Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A survey of heavy metals in municipal wastewater in combined sewer systems during wet and dry weather periods

During wet weather, combined sewer system overflows affect the quality of water in watercourses. For planning overflows, the lowest possible load of priority substances according to Directive 2008/105/EC is crucial and the knowledge of variability in concentrations of elements in the sewer system is necessary. The behaviour of heavy metals in a sewer system was observed in the course of dry weather flow (DWF) and wet weather flow (WWF). We found, from the comparison of concentration medians for the WWF and DWF that during wet weather periods, an increase in the concentrations of As, Cr, Cd, Pb, Mn and Fe occurs in the sewer system and the effect of nonpoint sources manifests itself. Zn, Cu and Ni concentrations decreased during wet weather periods, and Hg concentrations did not significantly change. During the WWF period, a considerable nonhomogeneity of the sewage system was demonstrated.
Effect of mechanical restraint on the rate of corrosion in concrete

Experimental work on prismatic concrete specimens was conducted to determine the relationship between mechanical restraint and the rate of corrosion. The current together with the changes in strain of the confining frame were monitored during the accelerated corrosion tests. The effect of mix design and cracking on the corrosion rates was also investigated. The results show that one-dimensional mechanical restraint retards the corrosion process, as indicated by the reduction in the steel loss. Improved quality of the matrix, with and without cracking, reduces the rate of steel loss. In the inferior quality concrete, the effect of cracking on the corrosion rate is minimal.
Collaborative Design Optimization of Main Movement System of Hydraulic Piston Engine

Hydraulic confined piston engine (HCPE) is a new type power device directly turning indicating work into hydraulic power, whose working process is related to many disciplines. The optimal design of its main movement system is very important for improving performance. Based on the minimum volume, the MDO model was constructed. The model includes systematic level optimizing model and disciplinary level optimizing model of crankshaft and connecting rod. Computed with collaborative optimization method, the total volume reduces by 12.62%, among which the volume of connecting rod increases by 9.26%, but crankshaft reduces by 14.06%. The result is more integrally optimal because of considering the collaborative effect between subsystems.
Using of response surface methodology for optimization of biohydrogen production by Clostridium sp. tr2 isolated in Vietnam

Biohydrogen is a clean, renewable, sustainable energy resource due to the highest energy density among all fuels and its combustion has no contribution to the environmental pollution and climate change. Biohydrogen production depends on a number of nutritional and environmental variables. The present paper is to determine the optimum condition for enhanced hydrogen production by a fermentative hydrogen-producing bacterium (designated as Clostridium sp. Tr2) isolated from buffalo-dung in Vietnam. The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to determine the mutual effects of glucose, yeast extract and iron concentration on its hydrogen production in a batch condition. RSM analysis showed that the highest hydrogen production potential (Ps) was obtained under the condition of 10.18 g L glucose, 2.5 g L yeast extract and 58 mg L FeSO4.7H2O. All three factors had significant influences on the Ps. Glucose and iron concentration, yeast extract and iron concentration were interdependent or there was a significant interaction on Ps. Glucose and yeast extract concentration was slightly interdependent, or their interactive effect on Ps was not significant. Under optimum conditions, the maximum H2 volume of 1080 ml (L medium) were found after 22 h facultative anaerobic fermentation. The experiment results show that the RSM analysis with the central composite design was useful for optimizing the biohydrogen-producing process by newly isolated Clostridium sp. Tr2 in Vietnam.
Claims management in the Egyptian industrial construction sector: a contractor's perspective

Purpose – This research aims at providing a better insight of the status of claims management in general, and change order claims in particular, from the contractor's perspective with respect to the Egyptian industrial construction sector, as they proved to be the main cause of claims in this sector.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey discussing the most persistent issues of claims management in general, and change order claims in particular, was conducted on a selected sample of construction industrial companies.Findings – The results demonstrated that claims management in the Egyptian industrial sector has been suffering from a variety of obstacles, including lack of proper notification procedures in public contracts and poor documentation management. Change orders had been actually lost due to poor documentation. Oral change orders were present in approximately 76 per cent of the projects; half of which resulted in loss of rights due to improper documentation, which was largely attribu.
Maximum Acceptable Load for Lifting and Carrying in Two-Person Teams

