Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transferring water management knowledge : how actors, interaction and context influence the effectiveness of Dutch-funded projects in Romania

Countries around the world face pressing, often similar, water problems. International projects in which knowledge is transferred from one country to another can contribute to solving these problems. Building on the experiences of three Dutch-funded flood risk management projects in Romania, this research investigates the effectiveness of externally supported knowledge transfer projects. The focus of the research is on the dynamic interactions between actors and their diverse motivations, cognitions and resources. In various chapters, we introduce insights about policy implementation, policy and knowledge transfer, governance, evaluation, knowledge management and social learning. We use these insights to examine the supportiveness of Romania’s governance structure, the criteria affecting the effectiveness of knowledge transfer projects, the interactive process between actors with diverse knowledge backgrounds, processes of social learning and the influence of contextual factors. Furthermore, we compare the effectiveness of the three studied cases using the evaluation framework that was developed. We demonstrate that international water projects, which are implemented with external support, are less effective than hoped for. The interactions between various actors enable the sharing and acquisition of knowledge, but do often not result in the actual application of knowledge. Follow-up actions are needed but get stuck in the absence of an actor who is able and willing to coordinate or take the lead in the mobilization of (financial) resources. We recommend moving towards a longer term perspective on international water projects. Such a perspective involved that projects are seen as learning processes, which can form the building blocks for the realization of the desired outcomes
A Quantitative Analysis of Natural Surveillance at Elementary Schools -Evaluation Method Based on Perspectives from Both Outside Visibility and Visibility from Inside Buildings-

In recent years, there has been increased demand for the development of an effective way of addressing the somewhat contradictory topics of opening schools to the community and crime prevention. In response to this demand, there has been a rise in the active usage of theory of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). Natural surveillance is particularly important in CPTED, and there has been a proposal to increase crime prevention efforts based on natural surveillance by using layout and floor planning studies, in addition to previous elementary school facility planning models that have focused primarily on the function and design of schools. For this reason, it has become necessary to develop a method to quantitatively evaluate the natural surveillance of elementary schools. The authors proposed a method to evaluate natural surveillance from two perspectives — the view of the school grounds from outside and the view of the exterior from inside the buildings — for 46 elementary schools, for the purpose of gaining knowledge concerning the factors that make elementary schools safe or unsafe.
Experimental Research for Scour Resistance of Basalt and Carbon Fiber Hydraulic Concrete

According to a series scour resistance experiment of basalt fiber and carbon fiber hydraulic concrete, in which different length and different volume ratio of basalt fiber and carbon fiber to compare to cement volume are mixed in the concrete, the scour resistance characteristics of hydraulic fiber concrete are analyzed in this paper. Experimental results show that basalt fiber and carbon fiber may enhance scour resistance of hydraulic concrete, and the volume ratio of fiber to compare to cement volume in concrete is the main reinforcement factor, but the influence of fiber length in concrete on the scour resistance of concrete is not obvious.
Using Distillers Grains in the U.S. and International Livestock and Poultry Industries

This book brings together in one publication the latest information and research findings of internationally renowned experts to help market participants understand how best to utilize distillers grains both in the U.S. domestic market and in international export markets. The book discusses how to optimize distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) to best suit the needs of beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, and poultry, and how each species can best take advantage of current and improved DDGS products. The book also lays out export opportunities for DDGS and describes challenges and technological hurdles that need to be resolved for better nutritional value and best storage and transport practices.
Mechanical Models of Friction That Exhibit Hysteresis, Stick-Slip, and the Stribeck Effect.

Mechanical Models of Friction That Exhibit Hysteresis, Stick-Slip, and the Stribeck Effect by Bojana Drinčić Chair: Dennis S. Bernstein In this dissertation, we model hysteretic and friction phenomena without introducing friction or hysteresis per se. We use a combination of masses, springs, and dashpots and the frictional phenomena emerge as the result of their interaction. By using physical elements, we can understand the physical mechanisms that lead to hysteretic energy dissipation and phenomena, such as stick-slip behavior and the Stribeck effect. Furthermore, we study the origins of butterfly hysteresis, which arises in optics and ferromagnetism. We define the multiplay model for hysteresis with nonlocal memory, which consists of N mass/spring/dashpot with deadzone elements. The advantage of this model is that its hysteresis map can be inverted analytically. Second, we investigate the origins of stick-slip friction by developing an asperitybased friction model involving the frictionless contact between a body and a row of rigid, rotating bristles. This model exhibits hysteresis and quasi-stick-slip friction. The hysteretic energy-dissipation mechanism is the sudden release of the pivoted xviii bristles. The discontinuous rotating bristle model is an approximation of the rotating bristle model that exhibits exact stick-slip and hysteresis. We next develop an asperity-based friction model in which the vertical motion of the body leads to the Stribeck effect. The friction model is hysteretic and the energy-dissipation mechanism is the sudden release of the compressed bristles. We show that this bristle model is a generalization of the LuGre model. The final contribution of this dissertation is a framework for relating butterflyshaped hysteresis maps to simple hysteresis maps, which are typically easier to model and more amenable to control design. In particular, a unimodal mapping is used to transform simple loops to butterfly loops.
Fault Trace Corrugation and Segmentation as a Measure of Fault Structural Maturity

