Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dielectric Recovery and Interruption Variability of Air Arcs at Atmospheric Pressure

The dc dielectric recovery method has been used extensively to study processes in post-current-zero arc columns in circuit breakers. This paper describes recovery experiments in air at atmospheric pressure following arcs drawn between butt and cone-shaped electrodes of different materials and surface profiles for contact gap spacings of 2 mm and 1 cm. The experiments were carried out with 400 pusec duration current pulses between 10 A and 1000 A for reignition voltage between 300 V and 30 kV. A statistical recovery experiment was performed using the Normal Approximation to the Binomial and Probit analysis methods to determine the standard deviation of the recovery data. The experiments show that recovery is faster: (i) with Ag-CdO contacts than with any other material tested, (ii) with flat contacts than with those having a high-point at the contact center and (iii) with cone-shaped rather than butt contacts. These results are then related to ac interruption, and are explained in terms of physical processes related to: (i) the electrodes, such as thermal properties of electrode materials or contact surface properties; (ii) the gas, such as density reduction and ionizing and electron-attaching processes; and (iii) magnetic pumping and looping effects.
IX. On the nature of the intervertebral substance in fish and quadrupeds

In examining the internal structure of a Squalus maximus of Linnæus, that lately came under my observation, a description of which will be the subject of a future paper, I met with a peculiarity in the intervertebral substance of the spine not hitherto made known to the public. The fish is thirty feet six inches long, the diameter of the larger vertebrae near the head, seven inches. The intervertebral substance was cut into by Mr. Clift four days after the fish was brought on shore, and a limpid fluid rushed out with so much velocity, that it rose to the height of four feet.
Technology Adoption in Small-Medium Enterprises based on Technology Acceptance Model: A Critical Review

Background: Technology acceptance model (TAM) has been extensively used to analyse user acceptance of technologies adopted by enterprises at different levels. Moreover, the technology adoption has drawn attention among practitioners and academic communities alike, leading to the development of approaches to understand the concept. However, there is a degree of inconsistency found in previous studies on different types of TAM models used in explaining user acceptance of technologies among small-medium enterprises (SMEs). Objective: This critical literature review aims to synthesise the technology adoption scholarly studies using TAM. It is expected to aid the identification of the most relevant factors influencing SMEs in adopting technology. Additionally, analysing the variations of TAM developed in previous studies could provide suggested variables specific to the type of technology industry.Methods: An integrated approach was used, and this involves a review of articles on the adoption of technologies in SMEs from 2011 to 2021, retrieved from popular databases using a mixture of keywords such as technology acceptance model (TAM), technology adoption, and technology adoption in SMEs.Results: An overview of TAM studies on user acceptance of technology in this review covers a wide range of research areas from financial technology to human resource management-related technology. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were discovered to be the most common factors in TAM from the 21 articles reviewed. Meanwhile, some other variables were observed such as context, type of technology and level of user experience.Conclusion: The review highlights key trends in previous studies on IT adoption in SMEs, which assist researchers and developers in understanding the most relevant factors and suitable TAM models in determining user acceptance in a particular field. Keywords: Technology Acceptance Model, Technology Adoption, Small-medium Enterprises, Critical Review
Spectral evaluation of watershed DOM and DBP precursors

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) quantity and character from eight locations, including rivers and managed‐flow sites, within two northern Colorado Rocky Mountain watersheds were examined using fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopy to characterize changes in DOM quantity and quality. River sites exhibited strong seasonal variability, containing higher concentrations of more aromatic DOM during spring runoff. Reservoir‐influenced, managed sites had year‐round stability and were less aromatic compared with the rivers. Total trihalomethane formation potential (TTHMFP) was used as a measure of DOM chlorine reactivity. Fluorescence compositional metrics (fluorescence index [FI] and Peak C/UV340 ratios) correlated with TTHMFP yields. River sites showed increased TTHMFP concentrations during runoff but little change in TTHMFP yield. Managed sites showed little seasonal variation in both TTHMFP and TTHMFP yield. The results show that fluorescence parameters provide additional information on DOM character not available from conventional measures and may be useful in facilitating watershed management and treatment decisions.
An Experimental Study of Bio-Inspired Force Generation by Unsteady Flow Features

