Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trade association strategies for providing technology intelligence to small and medium sized enterprises - A study of UK technology foresight processes

In the UK many industries are suffering as a result of business being lost to competition abroad. Raising the technical content of a company’s product or service may enable them to increase its competitiveness and hence retain or even increase business. A Trade Association exists to represent the interests of its members. One way that this can be realized is by provision of technical information to its members to support raising the technical content of their members’ products or services. The provision of technical information entails sourcing information, collecting it and then disseminating it in an appropriate format. Ways of undertaking this are identified. The factors that are likely to influence the provision of technical information are determined. This is so that a Trade Association can build upon its strengths, diminish weaknesses, exploit opportunities and avoid threats. A strategy for provision of engineering technical information to trade association members was given. Four mechanisms were implemented on a test-bed Trade Association; utilising information technology communication capabilities, newsletters, collaborations and conferences. Feedback and parameters were used to assess the strategy chosen for implementation on the test-bed. Taking this into consideration a revised strategy was established that can be adapted and applied by Trade Associations who wish to provide such a service in the future.
Knowledge And Attitude of Nurses about Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia in Duhok Governorate: Cross Sectional Study

Background and objectives: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is the most common medical condition in the neonates. About 60% of term and 80% of preterm infants develop jaundice during 1st week of life. The objectives of the study were to assess knowledge and attitude of nurses toward hyperbilirubinemia , and to find out whether there were any relationships between nurses knowledge and attitude with socio-demographic data. Subjects and methods: A descriptive, cross sectional study was done all nurses (n=166) working in the neonatal intensive care units and different departments in governmental hospitals in Duhok governorate has been recruited to the study during the period started from 1 st May to 1 st August 2019. Results: The study revealed that the majority of nurses had fair knowledge about concepts, definition of phototherapy 98 (59%), causes 78 (47%), Intervention of bilirubin level and steps of management 125 (75.3%), side effects 106 (63.9). While 98.8% of nurses had good knowledge regarding clinical manifestations 164 (98.8%), Investigations 137 (82.5%), complications 78 (47.0%) and Nursing care 159 (95.8%). It also found that there was a significant relationship between demographic data and nurses’ knowledge. Moreover, 145 (87.3%) of nurses held neutral attitude toward neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Finally, the study found a significant relationship between attitude and demographic factors. Conclusions: The study concludes that nurses working in Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and pediatric wards had fair knowledge regarding concepts, causes, steps of management, side effects of phototherapy and good knowledge regarding clinical manifestations, investigations, complications and nursing care. Furthermore, nurses held neutral attitude towards neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
Calibration of the Flow in the Extended Test Section of the Low-Speed Wind Tunnel at DSTO

Abstract : In 1996, the circuit of the low-speed wind tunnel was modified by extending the length of the test section and installing a redesigned contraction. This was done to enable longer models to be tested in the tunnel and also to possibly obtain some improvement in the quality of the flow in the test section. In this report, the results are given of a detailed calibration of the flow in the extended test section of the tunnel. The calibration was performed to: (1) provide a data base of the flow quality, to be used when analysing tests carried out in the tunnel since 1996, and (2) provide a data base for assessing the changes in the flow quality resulting from installing the extended test section and new contraction in 1996. Longitudinal mean-flow velocities, flow angles, turbulence intensities and spectra, were measured at up to 155 grid points across the flow for longitudinal positions of X(TAU) = -2.0, -1.0, 0.0 and +1.0 m from the centre of the turntables in the test section for nominal free-stream velocities of 30, 45, 60 and 75 m/s. The most important area of the test section, where models are usually located, is the region comprising approximately the central 50% of the cross sectional area of the test section. In this region, over the longitudinal measurement range (X(TAU) = -2.0 to +1.0 m), the following flow non-uniformities were observed. For the four velocities, longitudinal mean-flow velocities deviated within the range -1.2% to +1.6% from their values at the centre of the tunnel test section (X(TAU) = 0.0 m). For velocities of 30 and 60 m/s, horizontal flow angles deviated within the range -0.8 deg. to +0.8 deg. and vertical flow angles deviated within the range -1.2 deg. to +0.4 deg. For velocities of 30 and 60 m/s, the u-component turbulence intensities were generally below 0.4%, and the v- and w-component intensities were generally below 0.7%.
Strain-Rate Dependence of Triaxial Compressive Strength of Artificial Methane-Hydrate-Bearing Sediment