As faults grow over time and become more “mature,” some of their geometrical and mechanical properties evolve, and these changes modify earthquake behavior. It is thus of prime importance to know the degree of structural maturity of a fault that is likely to produce large earthquakes. Although this concept is extensively used, there is no common definition or metric to measure the structural maturity of a fault. We analyzed the heterogeneity of the surface traces of 13 large seismogenic faults whose maturity is known qualitatively. We measured the corrugations and step‐over segmentation of the traces from ∼100 m to the fault length scale. Corrugations and some properties of the segmentation are found to vary with fault structural maturity. We provide scaling relationships that quantify the structural maturity of a fault based on its surface trace. These results should help in parameterizing source faults in earthquake models.
Numerical study of concrete mixing transport process and mixing mechanism of truck mixer

– The purpose of this paper is to establish a new two-phase Discrete Element Method (DEM) model to investigate the movement of fresh concrete which consists of mortar and aggregate. The established DEM model was adopted to simulate the mixing process of fresh concrete based on the commercial software package PFC3D. The trajectories of particles and particle clusters were recorded to analyze the mixing behavior from different scales. On one hand, the macro-scale movement was obtained to make the mixing process visualization. On the other hand, the relative micro movement of the single particle and particle clusters was also monitored to further study the mixing mechanism of the fresh concrete. , – A new two-phase DEM model was designed to simulate the movement of fresh concrete which consists of mortar and aggregate. The linear-spring dashpot model was used to model all the contacts between particle and particle/wall to characterize the viscidity of fresh concrete. Moreover, two sets of parallel bond models were employed to characterize the contact between the mortar particles and mortar/coarse aggregate particles, namely the pbond1 and pbond2. The hybrid treatment enables the current DEM model to handle the yield behavior. , – The mixing process of fresh concrete is mainly composed by the transportation in the x-direction and the overturn and fall off in the y- and z-directions. With these movements in different directions, the concrete particles can be fully mixed in the mixing drum. , – A new two-phase DEM model was proposed and used to simulate the mixing process of fresh concrete. The outcomes of the simulation would be helpful for making the transporting truck visualization and the movement behavior of fresh concrete observable. The model can provide dynamic information of particles to reveal the interaction mechanism of fresh concrete in the truck mixer which is extremely difficult to obtain on-line in physical experiments or building site.
The Effect of Bank Supervision and Examination on Risk Taking: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

We exploit an exogenous reduction in bank supervision and examination to demonstrate a causal effect of supervisory oversight on financial institutions’ risk taking. The additional risk took the form of risky lending, faster asset growth, and a greater reliance on low-quality capital. This response to less oversight boosted banks’ odds of failure. Lastly, we show that the reduction in oversight capacity led to more costly failures because there were longer delays in closing insolvent institutions, and because more bad assets were passed to the government insurance fund.
Second-harmonic reflector type high-gain FET frequency doubler operating in K-band

A high-gain FET frequency doubler with a second-harmonic reflector in the input circuit has been developed. The reflector position which gives maximum multiplication gain depends on line loss. The relation between multiplication gain and the reflector position varies with line loss. A K-band frequency doubler designed on this basis was fabricated, showing a multiplication gain of 6 dB. <<ETX>>
The Long-term Recovery of Parotid Glands and Oral QOL in Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treated by Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy 

BackgroundXerostomia is one of the most common adverse events of radiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinal volume the change of parotid gland after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer and the relationship between parotid irradiation dose and xerostomia symptoms.Methods We retrospectively analyzed longitudinal changing of parotid gland volumes in 20 patients treated by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). We assessed xerostomia 4 years or more after IMRT by measuring the degree of oral moisture and oral QOL evaluation.ResultsThe relative parotid volumes at 0-6, 7-18, 19-30, 31-42, 43-54 and 55-66 months after IMRT were67.9 ± 10.1%, 67.7 ± 13.6%, 74.3 ± 12.5%, 75.8 ± 12.4%, 78.3 ± 17.4%, and 75.3% ± 17.7%, respectively. The parotid volume had recovered significantly at 31-42 months after IMRT, especially in parotid receiving less than 40 Gy. The mean irradiated dose for bilateral parotids showed negative correlations with oral QOL score and oral moisture. ConclusionThe mean irradiated dose for the parotid should be reduce as much as possible to improve oral QOL long after IMRT.
Battery usage and thermal performance of the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight during chassis dynamometer testing

