Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance degradation by postdetector nonlinearities

This article gives the performance degradation found by using a computer program to calculate the effects of various processing techniques applied after envelope detection of narrowband Gaussian noise plus a CW signal. Nonlinear processes that we studied are: suppression of low output levels, hard limiting of high output levels, restricted dynamic range of output level, and quantizing the detector output. By modifying the program, we produced performance curves for systems in which a steady CW component was present in addition to possible signals. We also adapted the program to generate performance curves for systems using a square-law detector so that a comparison could be made with the results obtained for an envelope detector. We found that the presence of a CW component, and all the nonlinear processes applied after envelope detection, caused a loss of sensitivity in detecting small CW signals. Quantizing even in as few as 8 levels, however, caused very little additional degradation.
Prefabricated Composite Jacketing of RC Columns for Enhanced Shear Strength

The effectiveness of prefabricated composite jacketing to retrofit existing circular reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns for enhanced seismic shear strength is described in this paper. The jackets consist of multilayer prefabricated glass fiber reinforced composite shells adhered together. Three half-scale circular columns were tested under cyclic shear in double curvature and constant axial load. One column was tested in the "as-built" condition to investigate the shear failure mode of columns designed based on pre-1971 codes. Two other columns were tested after being retrofitted using prefabricated composite jackets. The as-built column suffered shear failure at low displacement ductility. The retrofitted columns developed significantly improved hysteretic responses with stable hysteresis loops even at displacement ductility levels as high as 10.0 corresponding to drift ratios exceeding 5.2%. Method for retrofit design using prefabricated composite jacketing is also provided and validated by the test results.
The Signaling Game of a Firm with Unknown Profitability and an Investor

A relationship between a firm and a potential investor, when a firm is in the need of funds to take advantage of a valuable investment opportunity, is modeled as a signaling game. The goal of the article is to revise a game theory model of R. Gibbons, in which an investor does not know whether the profitability of a firm is high or low, in a moment when he needs to accept or reject an equity stake offered in exchange for the funds needed for the project’s realization. The signaling game of a firm and an investor is shown graphicly along with the description of conditions, under which there is the existence of separating or pooling equilibrium. In an extended model, a function is defined for describing the lowest equity stake in a firm, which a rational investor would accept when there are three types of firms in a market. A wider set of possible equilibriums is analyzed by defining the level lines of the function. Conditions under which there is the existence of a separating, a semi-separating, and a pooling equilibrium, are described analytically and graphicly. In this way, a clear insight is gained as to which share of financially attractive projects is not realized due to the problem of incomplete information in the signal game of firms and investors.
Simulation of Runoff Patterns and Soil Erosion on Mountainous Farmland with and without Plastic-Covered Ridge-Furrow Cultivation in South Korea

Abstract. Plastic-covered ridge-furrow cultivation (plastic mulch) can substantially influence runoff and soil erosion on agricultural land. However, the impact of this management practice in combination with complex farmland topography has not been thoroughly investigated. The goal of this study was to identify how topography influences runoff patterns and erosion rates of plastic mulch cultivation. We measured runoff and sediment transport on two mountainous fields in South Korea, one with a concave topography and one with a convex topography, during monsoonal rain events. We used the EROSION 3D model to compare flow and sediment transport between plastic mulch, uncovered ridges, and a smooth soil surface. We found the highest runoff and erosion rates from both of the fields with plastic mulch due to the impermeable surface. For the uncovered ridges, we identified 140% higher erosion compared to the smooth surface on the concave field, but 20% lower erosion on the convex field. The simulated sediment transport patterns showed that the ridge-furrow system concentrated overland flow on the concave field, resulting in high erosion rates. On the convex field, the ridge-furrow system prevented flow accumulation and erosion. Our results demonstrate that the effect of ridge-furrow systems on erosion is controlled primarily by the topography. These results have practical consequences for watershed conservation planning and the application of large-scale erosion models. Nevertheless, further research is needed to fully understand the impact of this management system on runoff and erosion on mountainous farmland.
Handling Qualities Evaluation of an Autogiro Against the Existing Rotorcraft Criteria

DOI: 10.2514/1.37289 Despite having first been developed in the 1920s, the autogiro has never been subject to handling qualities requirements. This paper presents a first logical step in developing handling qualities criteria for the autogiro, and that is to assess autogiro handling qualities against existing rotorcraft criteria. It is demonstrated that the autogiro’s objective handling qualities can be estimated using frequency domain criteria from the ADS-33E-PRF, AGARD-R577-70, and MIL-HDBK-1797 documents. The assessment is based on flight test data for longitudinal and lateral– directionalstick-fixedoscillations andfrequencysweepscollected from flighttrialsofaGlasgowUniversity research autogiro.
Effect of Built Environment on Gasoline Consumption in a Developing Megacity

