Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The information gap between design engineering and materials supply systems design

This paper focuses on the design of materials supply systems in product development projects. In order to design the materials supply system in parallel with the product, product data must be available to the materials supply systems designers. The aim of this paper is to analyse the information quality of the required product data and to indicate how this information quality can be increased. Empirical data have been gathered through case studies conducted within the manufacturing industry. The empirical data show that it is possible to identify the product data required for materials supply systems design. It is also shown that there is an information gap between design engineering and materials supply systems design. The information quality of the required product data for the materials supply systems design has many imperfections, mainly in terms of accessibility, ease of operation, timeliness, understandability, interpretability, relevancy, and completeness. The information quality can be improved by the use of PDM systems, which are especially useful for facilitating an increase in accessibility, ease of operation, and timeliness.
Reducing Solid Waste

A survey of several communities was conducted to investigate the public’s response to solid waste issues. This study examines the relation between respondents’ beliefs about environmentally responsible consumerism and environmental attitudes, motives, and self-reported recycling behavior. The study addressed (a) the public’s perception of environment-related product attributes; (b) a sociodemographic characterization of environmentally concerned consumers; and (c) the depiction of the relations between attitudes, motives, recycling behavior, and environmental consumerism. The results indicated that respondents were most concerned about product toxicity and least concerned about product packaging. The data showed that only age and gender were predictive of respondents’ ratings. Several measures of general environmental concern, recycling attitudes, and recycling motives were found to be related to both categories of product attributes; when the measures were examined in combination, different measures were found to be related to each category. Respondents’ self-reported recycling behaviors were found to be related to source reduction and recycling.
Hysteresis and Creep Compensation for Piezoelectric Actuators Applied to the Feedforward Control Command of Flexible Structures

Piezoelectric materials are known to exhibit nonlinear effects if they are operated outside their linear small-signal regime, which significantly degrades the performance of structural control concepts. In this contribution, these nonlinear effects are experimentally investigated in the context of a feedforward control application, where a control command is designed to steer the tip of a cantilever beam by means of a piezoelectric patch actuator from initial to a prescribed desired final stationary deflection. As expected, the encountered nonlinear effects degrade the control performance with increasing applied electrical field. Hence, a modified feedforward control design procedure is proposed. The overall nonlinear system model is recast in a series connection of an input nonlinearity and the linear dynamics of the mechanical structure, which the feedforward control to be designed in two steps: First, a feedforward control for the linear model part is derived based on an approach exploting the notion of flatness in combination with modal analysis of the linear dynamics. It uses the finite-element method to derive the linear dynamics of the piezoelectric structure. Secondly, an inverse filter is designed to compensate for the nonlinear piezoelectric hysteresis and creep effects. By insertion of this inverse filter at the system input, i.e. by filtering the feedforward control, very good tracking control performance is recovered in both small and large-signal operation of the piezoelectric actuator. This filter itself is derived by inversion of a model of the nonlinearities in the discrete-time domain. The chosen model for the hysteresis is based on polynomial approximations of the hysteresis loops, appropriate scaling of these loops to the actual point of operation by keeping track of the input signal reversals and on implementation of the physically motivated Madelung rules that the piezoelectric hysteresis obeys. The creep is found to behave according to a Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic model. Various experiments for the piezoelectrically actuated beam show that the modified feedforward control design yields very good tracking performance also outside of the small-signal regime by application of the compensation filter. The excellent feedforward tracking control performance predicted by simulations of the full (linear) finite-element model is verified. The designed feedforward control realizes very fast rest-to-rest transition in less than half of the period of the first structural mode. As an interesting application of such a feedforward control, a two-degree-of-freedom control concept combining the presented feedforward control and additional feedback control is investigated. By use of the feedforward control, the feedback can be relatively simple because it is only responsible for disturbance rejection and adding robustness.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Fundamental Issues in Suspension Design for Heavy Road Vehicles