The purpose of this study was to determine and verify the maximum acceptable load for lifting and carrying (MALL&C) in single- and mixed-gender two-person teams. Participants lifted and carried a box 7.2 meters and placed it on a 132 cm high shelf, at rates of 1 x/min and 4 x/min. All male teams lifted and carried significantly (p<.05) more weight than all female teams or mixed-gender teams, and mixed-gender teams carried more than all female teams (p>.05). Our findings demonstrate that 1) individuals working alone or in teams can accurately estimate their ability to lift and carry loads for an hour, and that 2) when working in pairs, team MAL-L&C are approximately equal to the sum of their individual MAL-L&C. Percentile norms for MAL-L&Cs are provided for male, female, and mixed gender teams.
Clinical application of the end-systolic pressure–volume relation

A model for the left or right ventricle is developed by which the active force generated by the myocardium is included in the mathematical formalism used to describe the end-systolic pressure–volume relation (espvr) and the pressure volume loop. Using this mathematical approach new indexes have been developed that can be used to quantify the contractility of the myocardium (see Shoucri 1997, 1998).
The Roles of Self-Regulation and Self-Control in Procrastination

Many people have reported procrastination at least once. However, a significant population admitted that procrastination has become a habit for them. Tuckman (1991) has defined procrastination as the tendency to delay doing or starting tasks because of absence or lack of self-regulation [1]. In another definition, Steel (2007) has defined procrastination as voluntary delaying actions despite predicting worsening events [2]. In other words, the general tendency to delay tasks until another time is called procrastination [3].
IgG anti-hinge antibody against IgG4 F(ab’)2 generated by not matrix metalloproteinase-3 but pepsin is a useful diagnostic marker for rheumatoid arthritis, even seronegative rheumatoid arthritis.

Background The pepsin agglutinator, discovered over 50 years ago, has recently referred to be an anti-hinge antibody (AHA) because of main reacting with the IgG hinge epitope. AHA shows different reactivity for each hinge epitope generated by each protease that cleaves the hinge region at different sites. Moreover, AHA shows different reactivity against different hinge epitopes derived from each IgG subclass even when the same protease is used. Since production of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) is enhanced in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the specific AHA might be increasingly produced. The purpose of this study is to determine whether AHA against IgG hinge epitopes produced by MMP-3 is specifically elevated in RA. Methods Serum IgG or IgA class of AHA against the IgG1- or IgG4 F(ab’) 2 generated by either matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) or pepsin was measured by ELISA in 81 healthy controls (HC) and 111 patients with RA. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used for obtaining optimal cutoff values and cutoff values indicating high specificity (>95%) of the AHA. Targeted epitope of the AHA was investigated by inhibition ELISA. Results Seven AHAs were statistically higher in RA than HC, except IgG AHA against IgG1 F(ab’) 2 generated by proteolytic cleavage of MMP-3. The areas under the curve of ROC curve were 0.66-0.80, although the sensitivities at high specificity were low (5.4-24.3%). The cumulative number of positive AHA in each individual was statistically higher in RA than HC, suggesting the extreme extent of AHA repertoires in RA. Inhibition studies revealed that IgG AHA against IgG4 F(ab’) 2 generated by pepsin cross-reacted with IgG1 F(ab’) 2 generated by pepsin. Although development of IgA AHAs in RA seems to be remarkable and specific, multivariate logistic regression analysis identified IgG AHA against IgG4 F(ab’) 2 generated by pepsin as an independent variable for RA diagnosis, even in RA patients who were negative for both RF and ACPA [odds ratio 1.18 (95% confidence interval 1.06-1.32); P =0.003]. Conclusion In RA, we observed diversification and amplification of AHA repertoires and diagnostic utility of the specific AHA against IgG4 F(ab’) 2 generated by pepsin, but not MMP-3.
Critical evaluation as an aid to improved report writing: a case study

Report writing is an important employability skill for Engineers and Technologists, and this case study describes how a Technology degree module took a novel approach to developing students’ report writing skills. Students learned how to use a criterion-referenced critical evaluation framework for reports and other technological documents. They were given opportunities to practise using the framework both through exemplars and through evaluating the work of their peers. They also carried out self-assessment. The authors’ analysis of this novel approach shows that most students responded well to it and benefited from it. Lessons are drawn from this work for others who wish to improve their students’ report writing skills.
Crushing properties of pultruded glass reinforced square tubes

Abstract This paper reports investigation results of energy absorption properties and precise fracture mechanisms of pultruded FRP square tubes that are extensively being studied in order to replace circular cross-sectional tubes in key areas of energy absorbing car components. The main reason for the replacement of circular tubes is their difficulty in integrating with the geometry of many structural car components. As a result, the ‘big-three’. General Motors. Ford and Chrysler started constructing a database of energy absorption properties for FRP square tubes. Accordingly, the energy absorption properties of the pultruded glass reinforced square tubes are being evaluated herein for that purpose under axial quasi-static crushing. In addition, a systematic step-by-step test procedure is employed in the analysis of fracture initiation and propagation mechanisms. Thereafter, a microscope is used in assessing the fracture morphology.
Influence of Teacher Preparedness in the Implementation of the Integrated HIV/AIDS Education in Secondary School Curriculum in Kenya

