Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY ON EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: THE CASE OF THE VISEGRÁD COUNTRIES

Entrepreneurship has become an emerging topic of discussion in recent years as more emphasis has been placed on the positive impact it may have on economic growth and development. Developed countries are focusing more on advancing innovation and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship while in several developing countries the importance of entrepreneurial activities to aid in job creation and alleviation of socio-economic challenges is accentuated. Literature suggests a strong link between entrepreneurship, economic growth and employment but few studies have shown the level of relationship between these variables. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between established business ownership (EBO), new business density (NBD), employment (E) and economic growth (GDP) rates using an econometric analysis method. The study design followed a quantitative empirical approach using annual secondary data from 2006 to 2017 for the Visegrád countries (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic). A pooled panel analysis was used to test the long and short run relationships between the mentioned variables. The first pooled panel analysis tested the relationship between GDP, NBD and EBO rates, while the second pooled panel analysis tested the relationship between E, NBD and EBO rates. Results indicated a long run relationship between the variables by using the Fisher-Johansen cointegration analysis. Further results of the analysis indicated that both EBO and NBD are significant predictors at 5% and 10% significant levels respectively of economic growth (GDP), while for employment (E) as the dependent variable, EBO is a significant predictor at the 5% level and NBD is not a significant pridictor. In conclusion, the study proved that links between the mentioned variables do exist and that entrepreneurial activity should be stimulated and supported as it has a significant impact on economic growth and employment at various degrees of impact.
Effects of machine parameter values on dynamic response and stability regions of doubly-fed cascade induction machines

Doubly-fed cascade-connected induction machines (CCIMs), whether mounted in a single frame or otherwise, are capable of developing useful torque as brushless synchronous machines over a wide speed range. Such machines exhibit instability within certain regions of operation and may be insufficiently damped within others. This paper presents some of the loci of the dominant eigenvalues of the system equations plotted as functions of the values of various design parameters of the machines. It is shown that, by appropriate design, certain areas of instability may be reduced or removed and the response improved, but that it is not possible, by design changes alone, to remove all such unstable areas, nor can the response be improved in all areas simultaneously.
University Spin-Offs and Their Impact: Longitudinal Evidence from Italy

The creation of university spin-off companies (USOs) is one of the most visible form of commercialization of university research. To date, there is scant and mixed evidence about USOs and their performance, thus producing a debate about their impact on the economy and society and about the legitimization of policies to support their development. In this paper, we address this gap by providing evidence about the growth strategies and performances of USOs in the Italian context. We analyze the population of nine hundred thirty-five USOs spin-off from Italian public universities since 2000, highlighting potential avenues for future research on this important topic.
An experimental and numerical study of the fracture behaviour of tubular specimens in a pin-loading-tension set-up

Abstract Evaluation of a valid crack tip loading parameter using standard ASTM practice may not be feasible in many situations, e.g. in thin tubular specimens with diametrically opposite axial through-wall cracks (loaded in opening mode) that are obtained from zircaloy fuel pins of nuclear reactors. Recently, a pin-loading-tension (PLT) experimental set-up has evolved for this purpose. However, the required geometry functions (which should be obtained from a three-dimensional (3D) finite-element (FE) analysis procedure) for evaluation of the stress intensity factor (SIF) for such a set-up is not available in the literature. In this work, a detailed 3D FE analysis of the PLT set-up has been carried out where both the pin and the mandrel have been modelled. Analysis has been carried out for the full loading path (i.e. for applied displacements beyond the limit load of the specimen) in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model and the results have been compared with those of the experiment. In addition, the SIFs (and geometry functions) of the PLT set-up (with different initial crack lengths) have been evaluated from the FE results using extrapolation techniques and were compared with the results from two different analytical techniques.
Double-fed induction machine: converter optimisation and field oriented control without position sensor

The authors present a new system for variable speed using a double-fed induction machine. With a special operating mode, the apparent power of the inverter can reach only 20% of the maximum mechanical power, compared to a classical solution which needs 120%. Control laws are also studied with and without a sensor and they are particularly robust. The approach is validated by simulations and experimental results.
Voltage contingency selection technique for security assessment

The paper presents a fast and accurate technique for ranking transmission line outages according to the severity of their effects on busbar voltages. To simulate each contingency case, the proposed technique uses the DC formulation with compensation method to compute the post outage angle and the superdecoupled load flow formulation, and compensation method to derive the post outage voltage. The quadratic voltage performance index for every line contingency is then computed, and the results are subsequently sorted in descending order, according to the severity of effects. Computational results of this technique, applied to different test systems, are presented.
An application of quality function deployment to improve the quality of teaching

