Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Constructability Analysis in the Design Firm

The timely execution of a construction project is very important to the owner, who makes plans and commitments on the basis of the project’s anticipated completion date. Failure of design professionals to consider how a builder will implement the design can result in scheduling problems, delays, and disputes during the construction process. Constructability of design is a subjective scale that depends basically on a number of interdependent project-related factors. Many design firms have a formal (explicit) constructability program that is launched as early as the conceptual planning stage of the project. This research examines design professionals’ efforts to pursue constructability and provides recommendations for performing constructability reviews in an efficient and effective manner.
Impact of alternative mask stacks on the imaging performance at NA 1.20 and above

The lithographic performance of current state-of-the-art resolution enhancement techniques (RET) will become critical at hyper numerical aperture (NA>1) due to mask 3D effects. We have studied the impact of the mask material on the lithographic performance at NA 1.2 and above. The assessment, both by rigorous simulations and experiments, involves the standard mask stacks, Cr binary mask (BIM) and MoSi 6% attenuated phase shift mask (attPSM), as well as alternatives such as thick Cr BIM, Ta/SiO2 1% and 6% attenuated PSM, and Ta/SiON 1% attenuated PSM. Using the rigorous electro-magnetic field (EMF) and lithographic process simulations (IISB DrLiTHO) the mask structure is optimized taking into account the trade_off with mask error enhancement factor (MEEF). Next, a throughpitch evaluation of the 45nm half-pitch (HP) node at NA1.2-1.35 is carried out examining maximum exposure latitude (EL), depth-of-focus (DOF), best focus shifts, and MEEF behavior for the various mask stacks. For the validation of the simulation methodology a correlation is made between scanner (ASML XT:1700Fi), AIMS (Zeiss AIMSTM45-193i), and simulation results indicating the importance of the mask quality and mask properties. Based on the lithographic performance and the mask manufacturability we put together a ranking of the commercially available mask stacks for the 45nm HP node at NA 1.2 and 1.35.
Influence of strategic inventory on the equilibrium of two competing supply chains

Abstract In this article, the influence of using strategic inventory and forming collusion between upstream manufacturers and downstream retailers is studied when two competing supply chains offer substitutable products in a common market through exclusive retailers. The optimal pricing decisions are explored in five different scenarios. It is found that with a specific limit of holding cost, the retailer can carry inventory strategically for the benefit of each member when upstream manufacturers have a first-mover advantage. Two-period planning can outperform a single-period decision. However, if two downstream retailers form collusion and uphold strategic inventory, the profit share of upstream manufacturers can reduce considerably, but the sales volume of both supply chains increased. In that circumstance, retailers rely upon more strategic inventory, and manufacturers need to drop their respective wholesale prices considerably in the second period. A long-term wholesale price commitment contract is used to safeguard the interest of upstream manufacturers. We find that the proposed mechanism can improve the performance of all the members. Numerical experiments provide valuable managerial insights regarding the supply chain members’ strategic decisions under competition.
Computational Fluid Dynamics study on the performance and mechanism of suction control over a high‐rise building

In order to reduce the wind‐induced drag and improve the wind‐resistance performance of a high‐rise building, active suction control was proposed to investigate its drag‐reducing property through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method. The numerical method was validated by the experiment of suction control over a backward‐facing step flow. Effects of the dimensionless suction flux, the suction angle and the slot size on drag reduction for a high‐rise building model were analysed, and the detailed flow fields (including the time‐averaged stream and vorticity fields), the boundary layer development and turbulence characteristics like turbulent kinetic energy for the suction models were presented to discuss the mechanism of suction control. The results indicate that suction is very effective in reducing the wind‐load of a high‐rise building model, and only the dimensionless suction flux is important, while the orifice geometrical parameters and the suction velocities show little influence on drag reduction. The mechanism of suction control is concluded that suction can bring more flows around the windward face, restrain the flow separation and decrease the width of the wake for the suction models. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel Retrofits to Reduce the Seismic Vulnerability of Reinforced Concrete Gravity Frames

This thesis proposal presents a thorough review of the vulnerabilities that exist in reinforced concrete frame buildings that have been designed with little or no consideration of potential lateral loads. The retrofits that have been developed in order to mitigate the vulnerabilities are introduced, followed by a critique of the existing methods of testing that have been predominantly employed throughout the literature. Lastly, a research plan is outlined that will investigate the use of simple retrofit techniques on a full-scale prototype structure to improve structural performance during dynamic excitations.
Experimental Comparison of Cap and Cup Probabilistically Shaped PAM for O-Band IM/DD Transmission System

