Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient Link Scheduling Based on Estimated Number of Packets in Queue on Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks

The links of low power wireless sensor networks are error prone and the transmission on a wireless link is determined probabilistically by the packet reception rate (PRR) of the link. On the other hand, there is a very strict requirement in the end-to-end reliability and delay of sensor data in industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSNs). The existing approaches to provide the end-to-end reliability in IWSNs is retransmitting the packet when failure occurs. These approaches transmit a packet multiple times in successive time slots to provide the required reliability. These approaches, however, can increase the average delay of packets and the number of packets buffered in a queue. This paper proposes a new scheme to estimate the probabilistic amount of packets, called queue level (QL), in the buffer of each node based on the PRRs of the wireless links. This paper also proposes a QL-based centralized scheduling algorithm to assign time slots efficiently in TDMA-based IWSNs. The proposed scheduling algorithm gives higher priority to the nodes with higher QL. By assigning time slots first to the node with the highest QL, we can reduce the average end-to-end delay of packets and reduce the amount of buffered packets in the queue while satisfying the required end-to-end reliability. The performance of the proposed scheduling algorithm have been evaluated through a simulation using the Cooja simulator and compared with the existing approach. In the simulation on an sample network with the target end-to-end reliability of 99%, all of the flows were shown to guarantee the target reliability in both algorithms: on average, 99.76% in the proposed algorithm and 99.85% in the existing approach. On the other hand, the proposed algorithm showed much better performance than the existing approach in terms of the average end-to-end delay of packets (about 47% less) and the number of maximally buffered packets in the queue of each node (maximally, more than 90% less).
Life-cycle assessment of a multi-family residence built to passive house standard

LCA of buildings has become a distinguished field of LCA, and a number of previous studies have found that low energy buildings generally have better life cycle performance than conventional buildings. However, there has been a lack of studies comparing low energy buildings against passive buildings. The present study evaluates life cycle performance of two passive and two low energy buildings that are all part of the housing cooperative Lovashagen in Bergen. Construction of the housing cooperative was completed in 2009 and measured material and operational data was used in a comprehensive LCA of the whole life cycle from cradle to grave, for twelve midpoint impact categories. The functional unit is a lifetime of fifty years of one square meter BRA of a building block apartment. Heating for low energy apartments are provided by electric resistance heaters and heating cables in the bathroom floors, while hot water heating is provided by an electric water heater. Evacuated tube thermal collectors are located on the roofs and provide passive house room heating through hydronic radiators and hydronic floor heating. They also provide hot water heating for each apartment. When solar collector output is not sufficient, heating is supplied by electric resistance elements. The LCA results show practically no difference between the climate change performances of the house models, and this is largely the result of a particularly low passive house performance. In simulation-based LCA literature there appears to be a trend of over-estimating the operational performance of passive and low energy buildings, and Lovashagen is no exception. The measured electricity consumption is high, both compared to estimations and to the results of other, simulation-based, studies. The high consumption appears to be a result of a particularly low outdoor temperature for the year of the measured data. It is recommended to monitor the electricity consumption over the next few years of operation, and if it is not significantly reduced there is reason to suspect faults in building construction or in the solar collector system. In the case of no direct defects there is reason to re-evaluate the effectiveness of solar collectors for the climatic conditions of Bergen.
hp-spectral methods for structural mechanics and fluid dynamics problems

hp-Spectral Methods for Structural Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics Problems. (May 2010) Rakesh Ranjan, B.Tech, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur; M.S., Pennsylvania State University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Junuthula N. Reddy We consider the usage of higher order spectral element methods for the solution of problems in structures and fluid mechanics areas. In structures applications we study different beam theories, with mixed and displacement based formulations, consider the analysis of plates subject to external loadings, and large deformation analysis of beams with continuum based formulations. Higher order methods alleviate the problems of locking that have plagued finite element method applications to structures, and they also provide for spectral accuracy of the solutions. For applications in computational fluid dynamics areas, we consider the driven cavity problem with least squares based finite element methods. In the context of higher order methods, efficient techniques need to be devised for the solution of the resulting algebraic systems of equations and we explore the usage of element by element bi-orthogonal conjugate gradient solvers for solving problems effectively, along with domain decomposition algorithms for fluid problems. In the context of least squares finite element methods, we also explore the usage of Multigrid techniques to obtain faster convergence of the the solutions for the problems of interest. Applications of the traditional Lagrange based finite element methods with the Penalty finite element method are presented for modelling porous media flow problems. Finally, we explore applications to some CFD problems namely, the flow past a cylinder and forward facing step.
Development of Advanced Concepts for Noise Reduction in Tracked Vehicles