In this study, drained triaxial compression tests were conducted on artificial methane-hydrate-bearing sediment samples to obtain the strain-rate dependence. In the tests, an axial load was applied at a constant or alternating strain rate. On the basis of the results, we examined the strain-rate dependence of the peak strength and residual strength and considered the deformation mechanism of the specimen. We found that the strain-rate dependence of the artificial methane-hydrate-bearing sediment is as strong as or slightly stronger than that of frozen sand and is stronger than that of many other geomaterials.
Common Platform Dilemmas: Collective Action and the Internet of Things

The term “Internet of Things” (IoT) is used to conceptualize networks of interconnected sensors, devices and appliances on the internet, which are enabling a wide range of application areas, including Smart Living (i.e., a wide range of ICT-enabled services such as e-healthcare and home energy management). Despite the considerable potential of IoT applications, technical issues such as interoperability of devices, as well as the rise of proprietary service platforms for services offered are the main bottlenecks in enabling progress of IoT.
Lighting affects student's performance positively: Findings from three Dutch studies

The importance of artificial and natural lighting for performance inhuman adults is well established. However, evidence on the extent to which lighting affects school performance of young children is sparse. This article evaluates the effect of lighting conditions (withvertical illuminances between 350-1000 lux and correlated colour temperatures between 3000-12000K) on the concentration of elementary school children in three experiments. In the first two experiments, aflexible and dynamical lighting system is used in quasi-experimentalfield studies using data from 89 pupils of two schools (Study 1) and 37 pupils of two classrooms (Study 2). The third experiment (Study3) evaluated two lighting settings within a school-simulating, windowless laboratory setting (n = 55). The results indicate a positiveinfluence of the lighting system on pupils‟ concentration. Thefindings underline the importance of lighting for learning. Severalsuggestions are provided for further research.
Proteases, Mucus, and Mucosal Immunity in Chronic Lung Disease

Dysregulated protease activity has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases and especially in conditions that display mucus obstruction, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. However, our appreciation of the roles of proteases in various aspects of such diseases continues to grow. Patients with muco-obstructive lung disease experience progressive spirals of inflammation, mucostasis, airway infection and lung function decline. Some therapies exist for the treatment of these symptoms, but they are unable to halt disease progression and patients may benefit from novel adjunct therapies. In this review, we highlight how proteases act as multifunctional enzymes that are vital for normal airway homeostasis but, when their activity becomes immoderate, also directly contribute to airway dysfunction, and impair the processes that could resolve disease. We focus on how proteases regulate the state of mucus at the airway surface, impair mucociliary clearance and ultimately, promote mucostasis. We discuss how, in parallel, proteases are able to promote an inflammatory environment in the airways by mediating proinflammatory signalling, compromising host defence mechanisms and perpetuating their own proteolytic activity causing structural lung damage. Finally, we discuss some possible reasons for the clinical inefficacy of protease inhibitors to date and propose that, especially in a combination therapy approach, proteases represent attractive therapeutic targets for muco-obstructive lung diseases.
Complement activating ABO IgM/IgG act synergistically to cause erythrophagocytosis: implications among minor ABO incompatible platelet transfusions

