Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simulation of Low Velocity Impact on Composite Plates with Compressive Preload

*** * * ** Summary: The impact behaviour of fibre-reinforced composite materials is much more complex than it is for conventional metallic structures due to a number of different failure modes on the interlaminar and intralaminar level. In most of the past research studies unloaded specimens have been used for impact tests. However, in reality it is much more likely that a composite structure is exposed to a certain stress state when it is being impacted, which can have a significant effect on the impact performance. Therefore, in this study the influence of a compressive preload on the low velocity impact behaviour of a carbon fibre-reinforced composite plate was investigated both experimentally and numerically. Besides the evaluation of the experimental findings, this paper primarily describes the finite element modelling strategy of this preloaded composite plate for impact simulations with LSDYNA. The main topics addressed in this context are the composite material and delamination modelling as well as the implementation of the preload. The assessment of different modelling approaches, the influence of various simulation parameters and a comparison of the experimental and numerical results are documented in this paper.
Dynamic Resource Management in Virtualized Data Centres

In the last decade, Cloud Computing has become a disruptive force in the computing landscape, changing the way in which software is designed, deployed and used over the world. Its adoption has been substantial and it is only expected to continue growing. The growth of this new model is supported by the proliferation of large-scale data centres, built for the express purpose of hosting cloud workloads. These data centres rely on systems virtualization to host multiple workloads per physical server, thus increasing their infrastructures’ utilization and decreasing their power consumption. However, the owners of the cloud workloads expect their applications’ demand to be satisfied at all times, and placing too many workloads in one physical server can risk meeting those service expectations. These and other management goals make the task of managing a cloud-supporting data centre a complex challenge, but one that needs to be addressed. In this work, we address a few of the management challenges associated with dynamic resource management in virtualized data centres. We investigate the application of First Fit heuristics to the Virtual Machine Relocation problem (that is, the problem of migrating VMs away from stressed or overloaded hosts) and the effect that different heuristics have, as reflected in the performance metrics of the data centre. We also investigate how to pursue multiple goals in data centre management and propose a method to achieve precisely that by dynamically switching management strategies at runtime according to data centre state. In order to improve system scalability and decrease network management overhead, we propose architecting the management system as a topology-aware hierarchy of managing elements, which limits the flow of management data across the data centre. Finally, we address the challenge of managing multi-VM applications with placement constraints in data centres, while still trying to achieve high levels of resource utilization and client satisfaction.
On the achievable rates of full-duplex Gaussian relay channel

In full-duplex Gaussian relay channels, neither Decode-and-Forward (DF) nor Compress-and-Forward (CF) can achieve a larger rate than the other for all the channel gain combinations. Combining DF and CF strategies, we show that a new achievable rate, which is the concave envelop of the maximal rate achieved by DF and CF with respect to the source power, is achievable. To this end, we actively adjust the transmission power of the source for different time and switch the transmission strategy between DF and CF according to the source power. It is proved that when the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the source-destination link falls into a certain range, the new achievable rate is strictly larger than that achieved by pure DF and pure CF. The optimal power allocation and corresponding time proportions are also obtained. Numerical results show that the new achievable rate is also competitive with the rate achieved by superposing CF on DF. As strategy switching avoids complex codeword constructions, it is more practical than superposition structures to be implemented in relay systems.
Association Between Pornography Use and Sexual Risk Behaviors in Adult Consumers: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this review was to determine whether an association exists between sexual risk behaviors and pornography consumption. Consumption of pornography is common, yet research examining its link with sexual risk behaviors is in its infancy. Indicators of sexual risk behavior, including unsafe sex practices and a higher number of sexual partners, have been linked to poor health outcomes. A systematic literature search was performed using Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge, Pubmed, and CINAHL. Studies were included if they assessed the association between pornography use and indicators of sexual risk behaviors in an adult population. A total of 17 were included in the review, and all were assessed for research standards using the Quality Index Scale. For both Internet pornography and general pornography, links with greater unsafe sex practices and number of sexual partners were identified. Limitations of the literature, including low external validity and poor study design, restrict the generalizability of the findings. Accordingly, replication and more rigorous methods are recommended for future research.
High‐Density SNP genotyping defines 17 distinct haplotypes of the TNF block in the Caucasian population: Implications for haplotype tagging

