Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
RAPID DETERMINATION OF FATIGUE LIMIT OF COMPOSITES BY LUONG’S METHOD AND ITS IMPROVEMENT

Composite materials are widely used in structures which are subjected to cyclic loading, such as airframe and turbine blades. In structure design, the fatigue performance needs to be taken into account to ensure structural integrity. The traditional fatigue testing usually is time consuming and costly. Luong’s method, which is based on infrared thermographic data analysis, has been proven to be rapid and efficient for fatigue limit determination in metallic materials. It has also been considered for composites. However, the procedure of Luong’s method involves visual inspection which leads to man-made uncertainties. In the present paper, improved thermographic data analysis methods are proposed to determine the fatigue limit with uniqueness. The first method divides the original experimental data into two parts by estimating the maximum turning point in the curve of the temperature response as a function of the applied stress amplitude. The second method aims to characterize relationship between applied stress amplitude and temperature response using a consistent formula. The fatigue limit can be identified by the minimum curvature radius of the curve. The last method is based on the goodness of fitting as in statistical analysis. With the consideration of both the intersection position and the goodness of linear fitting, the fatigue limit can be calculated. A MATLAB© program is developed for this purpose. All three improved methods are examined with experimental data in literature.
Running head: DOCTORAL COMPLETION TIME DYNAMICS Completion Time Dynamics of Doctoral Studies at Mak erere University: A Hazard Model Evaluation

Issues related to completion time of doctoral studi es are undoubtedly an internationally challenging and important area of higher education literature. In this paper, completion time dynamics of doctoral studies were investigated base d on data extracted for all 295 candidates at Makerere University in the commencement cohorts for the period 2000 to 2005. The total elapsed time, from first enrollment to submission o f a final copy of a thesis, was adopted as a measure of completion time; event history (survival ) analysis methodology was applied. Results reveal a median doctoral completion time of 5.0 yea rs. Following a Cox model, in a range of candidate, candidature, discipline and institutiona l variables, the rate of completion was higher for candidates at the younger ages during commencem ent, international students, those registered in science-related disciplines and in the commencem ent cohorts for the period 2000 to 2002. The analysis correctly identifies the order of completi on times by about 72% of the time.
The Great Recession and the Zero Lower Bound

We investigate the drivers of the Great Recession and analyse the effects of interest rate policies in the aftermath of the crisis. For that purpose we estimate and filter a mediumscale DSGE model, accounting for an endogenously binding zero lower bound (ZLB). We find that the Great Recession was caused by an increase in the risk premium, which persisted after the recession and weighed heavily on real activity. Our analysis suggests that the long duration of the zero lower bound was a reaction to the weak economic development as opposed to a commitment by the central bank to actively keep interest rates lower than a Taylor-rule implied rate. Nonetheless, the sharp cut in the Fed Fund rate prior to the ZLB period attenuated the fall in output by roughly 1 percent. At the ZLB, expansionary forward guidance shocks had an strengthening effect on output, whereas the exit from the ZLB was too early and had recessionary effects. Inflation dynamics are largely untouched by interest rate policy due to a flat Phillips Curve. Furthermore, we find that the cost of the ZLB was substantial and lowered output by two percent.
Improving Semantic Dependency Parsing with Syntactic Features

We extend a state-of-the-art deep neural architecture for semantic dependency parsing with features defined over syntactic dependency trees. Our empirical results show that only gold-standard syntactic information leads to consistent improvements in semantic parsing accuracy, and that the magnitude of these improvements varies with the specific combination of the syntactic and the semantic representation used. In contrast, automatically predicted syntax does not seem to help semantic parsing. Our error analysis suggests that there is a significant overlap between syntactic and semantic representations.
Monetary transmission and economic conditions : How does the strength of the bank credit channel depend on real economic activity ? 1

