Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Light Transfer Simulation Tools in Photobiological Fuel Production

Photobiological carbon dioxide fixation and fuel production have received significant attention in recent years as sustainable solutions to global warming and energy crisis. However, this technology suffers from low production rates, poor solar energy conversion efficiency, and relatively high cost compared with competing technologies. The objective of the present study is to address these limitations by developing efficient and reliable simulation tools to optimize photobiological fuel production systems.First, an efficient radiative transfer equation (RTE) solver was developed using the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method and graphics processing units (GPUs). In this study, the RTE solver was validated with benchmark problems related to combustion systems. In addition, this study demonstrated computational benefits of GPUs computing for solving the RTE.Second, the spectral effective real and imaginary parts of the complex index of refraction of green microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were retrieved from the its experimentally measured radiation characteristics. The microalgae were considered as spherical cells with equivalent diameter distributions. Genetic algorithm and Lorentz-Mie theory were used as inverse and forward method, respectively. In addition, T-matrix was used to predict the radiation characteristics of filamentous cyanobacteria consisting of aligned and connected spheres. This study established that, from a light absorption and scattering point of views, these microorganisms can be treated as infinitely long cylinders with volume-equivalent diameter. The methodology can be used in a wide range of applications and the results can be used to predict the radiation characteristics of PBR suspensions.Finally, light transfer in photobioreactors (PBRs) containing microalgae C. reinhardtii was modeled using the previously developed RTE solver. Then, the light transfer and growth kinetics were combined to estimate the daily biomass productivity of outdoor open ponds, vertical flat-plate PBRs, and tubular PBRs. The effects of growth kinetics models and cellular respiration on daily biomass productivity were investigated. The study demonstrated that the daily productivity per unit of illuminated surface area for PBRs operated in batch mode were identical and depended uniquely on the ratio X0/a where X0 is the initial microalgae concentration and a is the illuminated surface area per unit volume of PBR. Similar results were obtained with experimental data and other simulation results reported in the literature, for different microorganisms and PBRs operated in continuous mode. The PBR optical thickness, represented by X0/a, constitutes a convenient parameter for designing (via a) and operating (via X0) these PBRs to achieve their maximum performance.
Lateral Flange Bending in Heavily Skewed Steel Bridges

MORERA, FRANCISCO. Lateral Flange Bending in Heavily Skewed Steel Bridges. (Under the direction of Dr. Emmett A. Sumner) The problem related to lateral flange bending of steel plate skewed girders during the non composite phase of construction can be simply stated as a consequence of the significant support skew, typical staggered crossframes along the span in between adjacent girders, differential deflections commonly present on skewed bridges, out of plumb condition associated with girder camber and imperfections, and the force transfer mechanism due to the overhang falsework. Two different simple span steel I-girder skewed bridges were monitored during the non composite phase of the construction process in order to study the effect of Lateral Flange Bending (LFB) on both displacements and stresses. Using ANSYS V 11.0 as the Finite Element software, numerical models of the bridges were developed in an effort to identify the key components that allow characterization of torsional rotation displacements and the lateral displacements as well as the LFB stress profile. A parametric analysis was performed to single out the most sensitive parameters and to establish a possible mitigation strategy for both the stresses and displacements. The study identified that increasing the polar moment of inertia of the girders by slightly increasing the thickness of either the flanges or the web produces more beneficial effects than the traditional idea of increasing the number of crossframes or diaphragms along the span. The crossframe layout was also found to be crucial on the rotational response of the bridge and the X-type crossframes proved to be more efficient in controlling transverse rotations. On the other hand, it was determined that the worst case scenario produced a maximum LFB locked-in stress of 18% of the yield stress. Lateral Flange Bending in Heavily Skewed Steel Bridges by Francisco Javier Morera A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Civil Engineering Raleigh, North Carolina 2010 APPROVED BY: Dr. James Nau Chair of Advisory Committee Dr. Emmett A. Sumner Advisory Committee Dr. Abhinav Gupta Advisory Committee Dr. Rudolf Seracino Advisory Committee ii DEDICATION To Marisol, Daniela, Alejandra and Andrea. My wonderful family.
Anthropometric Survey (ANSUR) II Pilot Study: Methods and Summary Statistics