An Experimental Study of Bio-Inspired Force Generation by Unsteady Flow Features Wesley N. Fassmann Department of Mechanical Engineering, BYU Master of Science As understanding of the workings of the biological world expands, biomimetic designs increasingly move into the focus of engineering research studies. For this thesis, two studies involving leading edge vortex generation for lift production as observed in nature were explored in their respective flow regimes. The first study focused on the steady state analysis of streamwise vortices generated by leading edge tubercles of an adult humpback whale flipper. A realistic scaled model of a humpback flipper was fabricated based on the 3D reconstruction from a sequence of 18 images taken while circumscribing an excised flipper of a beached humpback whale. Two complementary models with smooth leading edges were transformed from this original digitized model and fabricated for testing to further understand the effect of the leading edge tubercles. Experimentally-obtained force and qualitative flow measurements were used to study the influence of the leading edge tubercles. The presence of leading edge tubercles are shown to decrease maximum lift coefficient (Cl), but increase Cl production in the post-stall region. By evaluating a measure of hydrodynamic efficiency, humpback whale flipper geometry is shown to be more efficient in the pre-stall region and less efficient in the post-stall region as compared to a comparable model with a smooth leading edge. With respect to a humpback whale, if the decrease in efficiency during post-stall angles of attack was only required during short periods of time (turning), then this decrease in efficiency may not have a significant impact on the lift production and energy needs. For the pursuit of biomimetic designs, this decrease in efficiency could have potential significance and should be investigated further. Qualitative flow measurements further demonstrate that these force results are due to a delay of separation resulting from the presence of tubercles. The second study investigated explored the effects of flapping frequency on the passive flow control of a flapping wing with a sinusoidal leading edge profile. At a flapping frequency of f = 0.05 Hz, an alternating streamwise vortical formation was observed for the sinusoidal leading edge, while a single pair of vortices were present for the straight leading edge. A sinusoidal leading edge can be used to minimize spanwise flow by the generation of the observed alternating streamwise vortices. An increase in flapping frequency results in these streamwise vortices becoming stretched in the path of the wing. The streamwise vortices are shown to minimize spanwise flow even after being stretched. Once instabilities are formed at f ≥ 0.1 Hz due to velocity shearing generated by the increase in cross-radial velocity, the alternating streamwise vortices begin to break down resulting in a increase of spanwise flow.
Enhancements in the Bonding Properties of a Friction Stir Lap-Welded Interstitial Free Steel and Al Alloy by Introducing a Ni Interlayer

A pure Ni interlayer with a thickness of 0.1 mm was introduced between high-strength interstitial free steel and Al–Mg–Si alloy, which were friction stir lap welded, producing an excellent welded joint. The interface layer consisted of a γ-Ni solid solution, and the mixed stirring zone contained alternate lamellae of γ-Ni and α-Fe solid solutions. The addition of a Ni interlayer strongly suppressed the reaction between Al and Fe because of the atomic arrangement of Ni. Furthermore, the insertion depth of the stirring pin has a significant influence on the Al/steel interfacial reaction. Under shallow insertion depth, the intermetallic compounds of both FeAl and Fe2Al5 were observed at the interface layer. A maximum tensile-shear fracture load of 4.3 kN was achieved, with fractures being present in the steel substrate far away from the Al/steel weld.
Essentials of Marketing Research

Part 1: The Role and Value of Marketing Research Information Chapter 1-Marketing Research for Managerial Decision Making Chapter 2-The Marketing Research Process and Proposals Part 2: Designing the Marketing Research Project Chapter 3-Secondary Data, Literature Reviews and Hypotheses Chapter 4-Exploratory Research Designs and Data Collection Approaches Chapter 5-Descriptive and Casual Research Designs Part 3: Gathering and Collecting Accurate Data Chapter 6-Sampling: Theory and Methods Chapter 7-Measurement and Scaling Chapter 8-Designing the Questionnaire Part 4: Data Preparation, Analysis and Reporting the Results Chapter 9-Qualitative Data Analysis Chapter 10-Preparing Data for Quantitative Analysis Chapter 11-Basic Data Analysis for Quantitative Research Chapter 12-Examining Relationships in Quantitative Research Chapter 13-Reporting and Presenting Results
Characteristics of Dental Resin-Based Composites in Leukemia Saliva: An In Vitro Analysis

Background: The aim was to analyze, in vitro, four resin based composite systems (RBCs) immersed in saliva of leukemia patients before starting chemotherapy regiments. Material and methods: Saliva was collected from 20 patients (4 healthy patients, 16 leukemia patients). Resin disks were made for each RBC and were immersed in the acute leukemia (acute lymphocytic (ALL), acute myeloid (AML)), chronic leukemia (chronic lymphocytic (CLL), chronic myeloid (CML)), Artificial saliva and Control environment, and maintained for seven days. At the end of the experiment, the characteristics and the effective response of saliva from the studied salivas’ on RBCs was assessed using water sorption, water solubility, residual monomer and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data analysis was performed and a p-value under 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The behaviour of RBCs in different immersion environments varies according to the characteristics of the RBCs. RBCs with a higher filler ratio have a lower water sorption. The solubility is also deteriorated by the types of organic matrix and filler; the results of solubility being inversely proportional on the scale of negative values compared to sorption values. Chromatograms of residual monomers showed the highest amount of unreacted monomers in ALL and AML, and the Control and artificial saliva environments had the smallest residual monomer peaks. Because of the low number of differences between the experimental conditions, we further considered that there were no important statistical differences between experimental conditions and analysed them as a single group. Conclusion: The influence of saliva on RBCs depends on the type of leukemia; acute leukemia influenced the most RBCs by changing their properties compared to chronic leukemia.
Marine Heatwaves in Siberian Arctic Seas and Adjacent Region