This study describes the results from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) chassis dynamometer testing of a 2000 model year Honda Insight and 2001 model year Toyota Prius. The tests were conducted for the purpose of evaluating the battery thermal performance, assessing the impact of air conditioning on fuel economy and emissions, and providing information for NREL's Advanced Vehicle Simulator (ADVISOR). A comparative study of the battery usage and thermal performance of the battery packs used in these two vehicles during chassis dynamometer testing is presented. Specially designed charge and discharge chassis dynamometer test cycles revealed that the Insight limited battery usage to 60% of rated capacity, while the Prius limited battery usage to 40% of the rated capacity. The Prius uses substantially more pack energy over a given driving cycle but at the same time maintains the pack within a tight target state of charge (SOC) of 54% to 56%. The Insight does not appear to force the battery to a specific target SOC. The Prius battery contributes a higher percentage of the power needed for propulsion. The study also found that while both vehicles have adequate battery thermal management system for mild driving conditions, the Prius thermal management is more robust, and the Insight thermal management limits pack performance in certain conditions.
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development

This book is an important and comprehensive account of the historical, nutritional, social and technological aspects of soy protein processing, focusing on variably possible formulations composed of soy concentrates and isolates as functional ingredients. The book designed to interest advanced students and professionals in human nutrition as well and food and meat science and technology – argues that unlocking the potential of nature to improve quality of life is the single greatest challenge for soy protein nutrition. Basic knowledge in food science, food technology, nutrition and related issues is key to the understanding of important complexes between interrelated aspects of soy protein. For this reason, Henk W. Hoogenband spends quite a significant number of initial chapters in this book to highlight some basic aspects, including the history of soy, meat processing, microbiology, lifestyle foods paradigms, nutrition-related illnesses and practices, and genetically modified organisms. One conspicuous observation is the simplicity and care that attends to the presentation of basic facts and contentious issues.
Design of Torque Balancing Cams for Globoidal Cam Indexing Mechanisms

A technique for designing torque balancing cam (TBC) systems that are composed of spring-loaded planar cams with translating followers for globoidal cam indexing mechanisms (GCIMs) has been presented. Such a device can be attached to the input shaft of a GCIM to reduce the variation of its cam rotational speed. As a result, for high-speed applications, the intensity of residual vibrations of a GCIM can be decreased and its indexing accuracy can be improved. To approximate the required counterbalancing torque curves, nonparametric rational B-splines have been applied to synthesize the planar cam motion programs. Experimental results have also been shown to illustrate a practical, high-speed application. It has been proven that the use of such a TBC mechanism is useful and effective.
Unmet Needs of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness near San Diego Waterways: The Roles of Displacement and Overburdened Service Systems

Homelessness is among the most urgent crises facing the United States. In addition to tents or sleeping bags on urban sidewalks, many people experiencing homelessness exist outside of public view, along rivers and other waterways, and elsewhere “out in nature. ” This paper explores reasons individuals live near waterways, specific health and human service needs of this population, and why these needs remain largely unmet. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 84 individuals experiencing homelessness, 56 of whom were currently residing or had previously resided near the San Diego River or in nearby canyons, as well as seven key informant interviews with homelessness services and environmental conservation organizations. Our findings reveal that people live near urban waterways for several reasons, including the competing influences of systems designed to ameliorate the impacts of homelessness, such as criminal justice systems, public health systems, and the emergency shelter system.
Multi-zone phenomenological model of combustion and emission characteristics and parametric investigations for split injections and multiple injections in common-rail direct-injection diesel engines

This paper presents the formulation of a multi-zone zone phenomenological model for predicting the combustion and emission characteristics of split-injection and multiple-injection common-rail direct-injection diesel engines. In this model, the instantaneous combustion space is divided into two regions, namely the spray zones and the surrounding air. The model predictions for combustion and emissions for split injections and multiple injections are validated with the measured results on a wide range of injection schedules available in the literature. The comparisons reveal the good predictive ability of the model with reasonable accuracy and demonstrate the applicability of the multi-zone model to multiple-injection common-rail direct-injection engines. Hence, the model is used for parametric investigations to analyse the effect of split injections and multiple injections on the combustion and emission characteristics of common-rail direct-injection diesel engines. The parametric investigations show that an increase in the pilot fuel quantity increases the nitrogen oxide emissions and reduces the soot emissions while the dwell period has to be optimized for simultaneous reductions in the nitrogen oxide emissions and the soot emissions. Therefore the present model can be used to achieve an optimal injection schedule for given engine operating conditions.
Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites in Children of Bheerkot, Syangja, Nepal