Abstract : Virtually every Army materiel system in use was designed and/or sized using a database of anthropometric information that is 20 years old. It was based on the Army Anthropometric Survey (ANSUR), which was conducted in 1988 on only Active Duty Soldiers. However, more than one-half of today's fighting forces are National Guard and Reserve component troops. A pilot study (ANSUR II) was recently undertaken to (1) assess anthropometric change since 1988 within the Active Army; (2) to assess anthropometric differences among Army Active, Reserve, and National Guard components; and (3) to provide guidance on whether a further, more comprehensive survey and an update of the current ANSUR database are needed. This report provides measurement methods and summary statistics for 25 body measurements made on 2811 male and 651 female soldiers in the pilot study. The anthropometric change since 1988 and tests of component differences are presented in a separate technical report. The subjects were weighted by component, sex, age, and racial/ethnic group to match Total Army demographics as of March 2007 in order to provide interim design guidance on Total Army body size distributions as of March 2007.
Domain prediction with grouped income data

One popular small area estimation method for estimating poverty and inequality indicators is the empirical best predictor under the unit‐level nested error regression model with a continuous dependent variable. However, parameter estimation is more challenging when the response variable is grouped due to data confidentiality concerns or concerns about survey response burden. The work in this paper proposes methodology that enables fitting a nested error regression model when the dependent variable is grouped. Model parameters are then used for small area prediction of finite population parameters of interest. Model fitting in the case of a grouped response variable is based on the use of a stochastic expectation–maximization algorithm. Since the stochastic expectation–maximization algorithm relies on the Gaussian assumptions of the unit‐level error terms, adaptive transformations are incorporated for handling departures from normality. The estimation of the mean squared error of the small area parameters is facilitated by a parametric bootstrap that captures the additional uncertainty due to the grouping mechanism and the possible use of adaptive transformations. The empirical properties of the proposed methodology are assessed by using model‐based simulations and its relevance is illustrated by estimating deprivation indicators for municipalities in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
Genomic Analysis of Sugar Transporter Gene Family in Cultivated Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea): Evolution, Expression Profiles and Gene Variation

BackgroundSugar transporter (STP) gene family, belonging to the major facilitator superfamily, plays significant roles in monosaccharide distribution and many aspects of physiological processes. However, little information was available about the STP genes in cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea), an important edible and oil crop. The recent release of the whole-genome sequence of cultivated peanut allowed us to perform a genome-wide investigation into the phylogeny and expression profiling of peanut STP genes.ResultsA total of thirty-six STP genes containing the Sugar_tr conserved motifs were identified from the A. hypogaea genome and all the genes were renamed on the basis of their respective chromosome distribution. According to their phylogenetic features, the STPs were classified into four groups. The structure of the STP genes and their encoded proteins were examined. Synteny analysis and phylogenetic comparison of the STP genes provided deep insight into the evolutionary characteristics of peanut STP genes. The segmental duplication events played a major role in the expansion of the peanut STP gene family and homeologous chromosomes rearrangement may lead to the exchange of STP genes between the A and B sub-genome. Expression profiles derived from transcriptome data exhibited distinct expression patterns of AhSTP genes in various tissues. Among them, four AhSTP genes, AhSTP3, AhSTP9, AhSTP19, AhSTP28, exhibited high expression in early stage of pod formulate in subsp. hypogaea, and in developing phase of seed in subsp. fastigiate, suggesting these genes may be involved in the development of pod and seed. Gene variation analysis of the four genes utilizing the subspecies genome sequences indicated multiple variations occurred in gene sequence or promoter region, and provided valuable clues for the different expression profiles of the four genes during seed development in subsp. hypogaea and subsp. fastigiate.ConclusionThirty-six STP genes were identified in cultivated peanut and their protein character,structure,evolution characteristics, expression patterns and gene variation were analyzed.This study provided a foundation for further functional characterization of STP genes with an aim of cultivated peanut crop improvement.
Contraceptive use and associated factors among sexually active HIV positive women attending ART clinic in FHRH in Bahir Dar, north west, Ethiopia, 2018. Facility based cross-sectional study.