We used a satellite-derived global daily sea surface temperature (SST) dataset with resolution 0.25 × 0.25∘ to analyze interannual changes in the Arctic Shelf seas from 2000 to 2020 and to reveal extreme events in SST distribution. Results show that the second decade of the 21st century for the Siberian Arctic seas turned significantly warmer than the first decade, and the increase in SST in the Arctic seas could be considered in terms of marine heatwaves. Analyzing the spatial distribution of heatwaves and their characteristics, we showed that from 2018 to 2020, the surface warming extended to the northern deep-water region of the Laptev Sea 75∘ to 81∘N. To reveal the most important forcing for the northward extension of the marine heatwaves, we used three-dimensional numerical modeling of the Arctic Ocean based on a sea-ice and ocean model forced by the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis. The simulation of the Arctic Ocean variability from 2000 to 2020 showed marine heatwaves and their increasing intensity in the northern region of the Kara and Laptev seas, closely connected to the disappearance of ice cover. A series of numerical experiments on the sensitivity of the model showed that the main factors affecting the Arctic sea-ice loss and the formation of anomalous temperature north of the Siberian Arctic seas are equally the thermal and dynamic effects of the atmosphere. Numerical modeling allows us to examine the impact of other physical mechanisms as well. Among them were the state of the ocean and winter sea ice, the formation of fast ice polynias and riverine heat influx.
Association between Irisin, hs-CRP, and Metabolic Status in Children and Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Proinflammatory cytokines and the novel myokine irisin, a cleavage product of FNDC5, have been found to play a role in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Irisin has been shown to increase browning of adipose tissue, thermogenesis, energy expenditure, and insulin sensitivity, yet its association with inflammatory markers is still limited. Circulating irisin has been found to be increased in obesity, while in adult subjects with T2DM decreased levels have been found. However, data establishing the association of circulating irisin in children and adolescents with T2DM has not been described in the literature. The objective of this study was to determine irisin plasma concentration and its association with metabolic and adiposity markers and with hs-CRP, a surrogate marker of inflammation used in clinical practice, in a pediatric population with T2DM. A cross-sample of 40 Mexican children and adolescents aged 7-17 were recruited, 20 diagnosed with T2DM and 20 healthy controls. Plasma irisin levels were found to be lower in the T2DM group compared with controls, which could be attributed to a reduced PGC-1α activity in muscle tissue with a consequent decrease in FNDC5 and irisin expression. Irisin concentration was found to be positively correlated with HDL-c, LDL-c, and total cholesterol, while negatively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, and triglycerides. However, after multiple regression analysis, only HDL-c correlation remained significant. hs-CRP was higher in the T2DM group and positively associated with adiposity markers, unfavorable lipid profile, insulin levels, and HOMA-IR, but no association with irisin was found. Given the favorable metabolic effects attributed to irisin, the low plasma levels found in children and adolescents with T2DM could exacerbate the inflammatory and metabolic imbalances and the intrinsic cardiovascular risk of this disease. We propose an “irisin-proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory axis” to explain the role of irisin as a metabolic regulator in obesity and T2DM.
An Analysis of Driver Inattention Using a Case-Crossover Approach On 100-Car Data: Final Report

