Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trading for Security: Military Alliances and Economic Agreements*

The authors appraise a well-known argument connecting economics and security in international relations: military allies are likely to trade more with one another than non-allies. A review of alliance treaties and diplomatic history suggests that, under certain conditions, states may tie together alliance agreements and economic agreements. When states explicitly link alliance agreements with economic cooperation, one would expect to see increased economic exchange coinciding with coordinated security policies. This article evaluates whether the linking of economic and security agreements accounts for a positive relationship between alliances and trade among European states before World War II and produces evidence in support of this argument. Trade among allies who have specified economic cooperation in their alliance agreements is higher than trade among non-allied states and higher than trade among allies who have not promised economic cooperation. In contrast, trade among allies without specific economic provisions in their treaties is statistically no different from trade among non-allies. Thus, the positive empirical relationship between alliances and trade that the authors find in pre-WWII Europe is a result of only a specific subset of all military alliances, namely, those treaties that stipulate economic cooperation between the allies. This study advances our understanding of the alliance–trade relationship by focusing attention on the joint negotiation of cooperation in different issue-areas.
A fast-switching SOI SA-LIGBT without NDR region

The SOI separated shorted-anode LIGBT (SSA-LIGBT) has been investigated by experiments and numerical device simulations. In order to suppresses the negative differential resistance regime which is the inherent drawback of the shorted anode LIGBT (SA-LIGBT), the SSA-LIGBT increases the pinch resistance by employing the highly resistive n-drift region as an electron conduction path. The SSA-LIGBT shows a remarkably decreased on-state voltage drop when compared with the conventional SA-LIGBT and shows a one-order faster turn-off time than that of the LIGBT.
Field Assessment of the Performance of a Ballasted Rail Track with and without Geosynthetics

Understanding the complex mechanisms of stress transfer and strain accumulation in layers of track substructure under repeated wheel loading is essential to predict the desirable track maintenance cycle as well as the design of the new track. Various finite element and analytical techniques have been developed in the past to understand the behavior of composite track layers subjected to repeated wheel loads. The mechanical behavior of ballast is influenced by several factors, including the track confining pressure, type of aggregates, and the number of loading cycles. A field trial was conducted on an instrumented track at Bulli, New South Wales, Australia, with the specific aims of studying the benefits of a geocomposite installed at the ballast-capping interface, and to evaluate the performance of moderately graded recycled ballast in comparison to traditionally very uniform fresh ballast. It was found that recycled ballast can be effectively reused if reinforced with a geocomposite. It was also found t.
Transport and control of kitchen pollutants in Nanjing based on the Modelica multizone model

Forty-two scenarios were simulated, using the OpenModelica platform, to study the impact of different factors on the transport of kitchen pollutants. In summer, an increase in outdoor wind velocity can improve natural ventilation and reduce kitchen pollutant concentrations. In winter, natural ventilation is mainly driven by thermal pressure, and outdoor wind has little effect on kitchen pollutant concentrations. Natural ventilation increases building energy consumption and has a limited ability to reduce kitchen pollutants. When a range hood was used, pollutant concentrations can be reduced to very low levels if it is operated for another 5 min after cooking. An automatic control module was added to Modelica to study the pollutant-removal efficiency of the regular exhaust and automatic control exhaust hoods and to test their energy consumption. The energy consumption of the automatic control exhaust hood was found to be only 1/5 that of the regular exhaust hood.
A KINEMATIC INTERACTION MODEL FOR A LARGE-DIAMETER SHAFT FOUNDATION. AN APPLICATION TO SEISMIC DEMAND ASSESSMENT OF A BRIDGE SUBJECT TO COUPLED SWAYING-ROCKING EXCITATION