Abstract Back ground: Contraception helps prevent unplanned pregnancies and mother to child HIV transmission among human immune virus positive women. Contraceptive use status and associated factors were not well addressed in the study area. This study aimed to assess contraceptives use and associated factors among HIV positive sexually active women at anti-retroviral therapy clinic in Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Method : A facility based quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted from June 01 -30, 2018, among 308 randomly selected sexually active HIV positive women of reproductive age in Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital anti-retro viral treatment clinic. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS version20. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize socio-demographic characteristics of participants. A multivariate logistic regression analysis method was employed and odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to control possible confounders. Statistical significance was declared at p-value <0.05. Results: The current study revealed that overall contraception use among sexually active HIV positive women was 38.3 %( 95%CI: 32.5%-43.5%). Women with age range of 15-34 years old (AOR =3.089, 95%CI: 1.591-5.999), HIV status disclosure to sex partner, (AOR=2.75995%CI: 1.142-6.663), previous contraception utilization experience; (AOR=3.361, 95%CI: 1.677-6.736), Sexual activity in the last six months (AOR5.451, 95%CI: 2.724-10.908) and had drinking habit (AOR=4.351, 95%CI: 1.824-10.379) were the main predictors of contraceptive use. Conclusion: Contraceptive use was low in the current study area. Efforts should be strengthened to increase contraception use among human immune virus positive women. Anti-retro viral treatment and family planning services should be integrated to increase contraceptive use uptake in the study area. Keywords: Contraceptive use, Contraception, Human immune virus positive women, Bahir Dar, North west Ethiopia.
Extracting Material Constitutive Parameters from Scattering Parameters

Abstract : In the frequency domain all materials can be described electrically by their complex permittivity (micro) and permeability (micro). These constitutive parameters determine the response of the material to electromagnetic (EM) radiation. The precise knowledge of complex permittivity and permeability is required not only for scientific but also for industrial applications. Due to the uncertainties in manufacturing processes, often the only way to find a material's parameters is to measure them. The concept of metamaterials, exhibiting negative permittivity and permeability, is attracting a lot of attention. Such materials are also termed left-handed materials (LHMs). This thesis examines several methods to determine the effective permittivity and permeability of both normal materials and metamaterials. CST Microwave Studio is used to model the materials in both free space and rectangular waveguide environments to calculate the S-parameters (S11 and S21) from which the constitutive parameters can be extracted.
SYMMETRIC FINITE REPRESENTABILITY OF ℓp IN ORLICZ SPACES

It is well known that a Banach space need not contain any subspace isomorphic to a space ℓp (1 6 p ) or c0 (it was shown by Tsirelson in 1974). At the same time, by the famous Krivines theorem, every Banach space X always contains at least one of these spaces locally, i.e., there exist finite-dimensional subspaces of X of arbitrarily large dimension n which are isomorphic (uniformly) to ℓnp for some 1 6 p or cn0 . In thiscase one says that ℓp (resp. c0) is finitely representable in X. The main purpose of this paper is to give a characterization (with a complete proof) of the set of p such that ℓp is symmetrically finitely representable in a separable Orlicz space.
The effect of skiing intensity on shooting performance in biathlon

An earlier study of shooting performance in biathletes found a decrease in performance as the intensity increased. No studies have focused on the technique used by biathletes in standing shooting, which differs from the technique used by rifle shooters. Therefore, the present study investigated both shooting performance at different exercise intensities in biathletes, and the difference between isometric and dynamic precision at different intensities.To investigate shooting performance at different intensities, 15 biathletes performed three roller ski interval exercises (4x6 min) on a treadmill at 75-80%, 85-87% and 90-95% of their maximum heart rate (HRmax). The biathletes performed 3 precision tasks at rest before warm up, directly after warm up and after each repetition on the interval exercises. The following precision tasks were performed (in standing position): 5 shot series, holding still at a target (isometric), and following a line (dynamic). During the precision tasks, the subjects were standing on a force plate that measured center of pressure (COP) movements in the anterior-posterior direction and medial-lateral direction. Subjects used their own weapon in the precision tasks. A laser pen and an accelerometer were attached at the front of the barrel. The "front sight" was removed from the weapon, and subjects used only their rear sight and the laser dot for aiming.The results showed no significant effect of intensity on shooting performance during the 5 shot series (p= 0.179). The holding still task and following line task were both significant affected by intensity (holding still p= 0.017, following line p= 0.030), but the difference between the two tasks did not reach statistical significance (p= 0.070). Results from the force plate showed greater movement of COP in the anterior-posterior direction than in the medial-lateral direction. A significant effect of intensity was only found in the medial-lateral direction.In conclusion, the present study shows no significant effect of intensity on the shooting performance in the 5 shot series. The subjects were not used to having a laser pen for aiming, and this may have affected the results. There is a difference between isometric and dynamic precision, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Thus, the results cannot for certain justify the technique used by biathletes in standing position.
Improved Understanding of Intra Uterine Device and Implant Family Planning Acceptors in Family Planning Services at Solo Peduli Clinic