The region spanning the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) cluster in the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has been implicated in susceptibility to numerous immunopathological diseases, including type 1 diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis. However, strong linkage disequilibrium across the MHC has hampered the identification of the precise genes involved. In addition, the observation of “blocks” of DNA in the MHC within which recombination is very rare, limits the resolution that may be obtained by genotyping individual SNPs. Hence a greater understanding of the haplotypes of the block spanning the TNF cluster is necessary. To this end, we genotyped 32 human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐homozygous workshop cell lines and 300 healthy control samples for 19 coding and promoter region SNPs spanning 45 kb in the central MHC near the TNF genes. The workshop cell lines defined 11 SNP haplotypes that account for approximately 80% of the haplotypes observed in the 300 control individuals. Using the control individuals, we defined a further six haplotypes that account for an additional 10% of donors. We show that the 17 haplotypes of the “TNF block” can be identified using 15 SNPs. Hum Mutat 24:517–525, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The use of multiple methods of engagement : a case study of foreign & colonial investments

The central aim of the thesis is to examine the use of multiple methods in institutional investors‟ engagement in the UK. In pursuit of that aim, the thesis seeks to examine institutional investors‟ engagement through the agency theory framework. Previous research on institutional investors‟ engagement has failed to illuminate the ways in which institutional investors‟ engagement in corporate governance and corporate social responsibility is applying multiple methods to engagement; particularly as a significant amount of institutional investors‟ engagement is conducted discreetly and the data and information relating to their engagement activities is not usually publicly disclosed. Very few researchers investigating institutional investors‟ engagement recognise that dialogue alone is, at times, insufficient and may not produce the results that they expect. Hence, extant research has not examined what path institutional investors take when a particular mode of engagement fails to yield the desired result. This research examines Foreign & Colonial Investments and reveals that, when one method of institutional investors‟ engagement, employed to influence corporate behaviour, is unsuccessful, F&C Investments makes use of another method of engagement to influence corporate behaviour, policies and practices. Hence, the traditional approach to institutional investors‟ engagement is changing. For example, in the past, institutional investors‟ engagement in corporate governance and corporate social responsibility tended to occur separately. Institutional investors‟ engagement in corporate social responsibility was the focus of ethical and religious investors. However, this research clearly shows that institutional investors integrate corporate governance and corporate social responsibility issues in F&C Investments‟ engagement practices. The integrating of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility suggests that the practise of institutional investors‟ engagement may have is advancing. F&C Investments‟ engagement in corporate governance and corporate social responsibility indicates that corporate social responsibility has become mainstream, having progressed beyond the initial realms of religious and ethical investors to become a major aspect of corporate governance.
Cross Country Linkages as Determinants of Procyclicality of Loan Loss Provisions – Empirical Importance of Sure Specification

Procyclicality in banking may result in financial instability and therefore be destructive to economic growth. The sensitivity of different banking balance sheet and income statement variables to the business cycle is diversified and may be prone to increasing integration of financial markets. In this paper we address the problem of the influence of financial integration on the transmission of economic shocks from one country to another and consequently on the sensitivity of loan loss provisions to the business cycle. We also aim to find out whether earnings management hypotheses are supported throughout the whole business cycle. Application of the SURE approach to 13 OECD countries in 1995-2009 shows that the procyclicality of LLP is statistically significant almost in thewhole sample of countries. Independent of the econometric specification, the earnings management hypotheses are hardly supported.
Mammalian Homologues of Caenorhabditis elegans unc-13 Gene Define Novel Family of C2-domain Proteins (*)

The unc-13 gene in Caenorhabditis elegans is essential for normal presynaptic function and encodes a large protein with C1- and C2-domains. In protein kinase C and synaptotagmin, C1- and/or C2-domains are regulatory domains for Ca2+, phospholipids, and diacylglycerol, suggesting a role for unc-13 in regulating neurotransmitter release. To determine if a similar protein is a component of the presynaptic machinery for neurotransmitter release in vertebrates, we studied unc-13 homologues in rat. Molecular cloning revealed that three homologues of unc-13 called Munc13-1, −13-2, and −13-3 are expressed in rat brain. Munc13s are large, brain-specific proteins with divergent N termini but conserved C termini containing C1- and C2-domains. Specific antibodies demonstrated that Munc13-1 is a peripheral membrane protein that is enriched in synaptosomes and localized to plasma membranes but absent from synaptic vesicles. Our data suggest that the function of unc-13 in C. elegans is conserved in mammals and that Munc13s act as plasma membrane proteins in nerve terminals. The presence of C1- and C2-domains in these proteins and the phenotype of the C. elegans mutants raise the possibility that Munc13s may have an essential signaling role during neurotransmitter release.
Electromagnetic Coupling Between Parallel Lines on a Uniform Earth