The aim of this paper is to illustrate an analytical model for the assessment of kinematic interaction of large-diameter shaft foundations. The model is derived using recently obtained solutions of soil structure interaction problems of rigid walls and fixed base cylinders subjected to a dynamic excitation. The proposed model constitutes an extension to a deformable base of the elastodynamic solution of a rigid, fixed-base cylinder imbedded in a homogeneous or inhomogeneous soil stratum with different lateral boundary conditions. The analytical model has been validated by means of a finite elements code and it has been implemented in a consistent seismic soil-structure-interaction analysis procedure. An application of the model to a long, multi-span continuous prestressed concrete viaduct with tall piers has been carried out focusing on the importance of kinematic interaction. The main finding of the study is that the foundation input motion is characterised not only by a translational horizontal component which is usually of a reduced amplitude if compared with the free-field ground motion, but also by a rotational component that is responsible for a large seismic demand in the superstructure. The proposed model represents an effective tool to be used in the engineering practice to assess both the seismic actions induced by the ground shaking on the foundation system and the effective input motion of a superstructure founded on massive and large diameter shafts.
Cicatricial alopecia: do clinical, trichoscopic, and histopathological diagnosis agree?

INTRODUCTION Cicatricial alopecia (CA) results from irreversible destruction and fibrosis of hair follicles. Trichoscopy offers a noninvasive method for diagnosis. METHODS Thirty-two patients clinically diagnosed with CA were subjected to trichoscopy and histopathology assessment. The sensitivity and specificity of clinical and trichoscopic diagnoses were compared to histopathology. RESULTS Thirty-two patients were clinically diagnosed as follows: 12 with discoid lupus erythematosus, four with lichen planopilaris (LPP), two with frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), three with folliculitis decalvans (FD), nine with central cicatricial centrifugal alopecia (CCCA), and two with long-term alopecia areata. Trichocopy revealed discoid lupus in 13 patients, LPP in nine, FFA in two, FD in three, central centrifugal alopecia in four, and pseudopelade in one. Histopathology confirmed discoid lupus in 13 patients, LPP in five, FFA in two, FD in three, CCCA in six, pseudopelade in two, and sarcoidosis in one. The sensitivity and specificity of clinical diagnosis were 69.2% and 84.2% in discoid lupus, 40.0% and 92.6% in LPP, 100.0% and 100.0% in FFA, 66.7% and 96.6% in FD, and 66.7% and 80.8% in central centrifugal alopecia. The sensitivity and specificity of trichoscopy were 84.6% and 89.5% in discoid lupus, 100.0% and 85.2% in LPP, 100.0% and 100.0% in FFA and FD, 66.7% and 100.0% in central centrifugal alopecia, and 50.0% and 100.0% in pseudopelade. CONCLUSIONS Trichoscopy can be equivalent to histopathology for diagnosing some cases of CA.
THE LACKLAND ACCIDENT COUNTER MEASURE EXPERIMENT

A COUNTERMEASURE DESIGNED TO REDUCE LOST-TIME ACCIDENTS IN PRIVATELY-OWNED VEHICLES WAS EVALUATED IN A PILOT STUDY AT LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE. THE AIM OF THE COUNTERMEASURE WAS TO CHANGE ATTITUDES OF TOLERANCE TOWARD AIRMEN WHO DRINK AND THEN DRIVE RECKLESSLY. SUCH BEHAVIOR WAS IDENTIFIED AS SYMPTOMATIC OF DISTURBED, RATHER THAN MASCULINE OR BRAVE, PERSONS. THE COUNTERMEASURE PROGRAM INCLUDED EDUCATIONAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND PSYCHIATRIC ATTRIBUTES. DURING THE YEAR IN WHICH THE COUNTERMEASURE WAS APPLIED, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE (FROM 50 TO 60 PERCENT, DEPENDING ON THE CRITERION EMPLOYED). THE REDUCTION RAN COUNTER TO RISING NATIONAL, STATE AND CITY TRENDS. IT ALSO RAN COUNTER TO THE EXPERIENCE AT RANDOLPH AFB, A NEARBY BASE. AN UNCONTROLLED DESIGN CONTAMINANT WAS STEPPED-UP ON-BASE AIR POLICE ACTIVITY. THE ADMINISTRATIVE COST OF THE COUNTER-MEASURE WAS LIGHT. FURTHER RESEARCH IS SUGGESTED TO DETERMINE WHICH ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM WERE EFFECTIVE. /AUTHOR/
Effects of Lean Construction on Sustainability of Modular Homebuilding