We use bank level data to study the relationship between the strength of the bank credit channel of monetary policy and the growth rate of real GDP in the United States, between 1986 and 2008. Our findings are threefold. First, we establish that the bank lending channel of monetary policy, which Kashyap and Stein (2000) identified in the total and C&I lending of smaller banks through the mid-1990s, continued to hold in the 2000s – and is also present in residential and consumer lending. Second, we show that the lending of these banks is also subject to the bank balance sheet channel of monetary policy (Bernanke and Gertler, 1995), and we find that this channel is stronger at times of lower economic growth. Third, we show that this bank balance sheet channel holds in estimations where we weight observations by each bank’s market share, especially when economic growth is low. This latter finding has substantial policy relevance, as we show that the credit channel also affects banks with the largest market shares in lending. 1 The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors, and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. We are thankful for the assistance of Edward Kim in compiling the dataset. 2 Principal economist, Division of Monetary Affairs, Federal Reserve Board, Washington, DC. horacio.sapriza@frb.gov 3 Corresponding author. Senior economist, Division of Monetary Affairs, Federal Reserve Board, Washington, DC. judit.temesvary@frb.gov
The Impact of Term Statistical Relationships on Rocchio ’ s Model Parameters For Pseudo Relevance Feedback

Query Expansion using the Pseudo Relevance Feedback based on rocchio’s model is a popular technique for reformulating the original user’s query. This latter, assumes that most frequent terms in the returned documents are useful to ameliorate the original query and therefore to improve search results which is a challenge today with the proliferation of textual data on the web. In this study, we re-examine this assumption and show that it does not hold in reality. Indeed, many expansion terms identified are unrelated to the query and reduce the performance of the retrieval system. In this paper, we present our method to revisit the rocchio’s model parameters in order to take into account the relationships between terms which are defined by our proposed statistical method based on least square optimization. The evaluation process was performed on CLEF-eHealth-2014 database which is composed of about one million medical and english documents and 50 professional and medical queries. Experimental results show that our proposed method is effective.
How Well Do Socio Demographics Characteristics Explain the Consumers’ Attitude towards Online Private Label Brands?

Online private label brands have shown anacute growth in the recent years. It is important to understand the consumers of online private label brands. Mostafa and Elseidi in there study, recommended, it would be helpful for future research to explore the impact of socio– demographics factors on the connection between attitude towards PLBs (Mostafa &Elseidi, 2018). Keeping this objective in mind, a 400 sample was collected by a questionnaire. Area sampling method was used for sampling. The finding revels that among all the demographic factors (Gender, age, education qualification, occupation), age plays an important role in attitude formation towards online private labels.
Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure Practices : A Study of Selected Banking Companies of Bangladesh

This study examines the current situation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosure practices in listed banks of Bangladesh. This paper examines annual report of 2016 of selected banks in consideration of preferred sector of CSR by Bangladesh Bank, National Board of Revenue (NBR) and areas examined by previous researchers. The study reveals 100% banks reported about CSR activities. The most participated sector is Education sector where 100% participation is observed. The least participated area is environment where participation is 41.66%. Lack of diversity in CSR activities have been observed through this study.
AN ENDEMIC PSAMMOPHILOUS PLANT ASSOCIATION ASTRAGALO OLCHONENSIS-CHAMAERHODETUM GRANDIFLORAE ASS . NOVA FROM OLKHON ISLAND ON LAKE BAIKAL AND ITS SYNTAXONOMIC POSITION

A new endemic plant association Astragalo olchonensis-Chamaerhodetum grandiflorae from Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal is described. The association is a type of pioneer psammophilous vegetation and represents Oxytropidion lanatae Chytrý et al. 1993, Oxytropidetalia lanatae Brzeg & Wika ordo nov. and Oxytropidetea lanatae Brzeg & Wika cl. nov. The differentiation of the association is presented.
Analysis of 10 years of accidents with biological material among the nursing staff *