Background Typically minor ABO incompatible platelet products are transfused without any incident, yet serious hemolytic transfusion reactions occur. To mitigate these events, ABO ‘low titer’ products are used for minor ABO incompatible transfusions. We sought to understand the role of IgG and complement activation by anti-A on extravascular hemolysis. Samples evaluated: i) Group O plasma from a blood donor whose apheresis platelet product resulted in an extravascular transfusion reaction, ii) Group O plasma from 12 healthy donors with matching titers that activated complement (N = 6) or not (N = 6), and iii) Group O sera from 10 patients with anti-A hemolysin activity. Monocytes from healthy donors were co-incubated with anti-A-sensitized fluorescently-labeled Group A1+ RBCs with and without fresh Group A serum, as a source of complement C3, and phagocytosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. The plasma and sera had variable direct agglutinating (IgM) and indirect (IgG) titers. Results None of 12 selected samples showed monocyte-dependent erythrophagocytosis with or without complement activation. The donor sample causing a hemolytic transfusion reaction and 2 of the 10 patient sera with hemolysin activity showed significant erythrophagocytosis (>10%) only when complement C3 was activated. The single donor plasma and two sera demonstrating significant erythrophagocytosis had high IgM (≥128) and IgG titers (>1024). The donor plasma anti-A was IgG1, while the patient sera were an IgG3 and an IgG1 plus IgG2. Conclusion High anti-A IgM/IgG titers act synergistically to cause significant monocyte erythrophagocytosis by activating complement C3, thus engaging both Fcγ- and CR1-receptors.
The Role of Elements Partition and Austenite Grain Size in the Ferrite-Bainite Banding Formation during Hot Rolling

The partitioning and diffusion of solute elements in hot rolling and the effect of the partitioning and diffusion on the ferrite-bainite banding formation after hot rolling in the 20CrMnTi steel were experimentally examined by EPMA (electron probe microanalysis) technology and simulated by DICTRTA and MATLAB software. The austenite grain size related to the hot rolling process and the effect of austenite grain size on the ferrite-bainite banding formation were studied. The results show that experimental steel without banding has the most uniform hardness distribution, which is taken from the edge of the cast slab and 1/4 diameter position of the cast slab, heating at 1100 °C for 2 h and above 1200 °C for 2–4 h during the hot rolling, respectively. Cr, Mn, and Si diffuse and inhomogeneously concentrate in austenite during hot rolling, while C homogeneously concentrates in austenite. After the same hot rolling process, ΔAe3 increases and ferrite-bainite banding intensifies with increasing initial segregation width and segregation coefficient K of solute elements. Under the same initial segregation of solute elements, ΔAe3 drops and ferrite-bainite banding reduces with increasing heating temperature and extension heating time. When ΔAe3 drops below 14 °C, ferrite-bainite banding even disappears. What is more, the austenite grain size increases with increasing heating temperature and extension heating time. When the austenite grain size is above 21 μm, the experimental steel will not appear to have a banded structure after hot rolling.
Genetically Modified Ferritin Nanoparticles with Bone-Targeting Peptides for Bone Imaging

Bone homeostasis plays a major role in supporting and protecting various organs as well as a body structure by maintaining the balance of activities of the osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Unbalanced differentiation and functions of these cells result in various skeletal diseases, such as osteoporosis, osteopetrosis, and Paget’s disease. Although various synthetic nanomaterials have been developed for bone imaging and therapy through the chemical conjugation, they are associated with serious drawbacks, including heterogeneity and random orientation, in turn resulting in low efficiency. Here, we report the synthesis of bone-targeting ferritin nanoparticles for bone imaging. Ferritin, which is a globular protein composed of 24 subunits, was employed as a carrier molecule. Bone-targeting peptides that have been reported to specifically bind to osteoblast and hydroxyapatite were genetically fused to the N-terminus of the heavy subunit of human ferritin in such a way that the peptides faced outwards. Ferritin nanoparticles with fused bone-targeting peptides were also conjugated with fluorescent dyes to assess their binding ability using osteoblast imaging and a hydroxyapatite binding assay; the results showed their specific binding with osteoblasts and hydroxyapatite. Using in vivo analysis, a specific fluorescent signal from the lower limb was observed, demonstrating a highly selective affinity of the modified nanoparticles for the bone tissue. These promising results indicate a specific binding ability of the nanoscale targeting system to the bone tissue, which might potentially be used for bone disease therapy in future clinical applications.
Genomic insights into the psychrotrophic microbial leaching of low sulfide waste rock in kinetic testing systems