Abstract : This investigation develops an understanding of the noise sources, the acoustical and vibratory paths through which energy enters the hull structure, and the mechanism by which noise arrives at personnel locations. A theoretical and experimental analysis of primary noise source of the vehicle, i. e. the track and suspension system, consisted of three phases: (1) The design of a computer program to simulate the track and suspension; (2) The isolation of the noise produced by the sprocket, idler and roadwheels to determine the contribution of each of these sources; and (3) The measurement of vibration levels at the suspension system, and force-to-noise transfer functions for predicting interior noise levels. This study indicates that at speeds above 10 mph the engine is not a major contributor to noise, and the roadwheels produce significantly less noise than the sprocket and idler. The study results indicate that the greatest potential for noise reduction lies in providing a softer compliance between the idler and the track. This should be followed by lowering the stiffness of the sprocket and finally by controlling roadwheel noise. The idler stiffness can be lowered either at the hub or at the rim, however rim compliance poses fewer design problems.
Effective Risk Communication: A Message-Centered Approach

Conceptualizing a Message-Centered Approach to Risk Communication. - Introducing a Message-Centered Approach to Risk Communication. - Best Practices for Risk Communication. - Multiple Audiences for Risk Messages. - Cases in Risk Communication. - The Case Study Approach. - Cryptosporidium: Unanticipated Risk Factors. - Hurricane Katrina: Risk Communication in Response to a Natural Disaster. - New Zealand Beef Industry: Risk Communication in Response to a Terrorist Hoax. - Odwalla: The Long-Term Implications of Risk Communication. - ConAgra: Audience Complexity in Risk Communication. - Applications of a Message-Centered Approach to Risk Communication. - Toward a Practice of Mindfulness. - Ethical Considerations in Risk Communication. - Future Directions.
Effects of Visual Communication Tool and Separable Status Display on Team Performance and Subjective Workload in Air Battle Management

Abstract : Tactical Air Battle Managers, such as AWACS Weapons Directors (WDs), perform as a team to effect command and control (C2) of assigned forces by planning, organizing, and directing operations. Specifically, AWACS WDs must coordinate offensive counter-air, defensive counter-air, and air refueling operations. AWACS WD teams accomplish their C2 function through networked collaboration that is typically supported by monitoring multiple radio communications channels under conditions of moderate to high ambient cabin noise while performing several visual and manual tasks. The purpose of this study is to compare team performance and subjective workload on a simulated AWACS scenario, for two conditions of communication (Voice-only, and Voice augmented with a Visual Communication Tool), and using two supplementary display conditions (Separable Status Display and No-Separable Status Display). Team performance measures on the AWACS scenario include (1) the percentage of enemy targets that were allowed to penetrate friendly airspace, (2) the percentage of high value assets destroyed (i.e., the air base, infantry units, and tanker aircraft), (3) the percentage of fighter assets that were lost due to fuel depletion or enemy attack, (4) the average time of enemy target prosecution.
The use of 2, 4-d, paraquat and dinoseb for control of filbert (Corylus Avellana L.) suckers

approved: , . ~ ,— /■"— — -/ Harry/B. Lagerstedt The control of filbert (Corylus Avellana L. ) suckers by means of herbicides was investigated in three phases during 1968 and 1969. (1) Screening trials, on canned filbert trees in the greenhouse, to determine the effectiveness of various herbicides and concentrations in controlling vegetative growth. (2) A summary experiment in the greenhouse to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of the three most promising herbicides selected from the screening trials. (3) Field trials to determine the effectiveness of the three herbicides at various concentrations under field conditions in a mature filbert orchard. One quart of 2, 4-D, one quart of paraquat, or three pints of dinoseb per 100 gallons of solution gave satisfactory control of filbert suckers. Paraquat and 2, 4-D controlled the appearance of regro-wth to a greater extent than dinoseb. Use of oil with dinoseb enhanced the effect of the herbicide. Filbert suckers should be treated when less than one foot in height and thoroughly covered with spray to obtain satisfactory kill. The herbicide 2, 4-D gave better control of larger suckers than either paraquat or dinoseb. No evidence of injury to mature filbert trees was seen where the above rates were used. The Use of 2, 4-D, Paraquat and Dinoseb for Control of Filbert (Corylus Avellana L. ) Suckers by Jack Ernest Reich II A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science June 1970
Rough-Cut Capacity Planning in Multimodal Freight Transportation Networks