The objectives of the present study were: to identify the profile of accidents with biological material among nursing professionals treated in a reference service; to characterize pre-exposure conducts and to analyze factors associated with percutaneous exposure. An epidemiological, retrospective and analytical study was conducted in records of accidents involving biological material from 2000 to 2010. The number of accidents with the nursing staff was 2,569, representing 44.6% of the total records. There was a prevalence of percutaneous exposure cases involving needles with lumen and blood in upper limbs among female nursing technicians. Being female and working outside the city where the service is located increased about twice the chances of suffering percutaneous accidents. The data found strengthen the importance of biological risk in the nursing practice and point to the fact that workers have to move between cities to be treated when the accident is considered serious, such as the case of percutaneous accidents. Descriptors: Occupational Exposure; Accidents, Occupational; Occupational Risks; Occupational Accidents Registry; Nursing, Team.
A Structural Investigation of Quantitative Easing

Using nonlinear Bayesian methods that fully account for the binding zero lower bound (ZLB), we estimate a large-scale macro-finance DSGE model on US data. Counterfactual analysis suggests that by easing financing conditions, quantitative easing facilitated a net increase in aggregate investment. The resulting expansion of firms' production capacities lowered their marginal costs. These disinflationary supply side effects dominated over the inflationary effects induced by the stimulus to aggregate demand. At the ZLB, the concomitant rise in real interest rates, in turn, induced a net fall in aggregate consumption.
Smoking in Young Armed Forces Officers of Pakistan Who Attended Various Courses at Quetta : A Descriptive Study

Aim: To find out the prevalence of smoking in young armed forces officers of Pakistan who attended various courses at Quetta. Methods: One thousand young officers of Pakistan Army of age group 20-30 years who attended various courses at SI &T, Quetta were included in the study. Structured questionnaires were distributed among these officers in their central classes and they were requested to fill up the questionnaires without disclosing their identity. The questionnaires were collected by instructor at the end of central classes. Finally the data was compiled and categorized according to the age, rank and services. All this information was then analyzed with the help of SPSS 8.0. Out of 1000 questionnaires, 04 were not included in the analysis because they were not properly filled the questionnaire. So 996 were included in the analysis. Results: Out of 996 officers, 512(51.4%) were found to be smokers and 484(48.5%) were non – smokers. Among smokers, 458 (89.5%) were regular smokers and (10.5%) were occasional smokers (those who smoke <5 Cigarettes/week). It is revealed that 216(47.4%) were smokers in age group 2025 years and 296 smokers (54.8%) were in age group 26-30 years. Data suggested high prevalence of smoking in the rank of a captain as compared to lieutenant. The prevalence of smoking is also higher in the young officers with more service. In our data, out of 512 smokers, 458(89.5%) were regular smokers. Out of 458 regular smokers, 83 (18.1%), 256(55.9%) and 119 (25.9%) were found to be mild, moderate and heavy smokers respectively. Date was also analyzed for main factors responsible for initiation and persistence of smoking. It revealed that company of friends was the leading factor for initiation of smoking i.e. 47.1% (n-214) followed by stressful environment of army i.e. 24.6% (n-126), media campaign i.e. 18.2% (n-93) and parent’s smoking i.e. 10.2% (n=52). Out 996 officers, 873 (87.6%) officers had option that army atmosphere encourage smoking. 100% smokers had the opinion that smoking is harmful to health. All the smokers responded that their smoking is also harmful to other non-smokers and children.
Prevalence of Destructive Eye Surgery and Their Indications at Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Hospital, Harare: A Review of Surgical Records from 2008 to 2013