Constructionactivitiesandthebuiltenvironmenthaveanenormouseffectontheenvironment,humanhealth,andtheoveralleconomy. Sustainable homebuilding in all three dimensions of economic, environmental, and social effects is attainable through practical innovations and technologies.However,thegreatestbarriertothewidespreadapplicationofsustainablehomebuildingisthehigherinitialcostslargelyattributable to the learning curve of workers building with these practical innovations and technologies, and the added cost resulting from ill-defined con- structionprocesses.Toaddressthesechallengesandreachtheidealofsustainableconstruction,thispaperproposestheuseofleanconstructionas a viable and effective strategy, in particular the lean tool kaizen. This paper uses several case studies to showcase the effect of lean on the triple bottomlineofsustainabilityinmodularhomebuilding.Eachcasestudyhighlightsonedimensionofsustainability. Leanconstructionresultedina significant environmental effect by reducing material waste by 64%, a significant social effect by reducing or eliminating key safety hazards of excessive force, poorposture, andstruck-by, and a significant economiceffect byreducing productionhours by31%. Findings from this research willcontributetoabetterunderstandingoftheeffectofleanonhomebuilding sustainabilityand willpromotelean and safebuilding techniquesin modular homebuilding. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)AE.1943-5568.0000054. © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Sustainable development; Construction industry; Residential buildings; Lean construction. Author keywords: Modular homebuilding; Sustainability; Offsite construction; Lean construction.
Transmission 1 Reflection and Short-circuit Line Permittivity Measurements

The transmission/reflection and short-circuit line methods for measuring complex permittivity are examined. Equations for permittivity are developed from first principles. New robust algorithms that eliminate the illbehaved nature of the commonly used transmission/reflection method a t frequencies corresponding to integral multiples of one-half wavelength in the sample are presented. These allow measurements to be made on samples of any length. An uncertainty analysis is presented which yields estimates of the errors incurred due to the uncertainty in scattering parameters, length measurement and reference plane position. The equations derived here indicate that the minimum uncertainty for transmission/reflection measurements of nonmagnetic materials occurs a t integral multiples of one-half wavelength in the material. In addition, new equations for determining complex permittivity independent of reference plane position and sample length are derived. New equations are derived for permittivity determination using the short-circuit line allow positioning the sample arbitrarily in the sample holder.
Applying Risk Management Workshop for a Public Construction Project: Case Study

The selection of proper risk management tools and techniques is critical for better decision-making. Because very few studies scrutinize the use of a workshop as a risk management approach, this paper aims to explore how a risk management workshop can be effectively used in managing project risks, by studying a risk management workshop that was conducted in a public project. An in-depth case study approach was adopted to identify the benefits and challenges of this method of risk management. The subsequent performance of the public organization in managing risks was examined by evaluating its functional risk management implementation. In addition to furthering an organization's understanding of major project risks, a risk management workshop also provides opportunities for team building. However, a breakdown in the risk communication that eventually resulted in a poor risk management implementation was uncovered in the implementation of the project. Continued efforts to improve risk management implementation are needed to overcome the shortcomings associated with the current practices. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000599. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Risk management; Project management; Case studies. Author keywords: Risk management workshop; Risk identification; Risk analysis; Public project.
Rhetoric Analysis on the Relationship between Executive Compensation and Performance of Commercial public enterprises in Namibia.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the relationship between compensation packages and the performance of executive officers in Commercial Public Enterprises in Namibia. The paper was conducted to achieve the following specific objective: to determine the relationship between compensation packages of executives and the performance of Commercial PEs in Namibia. It was all in the context of mixed research approach for data collection using a questionnaire as a tool. The study found that there is a partial relationship between executive compensation and the performance of some commercial public enterprises, in accordance with their Tier Levels. It is recommended that the Government (shareholder) finds the best fit model of executive compensation packages in order to induce a positive level of performance. It is further recommended that a study be conducted, to investigate the relationship between the role of an independent high-level committee on executive compensation packages, aimed at enhancing performance in Commercial Public Enterprises in Namibia Keywords: Compensation Package; Performance; Commercial Public Enterprises; Executives
Evaluation of the ERA5 Significant Wave Height against NDBC Buoy Data from 1979 to 2019