Over the years, many teaching methods and techniques have been suggested and used in university teaching. However, the effectiveness of these teaching techniques and methods has not been carefully evaluated. We propose and test a methodology for identifying different teaching techniques and for evaluating their effectiveness in achieving educational objectives from students’ perspective. This paper demonstrates how quality function deployment (QFD) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) are used in identifying teaching methods and techniques and in evaluating their effectiveness in achieving educational objectives.
Simplified Design of Roller-Compacted Concrete Composite Pavement

Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) is a durable, economical paving material for heavy-duty traffic. In the past, most RCC pavements have been built for low-speed traffic because of the difficulty of producing a smooth surface. A composite pavement system consisting of an RCC pavement structure and a hot-mix asphalt (HMA) riding surface is proposed. Simplified design tables, based on mechanistic analysis, are presented. Only fatigue cracking was considered, because performance studies of RCC have shown very little tendency for joint or crack faulting. Use of the design procedure is illustrated through an example. Results are compared with several other design procedures. Guidance for materials selection for the HMA surface layer and the subbase layer is provided, and construction considerations are reviewed. Cost data show that the initial cost of RCC pavements may be as low as 62% of the cost of conventional paving alternatives (not counting the HMA surface course). Suggested areas for further research into RCC composite pavements are discussed. The advances in RCC technology over the past two decades have made RCC a durable, economical alternative for industrial and multimodal pavements. Further use of RCC as part of a composite pavement system for highways offers considerable potential. One obstacle to use of RCC for highways has been the absence of a suitable design procedure. That need has been addressed in this research.
RMCSIM: A simulation model of a ready‐mixed concrete plant serving multiple sites using multiple truckmixers

A simulation computer program named RMCSIM has been developed to simulate a whole day of activities for a concrete plant with N mixing bays, M truckmixers (with two different capacities: 5 m3 and 7 m3) serving S sites, where sites are at variable distances D from the plant and variable quantities Q are required by the sites in which different placing methods are used. It is developed based on a set of data which has been reported earlier in another paper (Anson et al., 2002). An optimal number of truckmixers for a particular day's order size can be found from the results of the simulations. The optimal volume of concrete that a truckmixer carries on any one day is found to be about 27 m3 in Hong Kong situations. It is also found that a two mixing bay concrete plant always provides better services than a one mixing bay plant. The mix combinations of 5 m3 and 7 m3 truckmixers in the fleet have no significant effect on concreting service performance. Lastly, it can be deduced that the causes of unsatisfactory concrete delivery performance are most likely due to site managers' difficulties in precise planning rather than the scheduling at the concrete plant.
Design and Performance of a Hybrid Ventilation System with Heat Recovery for Low Energy Buildings

A new hybrid ventilation system for low energy buildings has been investigated theoretically using TRNSYS. The system is based on natural ventilation but utilizes a fan during hours when the natural driving forces are not sufficient. Heat from the exhaust air is recovered in an air-to-water heat exchanger. The heated water is pumped to the incoming ventilation air where it is heat exchanged to preheat the fresh air. Energy from solar collectors is used in combination with heat recovered from the sewage system to heat the ventilation air and to preheat the cold water for domestic use. Results from the TRNSYS simulations show that the bought annual auxiliary energy need for the new hybrid ventilation system is lower than for a conventional fan driven ventilation systems using air-to-air heat recovery units combined with an identical solar collector and sewage heat recovery unit. Since the new system is based on natural ventilation it is also more silent compared to standard mechanical ventilation systems.
Risk, Anxiety in a Pandemic: Consequences for Travel and Tourism

This article is set in the times of the global pandemic caused by the Novel Coronavirus By examining dimensions of panic, fear and anxiety amongst fourteen travelers and their various decisions during the pandemic this qualitative study tries to holistically capture their journeys By reimagining the act of travel as a practice and using a grounded approach this study elicits data through in-depth interviews and allows us to chart the chaos and uncertainty faced by travelers worldwide The analysis of the data offers us not only a picture of the traveler's psyche during a pandemic but also points to areas of concern that must be addressed in the future by the sector
Practical Research: Planning and Design