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the different types of destructive eye surgery and their indications. Design and Setting: This was a retrospective cross sectional study involving a review of surgical records of all evisceration, enucleation and exenteration procedures done between January 2008 and December 2013 at Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Hospital. Subjects and Methods: Simple random sampling was used to select 362 patient files. Patient notes files were used to collect necessary information. Results: A total study population of 362 patients had destructive eye surgery with a male to female ratio of 1.03:1. Their age ranged from 1 year to 93 years. The average age-group of 21 to 30 years, had the highest prevalence of 27.07% whilst the less than 10 years group had the lowest prevalence of eye surgical operations of 6.63%. Out of 362 (100%) destructive eye surgeries; 167 (46.13%) were eviscerations, 144 (39.78%) exenteration and 51 (14.09%) enucleation. The most common type of destructive eye surgery was evisceration 46.13% followed by exenteration 39.78% and lastly enucleation 14.09%. The most common causes of destructive eye surgery were Ocular Squamous Surface Neoplasia (OSSN) 45% (163), followed by trauma-ruptured globe 22.65% (82), panophthalmitis 18.78% (68). Conclusion: According to this study, the most common type of destructive eye surgery is evisceration, followed by exenteration and the least being enucleation. This study has also revealed that Ocular squamous surface neoplasia remains the most common indication for destructive eye surgery followed by ruptured globe and panophthalmitis.
Characterization , Expression , and Intmunohistochemical Localization of 3 fi-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase / d 5d 4 Isomerase in Human Skin

Three beta-hydroxysteroid dehydroge! lase/ [. 5-[. 4 isomerase (3,B-HSD) catalyses an obligatory step in the biosynthesis of all classes of hormonal steroids, namely, the oxidation/ isomerization of 3,B-hydroxy-5-ene steroids into the corresponding 3-keto-4-ene steroids in gonadal as well as in peripheral tissues. Because humans are unique with some primates in having adrenals that secrete large amounts of the steroid precursors dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEA-S) and its exceptionally large volume makes the skin an important site of steroid biosynthesis, we have isolated and characterized eDNA clones encoding 3,B-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/ [. 5-[. 4 isomerase from a human skin Agt11 library. The longest clone obtained contains the entire coding sequence for type I 3,B-HSD (372 amino acids) as well as an additional 131 nucleotides in the 5' -untranslated region. The insert of 1647 bp containing the
BEHAVIORAL PROFILES OF CONSUMERS OF ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCIES

The aim of the article is threefold: analyzing (1) the antecedents of satisfaction of online travel agencies (OTAs)’ customers, and the mediating role of loyalty, and word of mouth; (2) the different customers’ profiles attending to these antecedents; and (3) how antecedents affect satisfaction according to the customer profile. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a structural equation modeling (SEM) were used on a sample of 264 OTAs’ Spanish customers. A non-hierarchical cluster analysis was performed forcing two clusters, and they were identified the most important factors that explain satisfaction for each cluster. EFA results provide five antecedents of satisfaction. However, SEM analysis results show that only “information” (efficiency of the website and quality of information provided) and “utility” for using the platforms are significant antecedents of satisfaction. The relation between satisfaction, loyalty, and word-of-mouth are also significant. The quality of the information provided in the websites is the main antecedent for the cluster of satisfied customers. In contrast, utility is the most important for the cluster of unsatisfied customers.
Ultrastructural Analysis of Urinary Stones by Microfocus Computed Tomography and Comparison with Chemical Analysis

Objective: To investigate the ultra-structure of urinary system stones using micro-focus computed tomography (MCT), which makes non-destructive analysis and to compare with wet chemical analysis. Methods: This study was carried out at the Ankara Training and Research hospital. Renal stones, removed from 30 patients during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) surgery, were included in the study. The stones were blindly evaluated by the specialists with MCT and chemical analysis. Results: The comparison of the stone components between chemical analysis and MCT, showed that the rate of consistence was very low (p<0.001). There was no significant relationship between the components of stone and its heterogeneity or homogeneity. No significant difference was found between the stones with single component and those with multiple components in terms of its 3D structure being homogenous or heterogeneous and the presence of voids (p>0.05). It was also seen that there was no significant relation between its 3D structure being heterogeneous or homogenous. Conclusion: The stone analysis with MCT is a time consuming and costly method. This method is useful to understand the mechanisms of stone formation and an important guide to develop the future treatment modalities.
Association of adductor pollicis muscle thickness and anthropometric indicators in community older adults