For 200Gbit/s net rates, uniform PAM-4, 6 and 8 are experimentally compared against probabilistic shaped PAM-8 cap and cup variants. In back-to-back and 20km measurements, cap shaped 80GBd PAM-8 outperforms 72GBd PAM-8 and 83GBd PAM-6 by up to 5.17dB and 2.17dB in receiver sensitivity, respectively.
Kinematic modeling for feedback control of an omnidirectional wheeled mobile robot

We have introduced a methodology for the kinematic modeling of wheeled mobile robots. In this paper, we apply our methodology to Uranus, an omnidirectional wheeled mobile robot which is being developed in the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University. We assign coordinate systems to specify the transformation matrices and write the kinematic equations-of-motion. We illustrate the actuated inverse and sensed forward solutions; i.e., the calculation of actuator velocities from robot velocities and robot velocities from sensed wheel velocities. We apply the actuated inverse and sensed forward solutions to the kinematic control of Uranus by: calculating in real-time the robot position from shaft encoder readings (i.e., dead reckoning); formulating an algorithm to detect wheel slippage; and developing an algorithm for feedback control.
A comparative study of schedule nervousness among high-tech manufacturers across the Straits

High-tech firms are facing multiple challenges in a competitive market. Among the multiple challenges, scheduling nervousness has been a critical issue concerning the high-tech manufacturers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between the various schedule nervousness determinants (relationships with business partners, internal operation) and to study the impacts of schedule nervousness on the individuals dealing with scheduling issues in the supply chain (i.e., collective efficacy), among the high-tech manufacturing firms in the region (Hong Kong and Taiwan). A research framework linking schedule instability and contributors (suppliers/customers and internal operation) and individuals (perceived efficacy) is applied. The study sheds light on the relationships between scheduling instability and various determinants in the supply chain.
Deep Learning Approaches to Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis: A Review

Unprecedented breakthroughs in the development of graphical processing systems have led to great potential for deep learning (DL) algorithms in analyzing visual anatomy from high-resolution medical images. Recently, in digital pathology, the use of DL technologies has drawn a substantial amount of attention for use in the effective diagnosis of various cancer types, especially colorectal cancer (CRC), which is regarded as one of the dominant causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. This review provides an in-depth perspective on recently published research articles on DL-based CRC diagnosis and prognosis. Overall, we provide a retrospective synopsis of simple image-processing-based and machine learning (ML)-based computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems, followed by a comprehensive appraisal of use cases with different types of state-of-the-art DL algorithms for detecting malignancies. We first list multiple standardized and publicly available CRC datasets from two imaging types: colonoscopy and histopathology. Secondly, we categorize the studies based on the different types of CRC detected (tumor tissue, microsatellite instability, and polyps), and we assess the data preprocessing steps and the adopted DL architectures before presenting the optimum diagnostic results. CRC diagnosis with DL algorithms is still in the preclinical phase, and therefore, we point out some open issues and provide some insights into the practicability and development of robust diagnostic systems in future health care and oncology.
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Attitude toward Booster Doses among US Healthcare Workers

Vaccine reluctance among healthcare workers (HCW) can have widespread negative ramifications, including modeling behavior for the general population and challenges with maintaining a healthy workforce so we can respond to a resurgence of the pandemic. We previously reported that only one-third of HCW were willing to take the vaccine as soon as it became available prior to its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Here, we re-examine the attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines among HCW several months after the vaccines have been made widely available. In this study, only 7.9% (n = 107) of respondents were hesitant to take the first or second dose of the vaccine. Younger age (18–40 years) and lower level of education attainment (GED or less) were associated with higher vaccine hesitancy, whereas self-identified Asian racial identity was associated with greater acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. Among the vaccine-hesitant group, more respondents noted mistrust of regulatory authorities (45.3%), government (48.6%), and pharmaceutical companies (50%) than mistrust of doctors (25.4%). Nearly two-thirds of respondents were concerned that vaccination may be ineffective against new strains and booster doses may be required; however, vaccine-hesitant respondents’ acceptance of a hypothetical booster dose was only 14.3%. Overall, vaccine hesitancy was observed to have demographic predictors similar to those previously reported; the hesitancy of some US HCW to receive booster doses may reflect a general hesitancy to receive other forms of vaccination.
Finite element analysis of smart composite plate structures coupled with piezoelectric materials: Investigation of static and vibration responses