The study aimed at establishing the influence of teacher preparedness in the implementation of the integrated HIV/AIDS education curriculum in secondary school. The study was guided by the Innovation-Decision Process Theory and the Health Belief Model. The mixed research design was adopted where purposive sampling was used to select 30 head teachers and stratified and simple random sampling used to select 120 teachers and 528 form-four students. Students and teachers questionnaire and head teachers’ interviews were used to obtain the required data from the respondents. Cranach’s Coefficient Alpha was used to establish the reliability and validity of the research instrument determined using expert judgment. The data collected was analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics with the aid of SPSS. The nferential statistics comprised of Spearman’s rankcorrelation, t-test and multiple regression. From the multiple regression model, (R2= .810) showed that all the predictors used account for 81% variation in the implementation of the integrated HIV/AIDS education. Teachers were appropriately qualified to teach integrated HIV/AIDS in their subjects. The study recommends that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development should provide more resource materials and in-service training for teachers on HIV/AIDS education.
Effects of pre-impact pedestrian position and motion on kinematics and injuries from vehicle and ground contact

Abstract Pedestrian injuries from vehicle collisions arise from both the vehicle and the ground contact. Early work showed that above 7 m/s collision speed, the vehicle impact is responsible for higher severity injuries. There has now been considerable development of car design to reduce pedestrian injury severity and thus the role of the ground impact in causing severe head injury should be reexamined. A Madymo model is used to examine the relative severity of the road and vehicle impacts and the effect of pedestrian motion before impact. Results show head impact locations on the vehicle are predictable but their severity varies with pre-impact stance by up to 30%. In contrast, impacts between the body region and the ground are highly variable. The stiff ground results in high contact forces, but the ΔV for ground impact is less severe than the vehicle impacts, showing a higher momentum change in the latter. Evaluation of the HIC36 and 3 millisecond (ms) acceleration criteria for the head and the 3 ms for pelvis and chest also shows that the ground impact results in far more unpredictable injuries compared to the vehicle impact. However, at all speeds head 3 ms scores from the vehicle impact are higher than for the ground contact. Both the HIC36 and the 3 ms acceleration criteria for the head show that the relative importance of the ground impact compared to the vehicle impact reduces with vehicle impact speed. At low to medium speeds, the predicted chest 3 ms responses from the vehicle and ground impacts are similar on average, but at high speeds the vehicle impact is more severe. At low speeds, pelvis 3 ms accelerations from the ground impact are higher than for the vehicle impact, but this trend is reversed at higher speeds.
Insert misalignment in coaxial cavities and its influence on gyrotron operation

A general theory describing symmetry breaking in coaxial cavities is presented. General expressions are derived for frequency shift and for ohmic losses in both the inner conductor and the resonator wall in an eccentric coaxial cavity. The theory is illustrated in the case of the TE28,16 mode 140 GZz coaxial high-power gyrotron developed jointly by the Institute of Applied Physics in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Acquisition of Forest Attributes for Decision Support at the Forest Enterprise Level Using Remote-Sensing Techniques—A Review

In recent decades, remote sensing techniques and the associated hardware and software have made substantial improvements. With satellite images that can obtain sub-meter spatial resolution, and new hardware, particularly unmanned aerial vehicles and systems, there are many emerging opportunities for improved data acquisition, including variable temporal and spectral resolutions. Combined with the evolution of techniques for aerial remote sensing, such as full wave laser scanners, hyperspectral scanners, and aerial radar sensors, the potential to incorporate this new data in forest management is enormous. Here we provide an overview of the current state-of-the-art remote sensing techniques for large forest areas thousands or tens of thousands of hectares. We examined modern remote sensing techniques used to obtain forest data that are directly applicable to decision making issues, and we provided a general overview of the types of data that can be obtained using remote sensing. The most easily accessible forest variable described in many works is stand or tree height, followed by other inventory variables like basal area, tree number, diameters, and volume, which are crucial in decision making process, especially for thinning and harvest planning, and timber transport optimization. Information about zonation and species composition are often described as more difficult to assess; however, this information usually is not required on annual basis. Counts of studies on forest health show an increasing trend in the last years, mostly in context of availability of new sensors as well as increased forest vulnerability caused by climate change; by virtue to modern sensors interesting methods were developed for detection of stressed or damaged trees. Unexpectedly few works focus on regeneration and seedlings evaluation; though regenerated stands should be regularly monitored in order to maintain forest cover sustainability.
Performance of Egocentric Range Estimation in a Laptop Based Virtual Environment