Heavy road vehicles play an important role in the economy of many countries by providing an efficient means of transporting freight. Such vehicles can also have a significant impact on safety, the infrastructure and the environment. The design of the suspension affects the performance of the vehicle in terms of ride, infrastructure damage, suspension working space, energy consumption, rollover stability, yaw stability, braking and traction. The published literature on suspension design for heavy road vehicles is reviewed. It is found that extensive knowledge exists, but that there are areas where improved understanding is needed. Areas identified as fundamental issues requiring attention include ride discomfort criteria, secondary suspensions, and controllable suspensions. Two issues in particular are examined in detail: suspension tuning and suspension configuration. In the tuning of suspension parameter values for vibration performance, numerical optimisation techniques have been used extensively, but generic tuning strategies have not been widely developed. Modal analysis is proposed as a technique for gaining the insight into vehicle vibration behaviour necessary to enable tuning strategies to be devised. As an example, the technique is applied to the pitch-plane vibration of a tractor-semitrailer. In analyses of new suspension configurations or concepts, comparison with alternative concepts is not always made. Lack of such comparisons makes the selection of an optimum concept difficult. Analysis of alternative concepts using simple mathematical models, and comparison of their performance using common criteria, is advocated for enabling informed selection of an optimum. An example involving two alternative roll control systems is used to demonstrate the issue.
Development of a design curve for particle impact dampers

Particle impact dampers (PIDs) are enclosures partially filled with particles of various sizes and materials. When attached to a vibrating structure, they dissipate energy through inelastic collisions between the particle bed and the enclosure wall, as well as between particles. In this work, the development of a design curve that can be used to predict the damping characteristics of particle impact dampers is presented. A power measurement technique enabled the time-efficient measurement of the damping properties of the PID. This technique enjoys several advantages over traditional loss factor measurements, including the flexibility to analyze the behavior of the PID at any frequency or excitation amplitude, and the ability to estimate the damping contribution for any structure operating such that the PID experiences similar conditions. Using this power measurement technique, a large number of experiments were conducted to determine the effects of vibration amplitude, excitation frequency, gap size, particle size, and particle mass on the dissipated power and effective mass of the PID. The power data were then systematically collapsed into a pair of two-dimensional master design curves with unitless axes which are comprised of combinations of design parameters. A “damping efficiency” of the PID may be predicted from the design curves for specific applications. A physical interpretation of the design curves is given, and the performance of a PID on a structure is used to verify their predictive capabilities.
Administrative and Strategic Advantages of HRIS

© 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ert.10039 When reference is made to human resource information systems (HRIS) in today’s environment of high-tech wizardry, it is often thought of as a business tool that allows for standardization in the gathering of information about and for a company’s employees. Although this was the original purpose of HRIS, many additional uses are beginning to emerge. As technological advancements reshape the workplace, the meaningful use of data as information is becoming more and more critical. As early as the mid-1990s, the focus had begun to shift to HRIS as an information resource because of their usefulness not only in HR decision making, but in strategic decision making as well.1 By looking at a brief evolution of the HRIS process and current capabilities, it is easier to see how a successfully implemented HRIS is moving away from a data input and storage device toward a fully operative decision-analysis tool.
Time-domain propagating modes in a finitely conducting half-space and calculation of the transient reflection

Time-domain down and up going eigenmodes are identified in a finitely conducting half-space for an obliquely incident plane wave. The tangential electromagnetic fields are related to each other in each eigenmode, through a convolution kernel due to the conductivity. The propagating modes are then used to calculate the transient reflection directly in the time-domain for TE and TM modes. Numerical results are presented and compared to the ones given by others. >
Comparing quality management practices in the Australian service and manufacturing industries

Presents a comparative analysis of the attitudes to and the use of quality management practices (QMP) in Australia’s manufacturing and service industries. Outlines the survey methodologies, lists questions asked and summarizes responses to them. Identifies and comments on statistically significant differences in the use of quality management practices between the two sectors. Discusses the attitudes towards the use of and factors which encourage or discourage the implementation of QM practices in Australia’s manufacturing and service industries. Finds that the manufacturing sector uses quality management practices more than the service sector. Attempts to explain these differences and suggests further research.
Does Better Access to Finance Help Firms Deal with the COVID-19 Pandemic? Evidence from Firm-Level Survey Data

The impact of the firm's pre-pandemic financial condition on the likelihood of a decline in its sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 35 developing and emerging countries is estimated. Results show that better access to finance reduces the likelihood of a decline in sales. Access to finance is more effective in arresting sales declines when firms fear that production cuts may lead to the loss of skilled workers and hard-to-replace input suppliers. It is less effective when workers, like women, do not wish to continue working for health or family reasons. Important policy implications are discussed. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Prediction of avalanche breakdown voltage in silicon step junctions