Abstract This research presents a generalized-energy-based finite element modeling of smart composite plates with distributed piezoelectric materials for the static and vibration responses under electrical and mechanical loading. The zigzag kinematics in conjunction with a non-polynomial higher-order shear deformation theory is used to derive the model. The plate theory accounts for the non-linear variations of the transverse shear strains across the thickness of the plates and also accommodates the inter-laminar continuity effects of transverse shear stresses at the interfaces. Eight noded isoparametric serendipity elements are used to discretize the physical domain. The solutions in the time domain are obtained from the discretized system of ordinary differential equations with Newmark’s time integration scheme. Several numerical examples are solved for different types of smart composite plates with various piezoelectric materials, boundary conditions, static and dynamic loadings. The classical negative feedback controller is used for deriving the suppressed and controlled vibration responses of the smart composite plates with distributed actuators and sensors. A comparison of the present FE solutions with the elasticity and other analytical and numerical solutions shows good agreement, thereby ensures the applicability of the present finite element model for studying the coupled electromechanical problems of piezoelectricity.
Can we use near-miss reports for accident prevention? A study in the oil and gas industry in Denmark

Background: The oil and gas industry in the Danish sector of the North Sea has always focused on reducing work-related accidents. Over the years, accident rates have been reduced, and near-miss reporting has gained in importance, because it allows the industry to learn from experience and prevent further accidents. Because of this importance, oil and gas companies use many resources to register and analyse near misses. The aim of this paper is to investigate near-miss reporting for the Danish offshore installations and to examine what the industry learns from near-miss reporting and how these reports can be used in the prevention of accidents. Data: Data are derived from three oil and gas companies in the Danish sector of the North Sea. The material consists of documentary data such as procedures and reports as well as interviews and a database including near-miss reports. The near misses have been divided into thematic groups, and two types of near misses were chosen for further analysis: gas leaks and person related incidents. Methods: Thematic analyses of documentary material, accident prevention procedures and selected near-miss cases. Results: The preliminary results show that all companies have procedures and systems for accident and near-miss reporting. The paper shows that there are challenges and barriers for the use of near-miss reporting systems with regard to learning and improving the safety of off-shore installations, and suggestions are made for improvements.
Development and Testing of a UAV Laser Scanner and Multispectral Camera System for Eco-Geomorphic Applications

While Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems and camera sensors are routinely deployed in conjunction with Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques to derive 3D models of fluvial systems, in the presence of vegetation these techniques are subject to large errors. This is because of the high structural complexity of vegetation and inability of processing techniques to identify bare earth points in vegetated areas. Furthermore, for eco-geomorphic applications where characterization of the vegetation is an important aim when collecting fluvial survey data, the issues are compounded, and an alternative survey method is required. Laser Scanning techniques have been shown to be a suitable technique for discretizing both bare earth and vegetation, owing to the high spatial density of collected data and the ability of some systems to deliver dual (e.g., first and last) returns. Herein we detail the development and testing of a UAV mounted LiDAR and Multispectral camera system and processing workflow, with application to a specific river field location and reference to eco-hydraulic research generally. We show that the system and data processing workflow has the ability to detect bare earth, vegetation structure and NDVI type outputs which are superior to SfM outputs alone, and which are shown to be more accurate and repeatable, with a level of detection of under 0.1 m. These characteristics of the developed sensor package and workflows offer great potential for future eco-geomorphic research.
Antibody-Mediated Rejection and Recurrent Primary Disease: Two Main Obstacles in Abdominal Kidney, Liver, and Pancreas Transplants

The advances in acute phase care have firmly established the practice of organ transplantation in the last several decades. Then, the next issues that loom large in the field of transplantation include antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) and recurrent primary disease. Acute ABMR is a daunting hurdle in the performance of organ transplantation. The recent progress in desensitization and preoperative monitoring of donor-specific antibodies enables us to increase positive outcomes. However, chronic active ABMR is one of the most significant problems we currently face. On the other hand, recurrent primary disease is problematic for many recipients. Notably, some recipients, unfortunately, lost their vital organs due to this recurrence. Although some progress has been achieved in these two areas, many other factors remain largely obscure. In this review, these two topics will be discussed in light of recent discoveries.
Linear Acceleration Car-Following Model Development and Validation

A linear acceleration car-following model has been developed for realistic simulation of traffic flow in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) applications. The new model provides continuous acceleration profiles instead of the stepwise profiles that are currently used. The brake reaction times of the drivers are simulated effectively and are independent of the simulation time steps. Chain-reaction times of the drivers are also simulated and perception thresholds are incorporated in the model. The preferred time headways are utilized to determine the simulated drivers’ separation during car-following. The features of the model and the realistic vehicle simulation in car-following and in stop-and-go conditions make this model suitable to ITS, especially to autonomous intelligent cruise-control systems. The car-following algorithm is validated at microscopic and macroscopic levels by using field data. Simulated versus field trajectories and statistical tests show very strong agreement between simulation results and field data.
THE VALUE OF IT CERTIFICATION: PERSPECTIVES FROM STUDENTS AND IT PERSONNEL