Abstract Significant wave height (SWH) is a vital parameter in marine science research and engineering application. The up-to-date reanalysis product ERA5 SWH brings new possibilities to the long-term analysis. However, a systematic assessment of ERA5 SWH on a large scale is still lacking. This paper presents an evaluation of ERA5 SWH against observations from 103 buoys in the North American Atlantic and Pacific sourced by the National Data Buoy Center over the period 1979 to 2019. Overall, the ERA5 SWH has a good agreement with the in-situ observations, with a bias of −0.058 m, root mean squared error of 0.325 m, correlation coefficient of 0.961 and scatter index of 18.54%. The accuracy of ERA5 SWH is satisfactory under the most typical sea states (0.5 m < SWH < 4 m). The monthly analysis shows the performance of ERA5 SWH in summer is the best. The water depth and offshore distance have also been identified to impact the reliability of ERA5 SWH. Although the statistics vary at different locations, the performances of ERA5 SWH at most stations are reasonable. In addition, an evident improvement in the validity over time is observed, which can be attributed to the assimilation of the altimeter wave height.
Comparative safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUNDS Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) alone or in combination with chemotherapy (CT) are the standard of care for first-line therapy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients without actionable mutations. The safety ranking of different ICI and CT combination regimens has not been investigated. This study was aimed to provide a toxicity profile and safety ranking of different ICI and CT combination regimens. METHODS We performed comprehensive searches of phase 2 and 3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing different ICI regimens (alone or combination) or CT for the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. Outcomes of interest were the cumulative incidence of any treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), grade 3-5 TRAEs (grade 3-5), any immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and grade 3-5 irAEs (grade 3-5). Odds ratios and 95% credible intervals were calculated as summary statistics to quantify the effect of different ICI combination regimens. RESULTS We included 21 RCTs from 2016 to 2021 with a total of 12,626 patients. The incidence of any TRAEs and grade 3-5 TRAEs ranked from high to low were ICI-CT (probability: 88.3% and 87.1%), ICI-ICI-CT (66.2% and 73.9%), CT alone (77.7% and 86.6%), ICI-ICI (98.9% and 99.2%), and ICI monotherapy (99.7% and 100%). Adding CT to ICI regimens resulted in a higher incidence of any grade or grade 3-5 TRAEs compared to ICI-ICI combinations or ICI monotherapy. However, ICI-ICI-CT combinations did not result in a higher incidence of TRAEs than ICI-CT combinations. For any irAEs and grade 3-5 irAEs, the ranking was ICI-ICI (probability: 97.6% and 99.8%), ICI monotherapy (97.2% and 99.8%), ICI-CT (99.5% and 99.9%), and CT alone (99.9% and 100%). Notably, the incidence of any grade and grade 3-5 irAEs was lower when adding CT to ICI monotherapy. CONCLUSION Lack of head-to-head comparisons, these findings provide evidence for clinical decision-making when considering different ICI combination regimens for advanced NSCLC patients.
Numerical study of a Gaussian beam propagating in media with negative permittivity and permeability by using a bidirectional beam propagation method

Gaussian beam propagation in structures containing meta‐materials with negative permittivity and negative permeability is numerically studied by using a bidirectional wide‐angle finite‐difference beam propagation method. Illustrative and quantitative views are given for various anomalous behaviors, such as the negative angle of refraction, beam refocusing, arbitrarily thin distributed Bragg reflector, and negative lateral shift of the reflected beam from a grounded slab, by a Gaussian beam propagating in some meta‐material structures. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 37: 292–296, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.10898
Fusion of Gas Turbines Diagnostic Inference: The Dempster-Schafer Approach