The results of two major theories that attempt to predict the electric field dependence of the ionization rates in silicon are compared with experimental data. For this purpose the published ionization rule measurements BUS supplemented by using the results of the two theories to predict the breakdown voltages of silicon step junctions. It is found that a. discrepancy between Baraff's analysis and the ionization rate data is also present in the comparison with breakdown voltage measurements. In contrast, a satisfactory agreement with both sets of results is found using the simple ballistic model first introduced by Shockley. The analysis of Shockley's model is re-examined with particular reference to certain discrepancies found by earlier workers. A revised expression for the ionization rate is obtained which removes the discrepancies and also remains consistent with both Shockley's earlier analysis and the experimental data.
RF curve‐fitting predistorter for extending the dynamic range of a linearized power amplifier

In this paper, an RF curve‐fitting predistorter is proposed to extend the linearized dynamic range of a power amplifier. AM‐AM and AM‐PM distortion of the power amplifier can be compensated by accurately adjusting the gain and phase gradients of the three‐reflection‐type diode predistorter. The proposed predistorter extends the linearized dynamic range by more than six times that of a conventional predistorter. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 40: 83–87, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.11292
Barriers, drivers and challenges for sustainable product recovery and recycling

There has been a significant growth in research and applications of product recovery and recycling over the last two decades, in particular with the view of recent product take-back legislation which has extended the responsibility of manufacturers to include the recovery and safe disposal of their products. However, at present, the global scale of product recovery applications is significantly disproportional to the total manufacturing output. Hence, to achieve the idealistic goal of ‘zero landfill’, there is a need to significantly improve and extend both the scale of product recovery activities and the range of manufacturing applications in which such activities have yet to be implemented. This paper examines a range of barriers, drivers and challenges in research and development for the next generation of product recovery initiatives. A range of existing applications and case studies undertaken for the UK market has been used to analyse issues related to: the need for improvement and expansion of current legislation on producer responsibility; product take-back and reverse logistic models for collection of used products; knowledge-based approaches for end-of-life considerations during the design phase; improved technologies and increased automation in pre- and post-fragmentation recycling processes and most importantly, the requirement for sustainable business models for establishing value recovery chains which can be based on the provision of services rather than products. The paper concludes by summarising the results of this analysis to bridge the gap between existing and future sustainable solutions for product recovery.
Application of preemptive parasternal intercostal nerve block in patients undergoing off pump coronary artery bypass grafting:A Double-Blind,Randomised, Controlled Trial

Background: Parasternal intercostal nerve block as superficial block has been increasingly used for postoperative analgesia via performed before sternal suture placement, and has shown that this technique can provide effective postoperative analgesia and facilitate rapid-recovery. However, the impact of preemptive parasternal intercostal nerve block has not been researched for cardiac surgery patients. Methods: Sixty-four patients underwent OPCABG were randomly divided into parasternal intercostal nerve block with ropivacaine ( n = 32) group and parasternal intercostal nerve block with saline ( n = 32) group. Before anaesthesia induction, 20ml of 0.35% Ropivacaine along with 1 mg dexamethasone or saline on each side, total dosage 40 ml, via parasternal intercostal injection. 5ml of 0.35% ropivacaine along with 0.5 mg dexamethasone or saline on each leg, total dosage 10 ml, via peripheral saphenous nerve block. Results: The consumptions of intraoperative sufentanil and vasopressor were significantly lower in ropivacaine group(P＜0.05). Analgesia was adequate in the ropivacaine group up to 20 h. VAS score in the ropivacaine group significantly was lower compared with the saline group up to 12 h postoperatively(P＜0.05). The time of first rescue analgesic, anaesthesia recovery and extubation were significantly less in patients of the ropivacaine group(P＜0.05). The majority of the ropivacaine group patients did not need rescue dezocine, while the most of the saline group needed dezocine (P <0.05). The hemodynamic variables were stable in all patients. Few cases reported trivial adverse effects. Conclusions: Preemptive parasternal intercostal nerve block provide adequate analgesia for the first 20 h after surgery and reduce intraoperative sufentanil, intraoperative norepinephrine and postoperative dezocine consumption as well as the time of extubation. Trial registration: The study was registered at chictr.org. cn (identifier: ChiCTR1800017210，Registered 18 July 2018).
Forecasting a change in technology: Are Dye-sensitised Solar Cells a source of ubiquitous energy?