i LIST OF FIGURES . vi LIST OF TABLES . x LIST OF ABBREVIATED TERMS. xi GENERAL INTRODUCTION . 1 CHAPTER 1: MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES OF WASTE ROCK WEATHERING IN TEMPERATE CLIMATES . 3 1.1 Process and consequences of the oxidation of sulfidic waste rock. 3 1.2 Assessment practices for the determination of waste rock acid generating status. 6 1.3 Implications of microorganisms in waste rock weathering. 8 1.4 Waste rock weathering at cold temperatures.14 1.5 Study site characteristic and preliminary waste rock surveys. 17 1.6 Concluding remarks . 18 CHAPTER 2: THE WEATHERING OF LOW SULFIDE WASTE ROCK IN HUMIDITY CELL EXPERIMENTS AT WARM AND COLD TEMPERATURES. 29 2.1 Abstract . 29 2.2 Introduction. 30 2.3 Materials and methods. 33 Experimental design.33 Leachate geochemistry . 34 Mineralogy . 35 Microbiology . 36 Bioinformatic analysis . 38 Statistical analyses. 39 2.4 Results . 41 Geochemistry . 41 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.45 Metagenomic sequencing.47 2.5 Discussion . 51 Humidity cell leaching kinetics. 51 Microbial community composition.55 Microbial drivers in the weathering of waste rock.56 Stress responses.59 2.6 Conclusion.60 CHAPTER 3: THE WEATHERING OF LOW SULFUR WASTE ROCK IN FIELD LEACH BIN EXPERIMENTS . 86 3.1. Abstract . 86 3.2 Introduction . 87 3.3 Materials and methods . 90 Experimental design. 90 Leachate geochemistry. 91
Azospirillum brasilense INOCULATION AND MANAGEMENT OF FERTILIZER NITROGEN IN MAIZE

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de Azospirillum brasilense associado à adubação nitrogenada e sistemas de inoculação na cultura do milho. Os tratamentos, semeados em safra e safrinha, foram distribuídos em blocos ao acaso com arranjo fatorial 2x2x2 + 1, com inoculante comercial e a estirpe HAI3, inoculação na semente e no sulco, presença e ausência de adubação nitrogenada + testemunha. Na safra, os tratamentos promoveram incremento para o número de grãos por espiga, número de espigas e massa de grãos por espiga. Em safrinha, o tratamento com HAI3 na semente apresentou maior número de grãos por espiga. Para a produtividade, somente o tratamento sem adubação nitrogenada com a estirpe HAI3 pulverizada no sulco apresentou diferença. As plantas inoculadas apresentaram maior número de bactérias. Conclui-se que a inoculação com bactérias diazotróficas, na presença e ausência de N mineral proporciona incremento na produção de grãos do milho.
The Use of a Real Life Simulated Problem Based Learning Activity in a Corporate Environment

This narrative study examines using a real life simulated problem base learning activity during education of clinical staff, which is expected to design and develop clinically correct electronic charting systems. Expertise in healthcare does not readily transcend to the realm of manipulating software to collect patient data that is pertinent to the care of patients. To gain the expertise, troubleshooting abilities and knowledge required to maintain their clinical system, each participant in this study has gone through the RLSPBL activity. Education in the corporate world must be effective and efficient while providing a good return on the educational investment. Corporate education must use material contextually similar to a workplace, and the techniques for education must provide both near and far transfer of the material. Ten individuals (eight clinical, two non-clinical) who work across the United States were interviewed; their reflections on their career as a clinical interface designer are told here. The participants varied in their age, educational background, and current work responsibility and computer experience. Their insights revealed four major themes which summarize their stories: problem-based learning, collaboration, hands-on activities and the use of a real-life simulated problem-based learning activity.The clinical environment requires patient safety as a paramount parameter in building a clinical charting system. Up to the moment information along with trending capabilities is critical to a clinician caring for a patient. Adhering to best practices and maintaining an efficient data entry system must seamlessly blend technology into the clinician's practice. An understanding of the education of individuals who have created such charting systems is presented here in hopes that what these participants have found to be significant can be shared with others in similar situations.
2-D Analysis Of The Performance Of Connections With Unprotected Steel Structural Members Exposed To Parametric Fire