There are limited opportunities and options for deployable units to practice the wide range of skills and tasks needed to stay mission ready. If not practiced, the degradation of skill can have unexpected and disastrous consequences for military personnel and their operations. One such degradable skill is range estimation, which is the ability to accurately determine the distance between one's egocentric position and an observed position (or the distance between two observed positions). Proficiency in this essential skill is fundamental to success in a wide range of operations including land navigation, marksmanship, and the call for indirect fires; therefore, efforts towards reducing skill degradation between formal training cycles are essential. Additionally, when considering the limited amount of space available to deployed units for equipment, an optimal training system should serve multiple purposes. The Multi-platform Operational Team Training Immersive Virtual Environment (MOT2IVE) is a deployable, laptop based simulation prototype that targets the consolidation of declarative knowledge and the acquisition of procedural knowledge. This study was conducted to explore the potential of using the MOT2IVE system as a supplemental practice tool to combat the degradation of range estimation skills by increasing immersion though the use of projection. Participants estimated target ranges in a live estimation course, a MOT2IVE virtual environment (VE) course and a projected version of the VE course. Results showed significant performance differences between estimations made in the laptop and projection environments and the live environment. While the range estimation results were consistent with the findings of previous research, these findings suggest that attempting to increase immersion through the use of projection on a single screen does not significantly affect performance.
Reduction in the reset current in a resistive random access memory consisting of NiOx brought about by reducing a parasitic capacitance

The dependence of the relationship between the reset current Ireset and the compliance current Icomp (Ireset-Icomp characteristic) of a Pt∕NiOx∕Pt structure on the parasitic capacitance between the Pt∕NiOx∕Pt structure and a current limiter C was measured for Icomp<1mA. It was clarified that C deviated the Ireset-Icomp characteristic from the ideal linear relationship expected for C=0 and Ireset saturated at higher Icomp for larger C. This is attributed to a transient current flowing through C when the forming or set transitions occurred. The relationship of Ireset≈Icomp was maintained down to Icomp=150μA in the 1T1R cell with very small C.
An Offset Panel Technique for Thick Rigidily Foldable Origami

A technique for thickness accommodation in origami-inspired mechanism design is introduced. Mathematically, origami panels are generally assumed to be planar with zero thickness. Origami models can be viewed as kinematic mechanisms where folds are revolute joints and panels are links. An origami-inspired mechanism can achieve the same kinematic motion as the paper origami source model if all joints lie along the folds in the zero-thickness plane. The panels are stacked in sequence in the closed (stowed) position. A joint plane is chosen and each panel is given extensions connecting each panel to the chosen plane. The extensions from the stacked panels allow each panel to be rigidly connected to its revolute joint in the chosen plane with all other joints. The accommodation technique utilizes origami models that are rigidly foldable. The height of the extensions are determined by the sum of the thicknesses of all panels between its stowed panel and the chosen joint plane. Any panel thickness can be accommodated, including multiple panel thicknesses within the same mechanism. Process steps for offset panel design of origami-inspired mechanisms are presented.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Brownfields As an Element of Green Infrastructure for Implementing Ecosystem Services into Urban Areas

AbstractVegetation-covered urban brownfields provide a number of ecosystem services to help tackle current urban challenges, such as preventing a loss of biodiversity, adapting to climate change, and fostering recreational and healthy urban environments. However, the potential benefits for urban areas can only be realized if such brownfields are accepted as vital elements of the urban green infrastructure. The paper addresses the potentials of different types of green urban brownfields to provide particular ecosystem services with an outstanding relevance for the urban environment and the life of local residents, and looks at how these services can be best exploited in urban areas. Based on literature reviews, climate modeling, and a survey, research findings are presented on habitat services, microclimatic regulation services, and recreational services for various types of green urban brownfields. Differences in the quantity and quality of these services can be stated according to the specific and varyin.
CMOS floating active inductor and its applications to bandpass filter and oscillator designs

A CMOS fully differential floating active inductor is realised by exploiting the intrinsic capacitance of the transistor. This technique allows the simulated inductor to operate closer to the f/sub T/, of the technology. Simulation results using SpectreRF with AMS 0.8 /spl mu/m CMOS process show a self resonant frequency over 1 GHz, and independent tuning of the inductance and the series resistance values. The floating active inductor has been employed in the design of a fourth-order 100 MHz IF bandpass filter and a second-order RF tunable oscillator to demonstrate its performance.