The purpose of this paper is to review developments in Dye-sensitised Solar Cells (DSC) and discuss the feasibility of the technology as a future source of ubiquitous energy. Rapid technological developments have made the technology a viable future photovoltaic technology, but its overall impact is still unclear. This review on recent developments strives, based on historical developments, to forecast the future for sensitised solar cells as a source of ubiquitous energy.
COTTON IRRIGATION SCHEDULING USING REMOTELY SENSED AND FAO-56 BASAL CROP COEFFICIENTS

Multispectral vegetation indices calculated from canopy reflectance measurements have been used to simulate real-time basal crop coefficients (Kcb), which have been validated to improve evapotranspiration (ETc) estimation for several crops. In this article, an application of the approach was evaluated for cotton using remote sensing observations of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to estimate Kcb as a function of NDVI. The dual crop coefficient procedures of FAO Paper 56 (FAO-56) were used to calculate ETc and determine irrigation scheduling using Kcb estimates from remote sensing (NDVI treatment) as well as from time-based Kcb curves (FAO treatment), which were developed locally for standard crop conditions using FAO-56 procedures. Two cotton experiments, conducted in 2002 and 2003 in central Arizona, included sub-treatments of three levels of plant density and two levels of nitrogen management to impose a wide range of crop development and water use. The NDVI-Kcb relationships used for 2002, developed from previous data for a different cotton cultivar, row orientation, and soil type, substantially underestimated ETc, resulting in significantly less irrigation water applied and lower lint yields for NDVI compared to the FAO treatment. The 2002 data were used to recalibrate the NDVI-Kcb relationships, which were then used for the NDVI treatments in 2003. The FAO Kcb curve used in 2002 described ETc and irrigation scheduling reasonably well for sparse plots, but consistently underestimated water use and soil water depletion for the higher plant densities during the first half of the season. Consequently, an adjusted FAO Kcb curve, based on 2002 results, was employed for the FAO treatment in 2003. For the 2003 experiment, estimated cotton ETc for the NDVI treatment resulted in a mean absolute error of 9% compared to 10% for the FAO treatment, where the difference was not significant between treatments. However, the NDVI-Kcb relations used in 2003 greatly improved estimates for ETc compared to the previous year, where the mean absolute error for the NDVI treatment in 2002 was 22%. Predicted ETc using the FAO Kcb curve of 2003 for typical planting density and high nitrogen conditions resulted in a mean absolute error of 10% compared to 15% in 2002. Final lint yields for 2003 were not significantly different between the two Kcb methods. Although additional research is needed to validate remote sensing Kcb estimation for other conditions than those in these experiments, this study did not show significant advantages for the NDVI approach over a carefully derived single FAO Kcb application. However, the NDVI approach has the potential to further extend our present crop coefficient estimation capabilities when weather, plant density, or other factors cause cotton canopy development and water use patterns to depart from typical conditions.
Oil vulnerability: the effect of non-metropolitan areas and master planned estates in South East Queensland 2001–2006

This study quantified and visualised oil vulnerability (OV) across Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) of South East Queensland (SEQ), and its changes between 2001 to 2006, with specific focus on Master Planned Estates (MPEs). A classification chart was developed to categorise different types of OV, and to identify SLAs that showed significant change in their level of OV over the period from 2001 to 2006. Our findings are that non-metropolitan SLAs exhibited significantly higher OV due to: (i) the lack of alternatives to private motor vehicle use; (ii) longer road network distances travelled on average; and (iii) a generally lower socioeconomic status associated with these areas. Metropolitan SLAs had consistently lower OV due to: (i) a shorter average commuting distance; (ii) more comprehensive non-motorised access to public transport; and (iii) a generally higher socioeconomic status. SLAs containing large MPEs also proved to be more vulnerable due to their relatively high automobile dependence, limited non-motorised access to public transportation, and longer average commuting distances.