The value of IT certification has been a subject of debate for the past decade. Research suggests that IT certification can boost fresh graduates’ profile to get attention of the hiring manager. IT magazines suggest that certifications can bring opportunities for existing employees with better positions, promotion and salary increase. For years, educators have been suggesting to include IT certifications in traditional computing curricula of higher education. However, due to lack of knowledge and commitment, faculty members have been reluctant to include IT certification in traditional degree programs. In this paper, we report the results of integration of several IT certifications in a graduate MIS program of a U.S. university. It is found that almost all current or past students believe that IT certification can help them build a better career. Certifications from Oracle, Microsoft and Cisco are found to be most valuable to them. We recommend that educationists who are faced with the dilemma of whether or not to adapt IT certifications in their computing curricula, should take the positive steps. That will bring IT departments up to the par of IT industry standards.
Land-Use Requirements for Solar Power Plants in the United States

This report provides data and analysis of the land use associated with utility-scale ground-mounted solar facilities, defined as installations greater than 1 MW. We begin by discussing standard land-use metrics as established in the life-cycle assessment literature and then discuss their applicability to solar power plants. We present total and direct land-use results for various solar technologies and system configurations, on both a capacity and an electricity-generation basis. The total area corresponds to all land enclosed by the site boundary. The direct area comprises land directly occupied by solar arrays, access roads, substations, service buildings, and other infrastructure. As of the third quarter of 2012, the solar projects we analyze represent 72% of installed and under-construction utility-scale PV and CSP capacity in the United States.
Medication omissions in the first 48 hours after admission: failure in prescribed medicines reaching in-patients in paediatrics wards at the University Teaching Hospitals, Children’s Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia

Background: The first few days of in-patient care are possibly the most significant in a patient’s recovery and any omitted medications during this period may harm the patient or increase their hospital length of stay. Therefore, our study aimed at assessing the frequency of medication administration omission errors and their reasons for the omission in the paediatric wards after admission at University Teaching Children’s Hospital.Methods: This was a descriptive study in which 259 patient files and drug charts were reviewed. Admission prescription charts were studied in detail over a period of four weeks and all drugs prescribed but then not given in the first 48 hours were recorded as omitted medications, along with the reason given for their omission.Results: From the 259 drug charts, a total of 1598 doses of drugs were ordered within 48 hours of admission. However, from this, only a total of 1132 doses were administered with the remaining 466 doses omitted, which accounted for a frequency of 29.2%. When the frequency of medication omission errors was compared, parenteral drugs (70.8% vs. 25.3%, [p=0.0001]), afternoon shift (48.5% vs. 15.8%, [p=0.0001]), and anti-infective medications (69.1% vs. 39.4%, [p=0.0001]) were found to be the most frequently omitted medications. There were also considerably more medication omissions in patients prescribed with more medications (median number: 4, I QR [2, 6] vs. median number: 2, IQR [2, 4], [p=0. 0.001]). The most common reason for the omission was medication unavailability (89.3%), followed by work overload (71.4%), and the patient is off the ward (71.4%). Conclusions: This study revealed that medication omissions are a continuing problem and this may result in increased morbidity and mortality rates. There is a need to put in place specific strategies to reduce this problem.
Impact Of After Sales Service On Consumer Satisfaction And Retention. A Study of LG Electronics in Ibadan, Nigeria.

This study examined the impact of after sales service on customer satisfaction and retention with special reference to LG electronics in Ibadan, Nigeria. The population of the study covered selected distributors and customers of LG Electronics in Ibadan.The sample size for this study was sixty (60) respondents who were randomly selected from ten (10) LG electronics distributors and fifty (50) of their customers respectively. The instrument used in this study is a close-ended questionnaire that was designed by the researchers.Ordinary least squares multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The result showed that the predictor variables (i.e Product delivery, installation and warranty) were significantly joint predictors of customer satisfaction and retentionwith( F( 3, 57) = 123.32; R 2 = 0.875; P<. 05). The predictor variables jointly explained 87.5% of customer satisfaction and retention, while the remaining 12.5. % could be due to the effect of extraneous variables. Subsequently, recommendation was made to the management of LG electronics to set up more after sales service departments to the existing ones with experience staff with the view of developing long term relationship with the customers.