This paper proposes a fusion technique allowing the merge of conclusions provided by diagnostic methods that act independently for the detection of gas turbine faults. The proposed technique adopts the principles of Dempster-Schafer theory for the fusion of two diagnostic methods output; these are the method of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBN) and the method of Probabilistic Neural Networks (PNN). The proposed technique has been applied for the detection of thermodynamic as well as mechanical faults on gas turbines. First, the case of a turbofan engine of civil aviation is examined. The proposed technique allows the fusion of diagnostic inference on the presence of several faults of thermodynamic nature. Then the case of a radial and an axial compressor are examined, where several mechanical faults are deliberately implemented. In all cases, the effectiveness of the proposed fusion technique demonstrates that the merge of diagnostic information from different sources leads to better and safer diagnosis.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
EMC is required for biogenesis of Xport‐A, an essential chaperone of Rhodopsin‐1 and the TRP channel

The ER membrane protein complex (EMC) is required for the biogenesis of a subset of tail anchored (TA) and polytopic membrane proteins, including Rhodopsin‐1 (Rh1) and the TRP channel. To understand the physiological implications of EMC‐dependent membrane protein biogenesis, we perform a bioinformatic identification of Drosophila TA proteins. From 254 predicted TA proteins, screening in larval eye discs identified two proteins that require EMC for their biogenesis: fan and Xport‐A. Fan is required for male fertility in Drosophila and we show that EMC is also required for this process. Xport‐A is essential for the biogenesis of both Rh1 and TRP, raising the possibility that disruption of Rh1 and TRP biogenesis in EMC mutants is secondary to the Xport‐A defect. We show that EMC is required for Xport‐A TMD membrane insertion and that EMC‐independent Xport‐A mutants rescue Rh1 and TRP biogenesis in EMC mutants. Finally, our work also reveals a role for Xport‐A in a glycosylation‐dependent triage mechanism during Rh1 biogenesis in the endoplasmic reticulum.
UNDERSTANDING ROAD RAGE: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR PROMISING MITIGATION MEASURES

Popular opinion has it that "road rage" is increasingly prevalent in urban areas. Whether or not this opinion is true, driver frustration in congested conditions may lead to an increase in aggressive driving, a less malignant and more common subset of road rage. The potential for significant safety benefits might be realized if engineers had a better understanding of roadway and environmental factors that induce irritation and contribute to aggressive driving. Researchers evaluated the benefits of freeway bottleneck improvements. Feedback from commuters revealed that a majority realized reduced aggressive behaviors and commute time after improvements at a bottleneck. Almost 50% indicated an improvement in their stress level. Operational data collected at the bottleneck site (increased volumes, speeds, and decreased queue lengths) supported the feedback from commuter surveys. Secondly, researchers assessed the ability of photogrammetry to expedite clearance of incidents. Data from several police agencies suggested that photogrammetry could effectively reduce overall incident clearance time. Other data showed that photogrammetry compares very favorably in measurement accuracy to traditional investigation techniques. Finally, researchers tested the Late Merge concept developed in Pennsylvania at a work zone on Interstate 30 in Dallas. Merging at lane closures is the subject of considerable debate by drivers, the media, and even traffic engineers. The Late Merge concept is designed to encourage drivers to use all lanes approaching a lane closure and then take turns near the merge point by using several static signs in addition to normal work zone traffic control. The simulation laboratory and field tests revealed that the Late Merge concept is feasible on an urban freeway where three lanes are reduced to two. Further testing of this concept and other innovative merge strategies such as Early and Zip Merging is needed to determine the most efficient, safe, and least stressful method of encouraging merging at lane closures. This document provides a simple plan for implementation of the research results. This plan will help provide some additional detail for the Texas Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, law enforcement agencies, and other transportation-related groups responsible for putting the plan into practice.