Electromagnetic (EM) coupling between parallel lines on a uniform earth influences the results of induced polarization and electromagnetic surveys This paper presents a simplified analysis which allows a fast calculation of EM coupling in the time domain for the dipole-dipole and Schlumberger arrays. The simplified results are in good agreement with the results of other workers.
Decision-Usefulness of Accounting Information to Equity Investors of Firms Listed on the Amman Stock Exchange:an Empirical Investigation

This study examines the decision-usefulness of financial information produced in the external financial reports from the implementation of the International Accounting Standards (IAS) and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to equity investors of the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) in their investment decision-making process. The study employs mixed method research that uses quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative research methodology employs archival financial data from the ASE using inferential statistics to investigate the association between share market prices and a well known model, the residual earnings model, derived from (Preinreich 1938, Ohlson (1995) Feltham and Olson (1995). Data is collected from companies listed on the ASE for the period before implementation of the IAS/IFRS, 1980-1989, and for the period after implementation, 1991-2009. In general, the results indicate a statistical association between share market prices and book value per share (BVPS) and residual earnings per share (REPS) with the BVPS robust to share market prices. The second quantitative method employs questionnaires administered to individual and institutional equity investors of the ASE. Key findings indicate that equity investors believe the implementation of the IAS/IFRS produces decision-useful financial information, that the accounting information has the useful qualitative characteristics proposed by the International Accounting Standards Board and that the price-to-book ratio, the dividend discount model and the price-earnings multiple are very useful models as inputs into their investment decision-making process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to accounting, auditing and ASE experts in Jordan. Prevalent findings indicate that developments within the ASE and accounting profession have influenced the decision-usefulness of financial information. Few believed that Jordan should develop its own accounting standards. This research contributes to knowledge, being the first comprehensive study that employs a mixed method research using archival financial data for a 29-year study period from the ASE and primary data to evaluate the decision-usefulness of financial information produced from implementing the IAS/IFRS. Furthermore, this research fills a gap in the literature by examining the period before IAS/IFRS implementation and the period after implementation in Jordan to determine if IAS/IFRS implementation resulted in decision-useful financial information. The main implication of this research is that reported financial information has greater decision-usefulness after the implementation of the IAS/IFRS than before, implying positive effects of accounting standard-setting in an emerging economy.
Alexithymia in schizophrenia

Changes in emotional and social behavior are considered to be amongst the most common and debilitating consequences of schizophrenia. However, little is known of the effects of schizophrenia on alexithymia, which refers to impairment in aspects of understanding emotions. In the current study, participants with schizophrenia (n = 29) and nonclinical controls (n = 30) completed self-report and performance-based measures of this construct, in addition to measures of cognitive functioning, clinical symptomatology, and negative affect. The results indicated that individuals with schizophrenia showed increased alexithymia as indexed by the performance task, with these difficulties related to cognitive functioning, and the specific clinical symptom of alogia. However, although the correlation between self-reported alexithymia and negative affect in the schizophrenia group was congruent with prior empirical research and theory, there were no group differences in perceived levels of alexithymia. It is suggested that alexithymia may not be affected per se in schizophrenia (as indicated by the lack of group differences on the self-report measure of this construct), but that schizophrenia-related difficulties do emerge in contexts where cognitive demands are incremented.
Dynamic Competition, Innovation and Strategic Financing

This paper models the interactions among product market innovation, product market competition, and corporate financing decisions in the context of a dynamic duopoly. One competitor faces an opportunity to adopt a new technology. If adopted, the firm must also determine whether it will obtain public or private financing. Our results allow us to relate current firm and industry characteristics to these decision variables. In particular, larger, more profitable firms with small rivals have the greatest incentive to innovate. The private versus public financing decision depends mainly on the magnitude of the technological improvement and length of the period during which private financing extends the innovator's product market advantage. Due to the model's formulation it is both tractable and amenable to empirical estimation. We estimate the model and provide estimates of the value of innovation and private financing for a sample of industries and firms.
Comparing the effectiveness of TWEAK and T-ACE in determining problem drinkers in pregnancy.

