations. Progress in genetic engineering has allowed the generation of reverse genetic IBDV mutants, recombinant live viral vectors expressing the IBDV VP2 immunodominant protein, intra-serotypic recombinant IBDV viral-like particle co-expressing the outer capsid protein structures derived from 2 or more serotype 1 strains or the incorporation of either VP2 or VP2-4-3 polyprotein sequences alongside molecular adjuvants that can be used as IBD vaccine candidates to elicit an immune response. However, despite these advances, outbreaks are still reported even in flocks that have up to date vaccination records and somewhat excellent management practices. This paper reviews aspect of genetic characteristics of IBDV and reflects on the progress and future challenges in providing effective IBD vaccine to achieve effective control of both classical and very-virulent IBDV serotypes that constitute a major devastation to poultry production and health.
Was it Right New York Knicks Coach’s Decision to Recruit a Point Guard?

The aims of this study was to analyze New York Knicks Coach’s decision in recruiting a point guard. In the 2019-2020 season, NY Knicks ended up in ranked 25 of 30 NBA teams. NY Knicks is ranked 29th for FG% and 24th for 3PA and 3P%. NY Knicks need a shooter to strengthen the team. But interestingly, the coach recruited a point guard. In the first 25 games in 2020-2021 season without this point guard, NY Knicks recorded 11 wins and 14 loses and is in 9th place on the eastern conference. In the next 25 games after new point guard joined, NY Knicks recorded 14 wins and 11 loses and is in 7th position. This means that NY Knicks' game has increased and has the potential for the playoffs. The research method uses descriptive quantitative. The data source is taken from the NBA official website.
A CIO-centric local government data-sharing leadership ecosystem in China

The digital transformation of local government brings about massive change in IT leadership. As the strategic designer and process developer for government data sharing, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) needs to build self-centered leadership systems with strong coordination capabilities and adaptable mechanisms. Through a qualitative multi-case comparative study of three provinces in China, we applied IS innovation ecosystem theory to construct a CIO-centric local government data-sharing leadership ecosystem. The competencies, behaviors, and mechanisms of leadership roles are analyzed in five dimensions (personal, interpersonal, organizational, inter-organizational, and socio-economic and generation). Results show that a CIO-centric local government data sharing ecosystem can be resilient to administrative structure change, facilitating data sharing across levels, regions, and departments through collaborative networks and rotation approach. It provides useful insights into similar practices for constructing data sharing leadership ecosystem in local government, and can bring public value to citizens.
Driver Response to Automated Speed Enforcement on Rural Highways in China

The primary objective of the present study was to identify how automated speed enforcement (ASE) affected the speeds that drivers choose on rural highways. The study specifically sought answers to the following two questions: (a) How did drivers respond to ASE on rural highways where live speed enforcement is limited? (b) What was the spatial extent of the speed reduction effects of ASE on rural highways? The research team compared speed data collected at various distances from seven sites in the Nanjing area of China where speed cameras were deployed. It was found that ASE significantly reduced vehicle speeds and speed violations in the vicinity of the locations where the speed cameras were deployed. However, ASE was not an effective way to reduce vehicle speeds on road sections beyond the area of influence of the speed cameras. The speed profiles developed in this study showed that the area of influence of a speed camera on a rural highway was generally less than 1 km. Drivers usually started to decelerate about 300 to 400 m before the speed cameras and recovered their original speeds about 300 to 400 m after the speed cameras. The findings suggested that without supplementation with other live speed enforcement efforts, such as mobile or stationary police patrols, elimination of speed violations on rural highways by the use of ASE alone would be difficult. A more realistic solution would be to deploy speed cameras at preselected potentially hazardous locations, such as intersections and horizontal curves, to help reduce speed violations.
Voices that Care Differently: Understanding the Effectiveness of a Conversational Agent with an Alternative Empathy Orientation and Emotional Expressivity in Mitigating Verbal Abuse

ABSTRACT Conversational agents (CAs) offer new functionality and convenience. While their sales have been soaring, they have also rapidly become victims of verbal abuse by their users. Without proper handling of abusive usage, abusers’ actions can be reinforced and transferred to real life. This study investigates whether alternative response styles of empathy orientation and emotional expressivity of voice-activated virtual assistants influence users’ moral emotions found to reduce verbal aggression as well as whether they affect user perceptions of the agent’s capability. Ninety-eight participants were assigned to one of the three emotional expressivity conditions (no-facial expression, fixed-facial expression, varied-facial expression) and interacted with two alternative empathy orientation conditions (other-oriented, self-oriented) of agents. The experimental results show that, regardless of the emotional expressivity types, the agent’s empathy orientation has a significant effect on the moral emotions and agent capability perceptions. Overall, an agent that employed other-oriented empathy style elicited most positive responses from the users. However, the preference was not across the board, as about one-third of the participants showed preference to the self-oriented CA. Users valued agents’ verbal contents and vocal characteristics above their facial expressions. Based on the study findings, we draw several design guidelines and suggest avenues for future research.