This paper analyzes the effect of the built environment on household gasoline consumption with data collected from 948 households in the metropolitan area of Jakarta, Indonesia. A structural equations model is developed to explain household gasoline consumption with motorcycle and car ownership as mediating variables. The results show that a smaller residence lot size and shorter access time to the nearest bus stop significantly decrease gasoline consumption. The access time to the nearest bus stop does not have an indirect effect through the ownership of cars or motorcycles but has a direct effect on gasoline consumption. In addition, the distance to the nearest regional core affects gasoline consumption positively through motorcycle ownership but does not affect it directly. Population density and neighborhood accessibility have a less significant impact on gasoline consumption, a finding supported by previous studies of developing cities. The results also show that the effect of residential self-selection is less significant. Finally, the estimated model is used to compute the potential impact of urbanization on gasoline consumption.
Resource Availability, Commitment and Environmental Reliability & Safety: A Study of Petroleum Refineries

This paper examines the effect of resource availability and resource commitment on several important regulatory measures related to environmental risk and safety performance in petrochemical manufacturing. The research is grounded in Normal Accident Theory, and it controls for the effect of interactive complexity and a coupling on environmental reliability. The study is based on a sample (n=70) of petroleum refineries located in the United States during the five-year period, 1993-97. A statistically significant (p=.01) relationship between resource availability and the incidence of accidental hazardous substance releases was observed. The study also identified a significant relationship between plant safety as measured by Total Case Incident Rates (TCIR) and resource availability. Surprisingly, no significant relationships were observed between accidental hazardous substance releases or safety related performance outcomes as measured by Total Case Incident Rates and resource commitment as capital spending related to health, environmental and safety in this sample of refineries.
Seismic response control of a complex structure using semi-active friction dampers

Mitigating seismic responses of adjacent buildings by using control devices linked the two buildings has been recognized as a feasible alternative control scheme in past decade. A numbers of research studies have been undertaken in revealing and comparing the control capability among passive, active and semi-active control strategies employed in the coupled building system. The general interest and intention for the coupling control approach are mainly placed on the adjacent high-rise structures, and the LQ control algorithm relying on feedback with multiple measurement points is also the major design preference. This paper will focus on evaluating the effectiveness of controllable friction dampers as coupling devices that are implemented with semi-active control strategy based on local response feedback for a coupled podium structure and medium-rise building system. The effect of the height, mass and stiffness of two semi-actively controlled structures is one of the investigations. A comparison on control performance by a proposed semi-active control strategy with passive and clipped optimal control strategy is also presented. It is shown that control strategy with local response feedback can provide increased control performance over the passive strategy, and it is also of similar efficiency compared to the clipped optimal control strategy.
Experimental Study on Self-Centering Concrete Wall with Distributed Friction Devices

A self-centering concrete wall with distributed friction devices is proposed to achieve seismic resilient building structures. Unbonded post-tensioned tendons, running vertically through wall panels, provide a restoring force that pulls the structure back toward its undeformed plumb position after earthquake. Two steel jackets are installed at wall toes to prevent concrete spalling and crushing. Friction devices are distributed between the wall and its adjacent gravity columns to achieve controllable energy dissipation, and these devices are readily replaceable. Desirable self-centering and energy dissipation capacities were observed in low-cyclic loading tests, and influences of various parameters on the hysteretic behavior were investigated.
Adaptation of Diabetes Self-Management Program

Problem/Significance: Diabetes is a major public health problem in Bermuda. According the national survey conducted in 2014, diabetes prevalence in Bermuda (13%) is higher than in the US (9.4%). A quality improvement project was initiated at the BEAMS Primary Care Clinic to improve diabetes care. A retrospective chart review conducted from September 2019 to December 2019 at the clinic revealed that 20% of their patients had diabetes. The mean HbA1c of type 2 diabetics was 8.96 [6.512. 9] and only 33% had documented diabetes self-management education. There was no structured diabetes self-management program at BEAMS. Sample/Setting: Adult Bermudians ages 18-64 with type 2 diabetes who received care at BEAMS were invited to participate in the quality improvement project. Purpose: The purpose of the project was to adapt a structured diabetes self-management program and assess the impact of the program on clinical outcomes. Process objectives: Creation and approval of referral resources by July 2020, completion of program related food/exercise logs by July 2020, development of education packet by July 2020, enrollment of 75% of all diabetics in diabetes self-management program by July 2020, 100% of participants receive reminder phone calls 2 weeks before start of program, and all participants enrolled in the DSME/S program complete at least 50% (at least 6 out of 12) of visits with NPs by October 2020. Outcome objectives: A 10% increase in self-care behavior, self-efficacy, diabetes knowledge scores and a 10% decrease in HbA1c from baseline to 3 months post intervention. Methods: A pre-and post-test design was used. Each patient received nurse practitioner-led individualized diabetes self-management sessions for 30 minutes twice per month for 3 months. Patients were asked to complete three surveys: Diabetes Knowledge Test, Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale, Diabetes Self-Care Behaviors scale, and HbA1c was measured at baseline and 3 months post baseline. Results: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic was a major barrier in implementing the project. A total of 12 patients completed pre-intervention surveys, but only 5 completed the post-intervention surveys. Despite the challenge, the program was found to be feasible and showed improvement in diabetes self-care, knowledge, and HbA1c. Diabetes self-efficacy scores decreased after the intervention. Recommendations: Lack of improvement in patient self-efficacy may have been caused by the many challenges the patients faced during the pandemic, including lack of access to food. Utilizing telehealth technology and delivering the diabetes selfmanagement sessions virtually may help increase patient participation. Expanding the program to pre-diabetics and extending session times to from 30 minutes to 1 hour are possible strategies to improve patient self-efficacy. Citation: Castillo L, Mayahara M (2021) Adaptation of Diabetes Self-Management Program. Int J Nurs Health Care Res 04: 1245. DOI: 10.29011/2688-9501.101245
Population Structure of Ungulates in Waterberg National Park, Namibia