Acknowledgments Introduction PART I: THE FUNDAMENTALS Chapter 1. WHAT IS RESEARCH? Chapter 2. TOOLS OF RESEARCH PART II: FOCUSING YOUR RESEARCH EFFORTS Chapter 3. THE PROBLEM: THE HEART OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS Chapter 4. REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE Chapter 5. PLANNING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT Chapter 6. WRITING THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL PART III: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES Chapter 7. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Chapter 8. HISTORICAL RESEARCH PART IV: QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES Chapter 9. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH . Chapter 10. EXPERIMENTAL AND EX POST FACTO DESIGNS Chapter 11. STRATEGIES FOR ANALYZING QUANTITATIVE DATA PART V: PREPARING THE RESEARCH REPORT Chapter 12. TECHNICAL DETAILS: STYLE, FORMAT, AND ORGANIZATION OF THE RESEARCH REPORT APPENDICES Appendix A. USING A SPREADSHEET: MICROSOFT EXCEL Appendix B. USING SPSS REFERENCES
Spatially Varying Extinction Coefficient for Direct Absorption Solar Thermal Collector Optimization

Direct absorption solar thermal collectors have recently been shown to be a promising technology for photothermal energy conversion but many parameters affecting the overall performance of such systems have not been studied in depth, yet alone optimized. Earlier work has shown that the overall magnitude of the extinction coefficient can play a drastic role, with too high of an extinction coefficient actually reducing the efficiency. This study investigates how the extinction coefficient impacts the collector efficiency and how it can be tuned spatially to optimize the efficiency, and why this presents a unique design over conventional solar thermal collection systems. Three specific extinction profiles are investigated: uniform, linearly increasing, and exponentially increasing with the exponentially increasing profile demonstrating the largest efficiency improvement.
Electric-Field Distribution Along Finite Length Lossy Dielectric Slabs in Waveguide

A procedure is given to calculate the reflection and transmission coefficients of a full-height dielectric slab centered in a rectangular waveguide. The effects of loss and of finite length are included. The magnitude squared of the electric field along the slab is calculated in order to predict inhomogeneous heat input to the sample. These results are compared with experimental measurements on several materials and the pupae of Tenebrio molitor.
Amplitude, width, and interarrival distributions for noise impulses on intrabuilding power line communication networks

Estimates are presented of probability distributions for the amplitude, width, and interarrival time of noise impulses. These estimates are based on measurements in both industrial and residential buildings and usefully complement the noise spectral density estimates of others. The results are based on measurements with and without specific electrical loads on the 120-V power line network. All measurements are between line and neutral conductors. The harmful effects of power line impulse noise on digital communications are indicated. Some suggestions for combatting these effects are presented, based on the impulse noise measurement results. >
Comparison of Heat Transfer Augmentation Techniques

Dr. Phil Ligrani is currently Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Convective Heat Transfer Laboratory at the University of Utah and a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He has beenworking on convection heat transfer and fluid mechanics research problems since he received his Ph.D. degree from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University in 1980. From 1979 to 1982, he was an Assistant Professor in the Turbomachinery Department of the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Rhode-Saint-Genese, Belgium. From 1982 to 1984, he worked in the Department of Aeronautics of the Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London. From 1984 to 1992, he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. In his research, he has investigated the ultra-small-scale motions that exist near walls in turbulent boundary layers, the effects of surface roughness on turbulent boundary layers, transitional phenomena in curved channels including the development and structure of Dean vortex pairs, and innovative schemes for internal cooling and surface heat transfer augmentation, such as dimpled surfaces and swirl chambers, as well as a variety of gas turbine heat transfer and blade cooling problems. He served as Guest Editor for the journal Measurement Science and Technology from 1998 to 2000, and he will serve as Associate Technical Editor for the Journal of Heat Transfer from 2003 to 2006. He has published approximately 150 journal papers, conference papers, and book chapters. In 1995, he was presented with the "Professor of the Year" award at the University of Utah for outstanding classroom teaching. Some of his other activities and recognitions include a Guest Professorship in 2000 at the Institut fur Thermische Stroemungs-maschinen-Universitaet Karlsruhe, a Visiting Senior Research Fellowship from 1982 to 1983 at the Imperial College of Science and Technology-University of London, a NASA Space Act Tech Brief Award in 1991 for "Development of Subminiature Multi-Sensor Hot-Wire Probes," and the Carl E. and Jessie W. Menneken Faculty Award in 1990 for Excellence in Scientific Research. E-mail: ligrani@mech.utah. edu.
Decision Scientists, Decision Makers, and the Gap

There's a gap between decision scientists and decision makers. The decision scientists don't understand decision making; and the decision makers don't understand decision scientists. It's our responsibility as decision scientists to close this gap. I've been applying Management Science methods to the solution of business problems for about 25 years now. In my observation, the gap is growing wider rather than narrower. It's time we built some bridges!
Development of snake grass fiber-reinforced polymer composite chair