Using the 100-Car Study database, two analyses were conducted: re-calculation of odds ratios (ORs) using a case-crossover baseline, and characterization of secondary task engagement in real-world environments. First, ORs were recalculated for drowsiness, secondary task engagement, and total time eyes-off-road (TEOR) using conditional logistic regression. The results suggested that drowsiness (OR 38.7; CI 26.4 – 56.8), tasks with >2 eyeglances away from the forward roadway or >2 button presses (OR 2.3; CI 1.3 – 3.1), and tasks with 1-2 eyeglances and/or 1-2 button presses (OR 1.4; CI 1.1-1.7) significantly increased crash/near-crash risk. The results also indicated that total TEOR of 2 s or greater during a 6-second task period increased crash/near-crash risk (OR 1.6; CI 1.3 – 2.0) and a 3 s or greater total TEOR over a 15-second task period significantly increased crash/near-crash risk (OR 1.3; CI 1.1 - 1.6). These OR point estimates are lower than the results obtained using a case-control; however, they are still statistically significant in both analyses indicating that these behaviors increase risk. The second analysis assessed secondary task duration, frequency, and the relationship of task duration to total TEOR. Results indicated that drivers in the 100-Car Study engaged in secondary tasks 23.5 percent of the time that they were driving, approximately 40 percent higher than indicated in previous research. Secondary tasks that were found to be both of long duration and with a high percent of total TEOR (such as applying makeup) had crash/near-crash risk ratios that were not significantly greater than 1.0. In contrast, analysis of all secondary tasks of long duration, including those with lower total TEOR (such as talking with passengers), had OR values significantly less than 1.0. The results from both of these analyses suggest that in-vehicle display designers need to assess and be cognizant of the total TEOR for in-vehicle displays for two reasons: 1) a brief total TEOR will increase risk for drivers, and 2) total TEOR is associated with involvement in crashes/near-crashes. Assessment tools like the “15-second rule” developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) or the ‘2-second rule’, developed by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) have not been shown to be associated with or predictive of crash/near-crash risk for any type of task. Thus, the authors argue that total TEOR should be included in the list of assessment tools for in-vehicle display designers.
Modification of a simplified hip joint simulator into an ISO 14242-1 compliant design and a comparison of wear test results

The ISO 14242-1 standard for hip joint simulator wear testing specifies a set of test conditions for the simulation of normal level walking in optimal conditions. Since some of the established simulators, such as the 12-station HUT-4, are not ISO 14242-1 compliant, the present study was carried out to answer the following question. Does wear produced in ISO 14242-1 conditions differ from that obtained earlier with the simplified HUT-4 hip joint simulator for similar specimens in normal level walking, optimal conditions? The HUT-4 hip joint simulator was made ISO compliant by an implementation of a number of modifications. One of the modifications was the design and construction of a novel servo-electric load actuator with proven dynamic response. The other modifications were related to the Euler sequence of motions, acetabular abduction angle, enclosure of the lubricant chamber, and temperature control. A 5 million-cycle wear test with thin, large-diameter VEXLPE liners resulted in a wear rate close to that obtained earlier with the HUT-4. The burnished bearing surface in both tests was in agreement with clinical retrieval studies. It appeared that a more simple, inexpensive hip joint simulator can reproduce clinical wear mechanisms. However, the simulator must meet certain basic requirements, such as the correct type of multidirectional relative motion, for which biaxial motion is sufficient. The present study was not intended to show a similarity in wear produced by the ISO 14242-1 and HUT-4 wear test systems.
Adoption of Electronic Systems in HRM: Is National Background of the Firm Relevant?

This paper explores how the national background affects the use of e-HRM, using data from 13 European countries. Findings suggest that the adoption of e-HRM is region-specific and affected by multiple factors. They also support the existence of two distinct sets of HRM technological systems, that is, back-end and front-end ones.
Towards the quantification of perioperative cardiovascular risk in the African context: A sub-analysis of the South African Surgical Outcomes Study and the African Surgical Outcomes Study.

BACKGROUND The burden of cardiovascular disease in patients requiring non-cardiac surgery in Africa is not known. These patients are at increased risk for postoperative cardiovascular complications. OBJECTIVES In this sub-study, to use data on comorbidities and surgical outcomes from two large observational studies, the South African Surgical Outcomes Study (SASOS) and the African Surgical Outcomes Study (ASOS), to investigate the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in elective surgical patients and the risk of postoperative cardiovascular complications in this population. METHODS SASOS and ASOS were both prospective, observational cohort studies that collected data over 1 week in each participating centre. The primary outcome was in-hospital postoperative complications, which included prespecified and defined cardiovascular complications. We defined the cardiovascular disease burden of patients aged ≥45 years presenting for surgery (main objective), determined the relative risk of developing postoperative cardiovascular complications (secondary objective) and assessed the utility of the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) for preoperative cardiovascular risk stratification of elective, non-cardiac surgical patients in Africa (third objective). RESULTS The primary outcome analysis of 3 045 patients showed that patients with major cardiac complications were significantly older, with a higher prevalence of hypertension, coronary artery disease or congestive cardiac failure, and had undergone major surgery. In-hospital mortality for the cohort was 1.2%. CONCLUSIONS The substantial burden of cardiovascular disease in patients presenting for non-cardiac surgery in Africa is shown in the principal findings of this study. The RCRI has moderate discrimination for major cardiac complications and major adverse cardiac events in African patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.