Abstract A study on the seasonal variation in population structure of seven (7) ungulate species, African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), eland (Tragelaphus oryx), giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), oryx (Oryx gazella), sable (Hippotragus niger), roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus) and the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) was carried out using the field census approach during the wet (February– April) and dry (July–September) season, and a water hole census (September) at seven waterholes in the Waterberg National Park, Namibia. Male warthog, oryx and black rhino on average comprised about 40 % of the population, whereas male sable, roan antelope, eland and buffalo comprised 30 % of the population. Male kudu and male white rhino comprised 20 % of the sex structure of the population, whereas male giraffe comprised more than 50 % of population. Age structure was dominated by adults, with 60 % of the total population in warthog, sable, eland and the white rhino, and 70 % in kudu, roan, buffalo, giraffe and black rhino on average. Oryx had the highest number of adults, with only 10 % of the population comprised of juveniles. Larger herds were observed during the wet season and smaller herds during the dry season. Animals were observed more abundantly in three of the vegetation types (Terminalia sericea — Melhania acuminata vegetation, Terminalia sericea — Thesium megalocarpum, Terminalia sericea — Blepharis integrifolia), with lower abundances in the rock-inhabiting Peltophorum africanum during both seasons.
Promoting Students' Autonomous Learning Using Portfolio Assessment in EFL Writing Class

This study attempts to present the implementation of portfolio assessment to promote students’ autonomous learning in one of reputable universities in Indonesia. The participants were 30 students enrolled Essay Writing Class. A collection of students’ work during the course in the form of ‘Essay Writing Module’ was used to provide authentic evidence of the implementation of portfolio assessment and observation checklists of students’ work was used to present the completeness of portfolio assessment of each student. To know students’ autonomous learning, semi-structured interview was carried out. The results prove that portfolio assessment can promote students autonomous learning since it provides some benefits for students such as motivate them to do self-evaluation and reflection, encourage them to be actively involved in peer review session, and also enhance their awareness of their weaknesses. HIGHLIGHTS: Portfolio assessment promotes students’ autonomous learning by providing some benefits for students such as provide a guide for self-evaluation, reflection, and peer review. Each element in portfolio encourages students’ engagement during the writing activities both inside and outside the classroom. An insightful idea of specific criteria motivates students to set goals in improving their writing competence and performance.
Vehicle dynamics applications of optimal control theory

The aim of the paper is to survey the various forms of optimal-control theory which have been applied to automotive problems and to present illustrative examples of applications studies, with assessments of the state of the art and of the contributions made through the use of optimal-control ideas. After a short introduction to the topic mentioning several questions to which optimal-control theory has been addressed, brief reviews of automotive-applicable optimal-control theory are given. There are outlines of the Linear Quadratic Regulator, without and with state reconstruction and then with the addition of disturbance preview, the nonlinear regulator or state-dependent-Riccati equation method, general numerical optimal-control theory including indirect and direct methods, model predictive control and robust control. Applications of the theory to active and semi-active suspension design and performance, worst-case manoeuvring, minimum-time manoeuvring and high-quality driving are then discussed in detail. Application sections describe the problem, the theory that has been used, what has been discovered and what remains to be found. The record of optimal-control theory in aiding the understanding of the various issues, in helping with system designs and knowledge of what is possible, and in guiding future research is assessed. Some ideas about future work are included.
A Finite Element Model of Railway Track and its Application to the Wheel Flat Problem