Abstract : A main challenge in transporting cargo for United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is in mode selection or integration. Demand for cargo is time sensitive and must be fulfilled by an established due date. Since these due dates are often in flexible, commercial carriers are used at an enormous expense, in order to fill the gap in organic transportation asset capacity. This dissertation develops a new methodology for transportation capacity assignment to routes based on the Resource Constrained Shortest Path Problem (RCSP). Routes can be single or multimodal depending on the characteristics of the network, delivery timeline, modal capacities, and costs. The difficulty of the RCSP requires use of metaheuristics to produce solutions. An Ant Colony System to solve the RCSP is developed in this dissertation. Finally, a method for generating near Pareto optimal solutions with respect to the objectives of cost and time is developed.
Developing a Decision Support Tool for Increased Warehouse Picking Efficiency

Problem description: Warehousing is central in order to achieve a competitive supply chain, and considered essential for the success, or failure, of businesses today. In general, warehouses account for a large share of the company logistics costs. Consequently, there is a need for warehouses to operate smoother, faster and more accurate. Within warehousing, the most labor-intensive and costly warehouse operation is order picking, this is mainly due to the large amount of travelling involved. All articles included in this study agree that order picking account for at least 50 percent of warehouses' total operating costs. Warehouses thus carry great potential to justify the expenses they bring through reducing the time spent on activities that are not value adding. Purpose: The overall goal in this thesis is to provide guidance for how a warehouse can operate more efficient by improving its picking performance, which also includes reviewing the closely interlinked warehouse operations storage allocation and routing. Research questions: How can a decision support tool for reviewing the choices of storage allocation, order picking, and routing methods in manual warehouse operations be put together in a structured way? Which features should be considered in the decision support tool for choosing methods for improving warehouse operations? Methodology: The guidance for improved picking performance was framed into a decision support tool building on a thorough review and analysis of the research available in the area. A case study on picking efficiency was conducted in order to create a deep understanding for the issues and challenges that prevail in warehousing, and also to ensure that the final recommendations and the answers to the research questions have good support in academia. Once the tool was created, an illustrative example was used to demonstrate the use of the tool on a more detailed level and to test its comprehensibility and usability. Conclusions: In many areas, the resulting tool manages to provide unequivocal guidance for how to improve a warehouse’ picking operations. Multiple features are identified as important for the decision process; among those are demand skewness, seasonality among different SKUs, total demand variation and pick list size. Company objectives and priorities were also identified as a central feature due to the interrelatedness of the decisions connected to picking and their well-known tradeoffs. The research is however sometimes scarce, and further studies need to be carried-out in order to complement and level the strength of the tool.
Effects-Based Operations: A New Way of Thinking and Fighting

Abstract : This paper analyzes Effects-Based Operations as the most effective way to frame future joint operations in a complex, uncertain environment. This new complex and uncertain environment is characterized by adversaries who have increasingly more access to weapons of Mass Destruction/Effects and whose actions will likely be very unpredictable, and could directly threaten the American homeland. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld stated that, such new, unexpected and dangerous adversaries must be dissuaded, deterred, and defeated without undue cost to American interests abroad or attacks on the U.S. homeland. In a speech presented March 2002, on transformation he stated that what is needed now at the threshold of the 21st Century is a new way of thinking and a new way of fighting. The Joint Forces Command has adopted and continues to evolve the concept of EBO within a Joint warfighting construct to answer in part to both challenges. JFCOM has greatly advanced the concept of EBO through inclusion into joint doctrine and the integration in future force experimentation and exercises. The new evolved and broadened concept of EBO as defined in Joint Publication 3-0, Doctrine for Joint Operations best represents a theory that should help select and integrate the various elements of power to attain national security objectives. This new definition has helped the integration of EBO within the Joint community and has helped analysis by reducing the ambiguity of EBO associated with its evolutionary differences in definitions and methodologies. This paper determined that EBO shows great promise as a broad organizing approach to future warfare but has significant obstacles to overcome to be successfully integrated into a new Joint warfighting construct. EBO has been unfairly scrutinized due service centric views and rivalries.
Factors for Effective E-learning Integration in Higher Education in Sub-Sahara Africa

This article discusses factors that contribute to effective e-learning integration in higher education in the context of Sub-Sahara Africa. It involved retrieving articles using key words such as e-learning, perceptions, knowledge, skills, implementation, facilities, access, support, learning management system and higher education from major educational search engines. Results have revealed firstly that, first there are as many conceptions of the concept of e-learning as there are types of technologies that can support it to improve delivery of higher education. Secondly, several factors contribute to effective integration of e-learning in higher education in Sub-Sahara Africa. These include (i) institutional factors (ii) instructors and students’ factors and (iii) support factors. Based on the results, it is argued therefore that higher learning institutions must make efforts towards addressing these factors for successful integration of e-learning. Keywords: E-learning, higher education, information and communication technologies and Sub-Sahara Africa
Evaluation of the Two Year Key Stage 3 Project