AIM The TWEAK and T-ACE screening tools are validated methods of identifying problem drinking in a pregnant population. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the TWEAK and T-ACE screening tools in identifying problem drinking using traditional cut-points (CP). METHODS Study participants consisted of women calling the Motherisk Alcohol Helpline for information regarding their alcohol use in pregnancy. In this cohort, concerns surrounding underreporting are not likely as women self-report their alcohol consumption. Participant's self-identification, confirmed by her amount of alcohol use, determined whether she was a problem drinker or not. The TWEAK and T-ACE tools were administered on both groups and subsequent analysis was done to determine if one tool was more effective in predicting problem drinking. RESULTS The study consisted of 75 problem and 100 non-problem drinkers. Using traditional CP, the TWEAK and T-ACE tools both performed similarly at identifying potential at-risk women (positive predictive value = 0.54), with very high sensitivity rates (100-99% and 100-93%, respectively) but poor specificity rates (36-43% and 19-34%, respectively). Upon comparison, there was no statistical difference in the effectiveness for one test performing better than next using either CP of 2 (P = 0.66) or CP of 3 (P = 0.38). CONCLUSION Despite the lack of difference in performance, improved specificity associated with TWEAK suggests that it may be better suited to screen at-risk populations seeking advice from a helpline.
Assessment of ovarian reserve in euthyroid adolescents with Hashimoto thyroiditis

Abstract Aim: We aimed to investigate the ovarian function and reserve in euthyroid adolescents (TSH < 2.5 mIU/L) diagnosed with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT). Methods: This case-control study included 30 adolescent girls (mean age 15.1 ± 1.4 years) newly diagnosed as HT with presence of high thyroid antibodies with gland heterogeneity in ultrasound and age-matched 30 healthy female subjects. Anti-ovarian antibody (AOAb), LH/FSH ratio, estradiol, anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), inhibin-B, total testosterone, antral follicle count, ovarian volumes and uterine length were measured. The clinical, laboratory, and ultrasound data of the HT and control groups were compared. Results: There were no significant differences between the girls with HT and healthy controls in relation to LH/FSH ratio, estradiol and inhibin-B levels. AOAb (p = 0.02), AMH (p = 0.007) and total testosterone levels were higher in HT group than the control group (p = 0.03). AOAb level was found to be positively correlated with LH/FSH ratio (p = 0.03), AMH (p = 0.01) and inhibin-B (p < 0.001) in HT group. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the adolescent girls diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis had normal ovarian reserve based on measurements of AMH, inhibin B, FSH, LH/FSH ratio, estradiol and antral follicle counts.
Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor, liver regeneration and cancer metastasis

Hepazocyte growth factor (HGF) is the most potent stimulator of hepatocyte growth and DNA synthesis identified; it is now known to be the same molecule as scatter factor, which increases the motility of a variety of cell types. HGF is becoming recognized as one of the most important factors in the regulation of liver regeneration after surgical resection or chemical damage. HGF is produced by several tissues, including neoplasms; it can therefore provide a stimulus for increased motility of malignant cells by both a paracrine and autocrine mechanism. The receptor for HGF has been identified as the product of the oncogene c‐met, raising the possibility that this gene plays a key role in facilitating cellular invasion. HGF may therefore be important not only for liver cell growth but also in metastasis. This article summarizes the current position of research on HGF, and presents both clinical and scientific evidence that strongly implicates this factor in liver regeneration and cancer invasion and metastasis.
Towards real time scheduling for persistent UAV service: A rolling horizon MILP approach, RHTA and the STAH heuristic

The automation of logistics tasks for fleets of UAVs is a key element of persistent operation. Such automation includes the provision of robotic service stations to replace consumables and orchestration algorithms enabling the UAVs to simultaneously pursue their objectives and manage the logistics process. Here we consider a system of UAVs and service stations distributed across a field of operations whose purpose is to provide continuous escort/surveillance to customers traversing known time-space trajectories. Our goal is to develop centralized real-time large scale-system orchestration methods for such a service. This goal is pursued in three directions. 1)We extend an existing mixed integer linear program (MILP) formulation to allow for arbitrary UAV initial locations and fuel levels. The MILP uses a more general service station recharge model. The new MILP is incorporated into a rolling horizon optimization for real time use. 2) We extend an RHTA heuristic to allow for arbitrary fuel levels and UAV locations. 3) Based on insight from the problem formulation, the STAH heuristic is developed. Numerical studies assess the effectiveness and numerical character of the proposed approaches. STAH was at least 30 times faster than RHTA with similar values. Both are much faster than the MILP solved via CPLEX. A real time scheduling example is considered.
Not so benign haematology: anaemia of the elderly

Developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, are experiencing a change in demographics resulting in the largest proportion of adults over 65 years of age that our health systems have ever experienced. As such, haematologists must be prepared to evaluate and treat anaemia in a more complicated patient population, but sufficient evidence‐based guidelines are lacking. Critical next steps that must be taken to ensure the best care of this population include the determination of appropriate haemoglobin concentrations for older adults in light of age, gender, race, and comorbidities; the development of interventional trials that address physical performance outcomes in addition to haemoglobin targets; and translational studies which address the molecular pathogenesis of anaemia in older adults with the most advanced scientific approaches.