To study the dynamic interactions between the railway vehicle and track, a finite element model of infinitely long track is developed. The track is represented by a Timoshenko beam on discrete pad-tie-ballast supports. The non-linear factors such as loss of wheel-rail contact, rail lift-off from the tie and tie lift-off from the ballast are taken into account. A multi-point wheel-rail contact model is also proposed. The dynamic forces on the track and the strains on the rail are directly calculated from the model. The vehicle could travel on the track forever with an arbitrary time-dependent speed. The steady-state response of a vehicle-track system for a perfect wheel carrying a constant load and travelling at a constant speed over a track with no irregularities is studied using the finite element model and is presented. The impact loads due to wheel flats are also studied with this model. The results show a good correlation with the experimental data available in the literature. Influences of system parameters on the impact loads due to a wheel flat are also investigated. T***he results show that the axle load and vehicle speed are the important factors affecting the wheel-rail impact loads. The impact forces transferred from the rail to the tie are strongly affected by the pad stiffness and tie mass.
Prediction of Wet-Pavement Skid Resistance and Hydroplaning Potential

The current means of predicting the skid resistance of a wet pavement and the speed at which hydroplaning would occur are based on empirical models or relationships derived from experimental studies. These models and relationships are applicable only for the conditions specified, and extrapolations beyond the applicability range of parameters (e.g., vehicle speed, tire load, tire inflation pressure, water film thickness, and type of tire and pavement surface) are not advisable. Such restrictions could be overcome by developing an analytical model based on theoretical considerations. An analytical model also would provide a more in-depth understanding of the relative influence of different parameters. A three-dimensional finite element model is presented to predict wet-pavement skid resistance and hydroplaning speeds (i.e., wheel speed at which hydroplaning occurs) under different magnitudes of passenger-car wheel load, tire inflation pressure, water film thickness, and vehicle speed. The analysis shows that hydroplaning speed increases (i.e., hydroplaning risk decreases) with wheel load and tire inflation pressure but decreases with the depth of water film thickness. The skid resistance measured in terms of skid number decreases as the sliding-wheel speed or the water film thickness increases but increases with the magnitude of the wheel load and is affected marginally by the tire inflation pressure. Within the normal passenger-car operation range of each of the parameters, the hydroplaning speed is affected most by tire inflation pressure followed by water film thickness and is least influenced by the wheel load; the skid resistance is most influenced by sliding-wheel speed followed by water film thickness and wheel load and is least affected by the tire inflation pressure.
Bayesian Approach to Understand the Association Between Treatment Down-staging and Survival for Patients With Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Objective: To evaluate the association between staging concordance, treatment sequencing, and response to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) on the survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Summary of Background Data: NAT is increasingly utilized in the management of patients with PDAC, but it is unclear whether its benefit is contingent on tumor down-staging. Methods: This was a cohort study of stage I-III PDAC patients in the National Cancer Database (2006–2015) treated with upfront resection or NAT followed by surgery. We determined staging concordance using patients’ clinical and pathological staging data. For NAT patients, we used Bayesian analysis to ascertain staging concordance accounting for down-staging. Results: Among 16,597 patients treated at 979 hospitals, 13,982 had an upfront resection and 2,615 NAT followed by surgery. Overall survival (OS) at 5-years ranged from 26.0% (95% CI 24.9%–27.1%) among cT1-2N0 patients to 18.6% (17.9%–19.2%) among cT1-3N+ ones. Patients with cT3-4 or cN+ tumors had improved OS after NAT compared to upfront surgery (all p< 0.001), while there was no difference among patients with cT1-2N0 (P = 0.16) disease. Relative to accurately staged cT1-2-3N+ or cT4 patients treated with upfront surgery, NAT was associated with a lower risk of death [HR 0.46 (0.37–0.57) for N+; HR 0.56 (0.40–0.77) for T4 disease], even among those without tumor down-staging [HR 0.81 (0.73–0.90) for N+; HR 0.48 (0.39–0.60) for T4]. Conclusions: NAT is associated with improved survival for PDAC, particularly for patients with more advanced disease and regardless of down-staging. Consideration should be given to recommending NAT for all PDAC patients.
Lower extremity biomechanics following a period of adaptation to wearing unstable shoes

ent rates had little influence on the PTI values with exception for the heel. For RS_50 and RS_100 the significant differences were respectively 10% and 6%, due to missing a large part of the impact peak (Figure 1). A pronounced effect of resampling at lower frequencies was found for the Pmax for the heel (e.g., in kPa, CS: 1145 295, RS_250: 1098 287, RS_100: 759 221) and for the LRmax for the three zones (in 10 5 kPa/s; for HL CS: 142 42, RS_250: 132 39, RS_100: 46 19; for M4,5 CS: 12 13, RS_250: 11 11, RS_100: 9 7; for M1,2,3 CS: 11 5, RS_250: 11 4, RS_100: 10 3, RS_50: 8 3).