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among the children of age group 4-12 years in Bheerkot Municipality of Syangja District, Nepal, at an altitude of 1088 m above sea level. The research was conducted among 50 children i.e., 24.27% of total children population of that age group. Among 50, 21 (42%) and 29 (58%) were male and female respectively, on which parasitic infection was observed in 42.85% of male population and 31.03% of female population, but there was no association of gender for the infections of intestinal parasites. This indicates that the association of gender with intestinal parasitic infection differs from one community to other and might be attributed to socio-behavioral activities. The samples were examined under optical microscope (low power-10X and high power 40X). The major intestinal parasites detected were Giardia lamblia (Lambl), Entamoeaba histolytica (Schaudinn), Entamoeba coli (Grassi) and Trichuris trichiura (Linnaeus). In conclusion, among above mentioned parasites, Giardia lamblia was found with higher prevalence infecting 16 of total children, we recommend for improvement in the drinking water habit and proper sanitation in the people of Bheerkot-3 and need of effective social awareness programs
Bioelasticity imaging:II. Spatial resolution

The large elasticity contrast possible with strain imaging promises new diagnostic information to augment x-ray, MRI, and ultrasound for the detection of tumors in soft tissue. In the past, we described the design of an elastographic system using the Fourier crosstalk concept introduced by Barrett and Gifford. The diagonal of the crosstalk matrix is related to the pre-sampled modulation transfer function (MTF) of the strain image. Another approach to measuring the spatial resolution of an elasticity image employs a linear frequency- modulated (chirp) strain pattern imposed upon a simulated ultrasonic echo field to study the strain modulation over a range of spatial frequencies in the image. In experiments, high contrast inclusions positioned at varying separations were imaged to apply the Rayleigh criterion for resolution measurement. We measured MTF curves that fell to 0.2 at a spatial frequency of 0.5 mm-1 to 1 mm-1 under realistic conditions. The spatial resolution for ultrasonic strain imaging strongly depends on the transducer properties and deformation patterns applied to the object. Experiments with tissue-like phantoms mimicking the properties of early breast cancer show that 2 mm spheres three times stiffer than the background can be readily resolved. Thus, the potential for using elasticity imaging to detect early breast cancers is excellent.
AN AUTOMATIC ALGORITHM FOR IDENTIFICATION AND STRAIGHTENING IMAGES OF CURVED HUMAN CHROMOSOMES

Karyotyping is a standard method for presenting the complete set of the pictures of human chromosomes in a table-like format. It is usually used by a cytogenetic expert to predict the common genetic abnormalities. Producing a Karyotype from microscopic images of human chromosomes is a tedious and time-consuming task, so an automatic Karyotyping system would help the cytogenetic expert in his/her routine work. Automatic Karyotyping algorithms usually suffer the non-rigid nature of the chromosomes, which makes them to have unpredictable shapes and sizes in the images. One such problem that usually needs the operator's interaction is the existence of curved chromosomes within the images. In this paper, an effective algorithm for identification and straightening of curved human chromosomes is presented. This will extend the domain of application of the most of the previously reported algorithms to the curved chromosomes. The proposed algorithm is applied to single chromosomes that are initially modified by means of a Median filter. The medial axis (MA) of the filtered image is then extracted using a thinning procedure, which is carried out on the binary version of the image. By comparing the Euclidean distance of the endpoints and the length of the MA, a curved chromosome is identified. For chromosome straightening, the initially extracted medial axis is then modified by extending it in both ends considering the slope of the MA. Next, the original input image is intensity sampled over many closely located perpendicular lines to the MA along the chromosome which are then mapped into a matrix (as rows) producing a vertically oriented straight chromosome. For evaluation, the algorithm is applied to 54 selected highly curved chromosomes obtained at the pro-metaphase stage, which were provided by the Cytogenetic Laboratory of Cancer Institute, Imam Hospital, Tehran, Iran. The density profile and the centromeric index of the chromosomes which are among the most important and commonly used features for chromosome identification are calculated by the expert both before and after the straightening procedure. The mean squared error and the variance of the difference between the two are then obtained and compared. The results show a good agreement between the two, hence the effectiveness of the proposed method. The proposed algorithm therefore extends the domain of application of the previously reported algorithms to the highly curved chromosomes.