The Two Year Key Stage 3 Project, which was launched in 2003, assisted secondary schools in developing curricula for Key Stage 3 that could be covered in two years instead of the conventional three years (Years 7, 8 and 9). The Project aimed to increase the pace of learning, improve the motivation and engagement of pupils, improve the transition from Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) to Key Stage 3, and open up curricular flexibility through the time saved. Schools were able to decide how to use the time saved by completing Key Stage 3 within two years. This evaluation consisted of three elements: an examination of Phase 1 pupils’ attainment when in Years 7 and 8; an examination of pupils’ reported attitudes as reflected in questionnaire responses; and visits to eight case study schools to examine how a two year Key Stage fitted in with the work of individual schools.
Rationale and key research questions addressed by field trails established as part of the ACIAR Smallholder Tree Farmer Project

A series of field trials have been established as part of the ACIAR Smallholder Tree Farmer Project. These trials are designed to have both a research and demonstration function. A field trial was designed to investigate the potential interaction between four species providing a combination of native and exotic species and nitrogen-fixing vs non-nitrogen-fixing. Importantly, this design provides information about different mixture ratios using only one plot. This field trial will provide important information about the interactions of the four species when grown in varying mixture ratios. A clinal trial using the design of Vanclay (2006) was established in Leyte Leyte in December 2007 using four species. This trial will provide important information on ideal spacing at which trees should be established and how initial planting density affects site capture and early growth, especially in respect to indigenous species. Field trials have also been established to investigate the effect of fertiliser and shade on the establishment and early growth of mayapis and to demonstrate the positive impact that the use of high quality germplasm and good early age silviculture has on the growth of gmelina. The establishment of the field trials has been an important capacity building exercise within the project team. Filipino collaborators have been intimately involved in the design, establishment and monitoring of the field trials and are now capable of establishing similar rigorous field experiments.
Effect of micronutrients with or without organic manures on yield of baby corn (Zea mays L. – chickpea (Cicer artietinum L.) sequence

A field experiment was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Raichur to study the Effect of micronutrients with or without organic manures on yield of Baby corn – chickpea sequence during 2005 -06. The results revealed that application of RDF(150:75:40 kg N,P2O5,K2O ha-1) + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 + 35 kg Vermicompost recorded significantly higher yield and yield components viz., ear length (7.40 cm), ear girth (4.99 cm), ear weight (17.40 g), yield (64.43 q ha-1) and green fodder yield (232.33 q ha-1). Similarly application of 50% (12.5 : 25 : 12.5 kg N, P2O5, K2O ha-1) RDF to chickpea also increased yield attributes and yield viz., pods per plant (100.33), test weight (24.80 g) and seed yield (15.4 q ha-1) over RDF alone and all other treatment s expect RDF along with micronutrients and FYM. In case of Economics same trend was followed by higher gross returns (Rs 96,838), net return (Rs. 76,889 ha-1) and B:C ratio (3.85) was noticed in RDF+25 kg ZnSo4+35 kg Vermicompost treatment.
RESPONSE SPECTRA RECOMMENDED FOR AUSTRALIA

A capsule for obtaining samples of sea bottom material contains a molten sample gathering material. A ballast member at the lower end of the capsule causes the capsule to sink freely when dropped into the sea. An explosive device, preferably located in the ballast member, is detonated when the capsule reaches the sea bottom and ruptures the capsule. A piston within the capsule above the sample gathering material is driven downwardly by gas pressure to force the sample gathering material from the capsule into contact with the sea bottom. The sample gathering material has a density lower than the density of sea water and a freezing point higher than the temperature of the sea water whereby the sample gathering material freezes, occludes sea bottom material, and floats to the surface of the water.
Predicting Target Detection Performance Using the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Subtests and Cognitive Factor Tests

Abstract : For this research, a simulation of a remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) Sensor Station Operator situation was created in which soldiers who had completed initial training were required to seek and report targets-that appeared on a black and white TV screen. Targets were military vehicles, buildings, and other manmade objects that appeared in 90 of 1,440 photos taken from a helicopter flying over and near Fort Sill, OK. When transferred to videotape these photos appeared for 4.5 seconds, with a 15-second dark period between views. This process resulted in a 2-hour presentation that appeared to be an uninterrupted overflight. Subjects were also given six cognitive tests representing three cognitive factors (speed of closure, flexibility of closure, and perceptual speed), and ASVAB subtests were obtained and biographic information was collected. The speed of closure, measured by the Gestalt completion, Concealed Words, and Snowy Pictures tests--all of which are significantly correlated --and several biographic items correlated beyond the p=. 05 level, but ASVAB test scores did not significantly correlate. Target detection, Perception.