Introduction: The measurement of the adductor pollicis muscle thickness (APMT) has been investigated as an index for muscle mass and undernutrition. However, there are few studies related to community-living older adults. Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out with community-dwelling older adults, of both sexes. The APMT, the body mass index (BMI), arm circumference (AC), arm muscle circumference (AMC), and calf circumference (CC) were evaluated. For APMT classification, the 25th percentile value (P25 ≤9 mm) of the sample was considered to identify muscle mass deficit. Chi-square test, Pearson's correlation, and Poisson regression were performed, with a significance level of p<0.05. Results: Among men, APMT showed a correlation with AC (r=0.350; p<0.01), and among women it was with BMI (r=0.337; p=0.01). There was an association between the BMI classification and the APMT percentile (p=0.020). Older adults with BMI<23 kg/m² were 1.28 times more likely to have APMT≤P25 (p=0.007) and older adults with adequate BMI were 1.23 times more likely (p=0.023). Older adults with reduced CC have a 1.18 times more chance of presenting APMT≤P25 (p=0.064). Conclusion: APMT has been associated with BMI in older adults, proving to be a good parameter for the assessment of malnutrition.
IDENTIFICATION OF SPATIAL VARIABILITY IN BRIDGE FOUNDATION INPUT MOTIONS : THEORETICAL BASIS

This paper presents progress made towards the identification of spatial variability in bridge Foundation Input Motions (FIMs) in a project funded by the California Geological Survey. The term spatial variability denotes here the differences in amplitude and phase of seismic motions recorded over extended areas, and it is well accepted that lifeline structures, such as long bridges, are prone to its effects, because they extend over relatively long distances. The specific objective of the project is to identify FIMs from response signals recorded by instrumented bridges during the South Napa 2014 earthquake, decompose them to bedrock motions and site effects, and finally quantify the spatial variability for each bridge structure. In this progress paper, we present initial observations, data selection, and the theoretical basis of the methodology that will be employed to process the recorded data. The overall methodology comprises two novel approaches (i) for output-only identification of bridges under multiple support excitations, and (ii) for blind identification of bedrock motions and site effects from two (or more) ground-surface motions (FIMs). The said two methods are briefly described and numerically verified in the present paper. The first method will be employed to extract FIMs from spatially sparse measurements of bridge responses, while the second one will be used to further identify the site effects and bedrock motions from the recovered FIMs.
Private Placements and Liquidity

The literature documents substantial offer price discounts and positive announcement effects for private placements of equity by publicly listed companies. The prevailing hypotheses of certification, monitoring and managerial entrenchment generally disregard the impact of resale restrictions and the associated illiquidity as a determinant. Using a different sample than previous studies, we exploit a natural experiment in the Canadian market to study the effect of a change in resale restrictions on private placements. First, we examine the impact of a legislative change that shortened resale restrictions on privately placed equity. Second, we examine the use of special warrants, a unique Canadian type of private placement. These are private/public hybrid offerings that are issued as private placements with a promise to file a prospectus, thereby allowing the shares to become freely tradable. We show that private placements with shortened resale restrictions are made by firms with lower information asymmetry, similar to public offerings; are offered with smaller price discounts; and are associated with less positive announcement-period abnormal returns. Overall, our evidence highlights the importance of liquidity in the market for private placements. JEL Classification: G32; G28; G14
Petren a phylogenetic and biogeographical synthesis Colonization and diversification of Galápagos terrestrial fauna :

References http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing. org/content/363/1508/3347.full. html#related-urls Article cited in: http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing. org/content/363/1508/3347.full. html#ref-list-1 This article cites 80 articles, 20 of which can be accessed free Subject collections (45 articles) taxonomy and systematics (5 articles) synthetic biology (658 articles) evolution Articles on similar topics can be found in the following collections Email alerting service here right-hand corner of the article or click Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article sign up in the box at the top