The natural fiber-reinforced composites have been widely used in many applications and emerging as a replacement for wood materials. The wood is a main component for making chairs, tables, and various furniture elements. The snake grass fiber-reinforced polymer composites chair is fabricated and is used to replace the usage of wood chair for commercial application. The mechanical properties such as flexural and compressive and the water absorption at various time periods have been analyzed. These properties are compared with SAL wood and the inferences are discussed. The preparation and material cost of the composites are compared with SAL wood chair. The composite chair have higher mechanical properties and lower cost for fabrication compared to SAL wood chair. The total weight of composites chair is lower than wood. Hence, snake grass fiber-reinforced polymer composites might replace SAL wood and other wood chairs and save trees, which in turn helps in reducing global warming.
ATTITUDES AND KNOWLEDGE OF FOOD SAFETY AMONG SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT OPERATORS

The idea for a food safety study within the restaurant population was brought to light by Joan Giampaoli, M.S., R.D. The study's query began with the intent to bridge the gap between those restaurant operators who know about food safety yet do not practice it and those who not only know food safety principles, but actually put them to use. It was brought to our attention that eliciting truthful responses to actual restaurant practices would be extremely difficult. Consequently, the query became “what differences occur between restaurants with excellent environmental health code records and those having difficulty with food safety. ” Due to good timing and luck, the Department of Environmental Health, Consumer Protection Division of Santa Clara County, California, was in the process of examining their own inspection procedures and welcomed us as partners. The data collected from the study was useful to them in assessing the effectiveness of their current foodservice education program, identifying additional educational methods for restaurant operators, and in revising their inspection process. A follow-up study is planned after implementing these changes. Food safety and foodborne illness prevention are both a high priority with the Department of Environmental Health, Consumer Protection Division (DEH, CPD) in Santa Clara County, California. With the rising incidence of foodborne illness outbreaks across the United States it is imperative that restaurant foodservice operators become not only concerned with the dangers of foodborne illness, but also knowledgeable about how to prevent outbreaks. To measure attitude and knowledge regarding food safety, three hundred surveys were mailed to two separate restaurant operator populations in Santa Clara County, California. The two populations were separated by distinguishing favorable and unfavorable health code violation records dating between January 1994 and January 1995. Those restaurants with favorable health code records were hypothesized to be highly concerned and knowledgeable regarding food safety in comparison to restaurants with unfavorable health code records. Total response rate for the survey was 20.6%. Results of the survey indicated that restaurants with favorable health code records reflected a significantly higher level of concern and knowledge regarding food safety with a p<0.05. It was concluded that restaurant operators possessing the necessary knowledge and an appropriate attitude and concern towards food safety are practicing these principles on a more frequent basis as evidenced by favorable health code records.
Storm water quality of first flush urban runoff in relation to different traffic characteristics

Storm water quality was monitored at four sites in a middle-sized Swedish town. The objective was to compare storm water pollution in the first flush storm water runoff between sites with different traffic intensities within a town. Flow proportional storm water runoff samples were collected. The samples were analyzed for suspended solids, conductivity, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, oil index, lead, cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel, and zinc.The results showed that the levels of heavy metals and total phosphorus in storm water were highest at the site with the highest traffic intensity (7000 vehicles/day). A strong linear dependence between suspended solids (SS) and total phosphorus and heavy metals was observed. SS was the dominant explanatory variable for these parameters and a suitable predictor. The observed correlation between SS, heavy metals, and total phosphorus means that reducing levels of suspended solids in storm water would contribute to a substantial decrease of particle-bound heavy met.
Linear sinusoidal VCO

This paper presents a sinusoidal oscillator whose frequency of oscillation bears a linear relationship with the controlling voltage Vx. The basic configuration incorporates two four-quadrant analogue multipliers in conjunction with RC network of which two capacitors are grounded. The circuit is found to show an ultra-low distortion output. The realization of the basic configuration uses two grounded capacitors which are suitable for LSI implementation of the oscillator circuit.
The Influence of the Nature of Redox-Active Moieties on the Properties of Redox-Active Ionic Liquids and on Their Use as Electrolyte for Supercapacitors

In this work, two new redox-active ionic liquids, one based on 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxide and the other based on 4,4′-bipyridine, are synthesized and characterized. A ferrocene-based redox-active ionic liquid is used for referencing the results. All ionic liquids are formed via salt-metathesis from halogenate to bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide. Their fundamental thermal characteristics are assessed with differential scanning calorimetry. While the imidazolium ionic liquids show no melting point, the phase transition is well observable for the viologen-based ionic liquid. The properties of the neat redox-active ionic liquids and of binary mixtures containing these ionic liquids (0.1 m) and 1-butyl-1-methyl pyrrolidinium-bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide have been investigated. Finally, the use of these binary mixtures in combination with activated carbon-based electrodes has been considered in view of the use of these redox-active electrolytes in supercapacitors.