This report examines the performance of steel and composite steel beams, frames, and steel trusses subjected to realistic fires. High axial tensile forces at the beam connections are induced while cooling and could cause failure at the beam connections. Two-dimensional structural analysis and the thermal analysis were carried out using the SAFIR finite element program. An unprotected 610UB101 steel section was used for the steel beams; and the composite beams were formed by the unprotected steel beams acting compositely with the reinforced concrete slab and spanning between steel columns which were assumed to be fire protected. The results show that the induced tensile axial forces are larger in the frames without composite action. They also show that the maximum compressive force is larger when the connections have rotation fixation, but the maximum tensile force is independent of the connection type. The report also investigated the effect of changing the stiffness and strength of the columns. The results show that stronger columns induce larger tensile forces while cooling, and the resulting behaviour of the beam is very similar to the single span pinpin connected beam. When comparing fast fire growth and slow fire growth, the axial forces in the steel and composite beams were strongly dependent on the maximum steel temperature reached during the fire, and largely independent of the fire duration. The last section discusses the structural fire behaviour of steel trusses with the same dimensions as in the World Trade Center tower, with and without insulation. The results show excellent behaviour if the insulation remains in place, but rapid failure due to high axial forces if the insulation is removed.
Sinan: Ottoman Architecture And Its Values Today

This illustratd study focuses on the work of one of the greatest 16th-century Ottoman architects, Sinan Abdulmennan, showing how he revolutionized inherited Ottoman building methods - a tradition based on structure - by an awareness of the psychology of space. Until Sinan, Ottoman architecture had been a reading of parts. He broke down the distinct forms that had created a certain rigidity, thus freeing interior space and interior form simultaneously. Underlying his architectural concepts are the mathematical theories and practices of classical Greece. He shared these ideals of proportion and balance with builders in the West - indeed, the author argues that the work of Sinan and that of Bramante and Palladio must be seen as part of the same intellectual revolution. Although not designed as a life of Sinan, this work nevertheless shows the importance of the architect's long years in the army and his experience of bridges, siege-works, fortifications and the behaviour of stone and masonry before he was appointed Royal Architect in 1538. Goodwin bases his analysis on a comparative study of certain of Sinan's buildings, the supreme example being the imaginative leap represented by the mosque of Selim II at Edirne, second capital of the Ottoman empire. Included are chapters on light and space, the dome, minaret and the apsidal form, and decoration and tiles.
Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Nano Al-Matrix Composites Reinforced with SiC and Prepared by Powder Metallurgy

Nano Al-matrix composites reinforced with SiC were prepared by powder metallurgy process. The percentages of added SiC were varied between 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 wt. %. The starting powders were milled in high-energy ball mill for 10hrs to convert into nanopowders; then compacted and sintered for 1h in an argon atmosphere at 400, 500, and 570°C. X-ray technique and transmission electron-microscope were utilized to examine the prepared powders, while scanning electron-microscope was utilized to test the sintered composites. The relative density, apparent porosity, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties (microhardness, elastic moduli, and compressive strength) of sintered composites were studied. The results showed no sign for phase changes after milling, and the SiC reinforcement was uniformly distributed in the matrix. The relative density and electrical conductivity were decreased with increasing SiC content, while the apparent porosity was increased. It is also found that the mechanical properties were improved with increasing SiC content. Also, all properties were improved with increasing sintering temperature. The hardness, compressive strength, bulk modulus of Al-8wt. % SiC composite sintered at 570°C were 885.4 MPa, 276.2 MPa, and 135.9 GPa, respectively.