Background: Family planning acceptor's understanding of intra uterine device (IUD) and implant contraception is still low, due to the lack of knowledge and negative perceptions about IUD and implants contraception in the society. Therefore, it needs an effort to increase the understanding of family planning acceptors to reduce fertility rates through increasing the use of contraception. This study aimed to analyze understanding and satisfaction of family planning acceptors with the satisfaction aspects of counseling, the comfortable effect on the insertion of contraceptives, and the satisfaction of family planning services at the Solo Peduli Clinic. Subjects and Method: A cross sectional study was conducted at Solo Peduli Clinic, Surakarta, Central Java, from June to August 2020. A sample of 60 women divided into 2 groups: (1) 30 women who have used IUD and implant contraceptives, and (2) 30 women that will be given counselling and insertions of IUD and implant contraceptives. The study subject was selected by fixed disease sampling. The dependent variable was satisfaction. The independent variables were counselling, comfortable effect, and family planning service. The data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by a multiple logistic regression run on SPSS ver. 25. Results: The average level of satisfaction of counseling, the comfortable effect of using contraceptives, and satisfaction with family planning services has an "very satisfied". Good counselling (OR= 1.592; 95% CI= 1.097 to 2.310; p= 0.014), insertion convenience (OR= 1.428; 95% CI= 0.976 to 2.090; p= 0.066), and good family planning service (OR= 1.761; 95% CI= 1.191 to 2.603; p= 0.004) increased satisfaction. Conclusion: Good counselling, insertion convenience, and good family planning service increase satisfaction.
Assessment of the type of cycling infrastructure required to attract new cyclists

This research, which was conducted from July 2008 to January 2010, investigated what type of cycling infrastructure would encourage ‘new cyclists’ (ie people who either do not currently cycle at all, or people who do not currently cycle for utilitarian trips) to use cycling as their mode of transport for daily activities in New Zealand. The research involved undertaking an international literature review followed by national surveys and Christchurch-based focus groups, to gain an understanding of some of the motivations and barriers associated with utilitarian cycling, and to evaluate a range of cycling facilities. The research showed that safety was the most significant issue for potential cyclists, particularly in relation to vehicle driver behaviour and traffic volume. Other significant issues included having facilities at the destination for showering and changing, enjoyment, and the perception that car drivers are not courteous. The solutions that were most likely to effect a significant change in cycle numbers related to the nature and consistency of infrastructure, and education for motor vehicle drivers and cyclists on how to best and safely use it. The researchers recommended that along with a number of other cycling-supportive steps, planners could develop a comprehensive, consistent network of cycle-only paths with separation from motor vehicles, and with dedicated intersection facilities such as hook turns and cycle signals.
The Design, Fabrication and Testing of Micro-fabricated Linear and Planar Colloid Thruster Arrays

Electrospray Thrusters are space propulsion electric engines that use as propulsive principle an electrohydrodynamic effect known as Taylor Cone. When this effect takes place, charged particles are expelled from the apex of a conductive liquid meniscus deformed into a conical shape product of the presence of a large enough electric field surrounding them. Electrospray Thrusters are well suited for scaling down and batch production because these engines do not require large pressure ratios to achieve high efficiency, or high temperatures or plasma phase ionization to operate. Electrospray Thrusters can deliver thrust in a very precise way. Furthermore, they are able to match the requirements of any conceivable mission that any of the other space propulsion electromagnetic engines can achieve because it is possible to use the same engine and propellant to span a wide range of Isp’s and thrusts: this is due to the series of different regimes that the emitters could operate in (droplet emission, solvated ions and mixed regime). The present work tackles the problem of how to fabricate a Colloid Engine with large emitter density, from the stand point of the micro-fabrication techniques available at the Micro-fabrication Technologies Laboratory, MTL, and demonstrates that highly packed Colloid Thruster Arrays are feasible. The work is centered on two engine concepts: an internally fed Linear Colloid Thruster Array with highly doped formamide as propellant -intended to work in the droplet emission regime, and two variations of an externally fed Planar Electrospray Thruster Array with the ionic liquid as propellant -intended to work in the solvated ion emission regime-. In the case of the Colloid Thruster Linear Array the experimental results are diverse: on one hand from impact patterns there is demonstration of cumulative uniform-unsteady operation and demonstration of steady uniform emission of complete structural modules (an emitter set fed by the same manifold), both in agreement with theoretical models. In addition from the current versus flow rate dependence, steady and uniform emission was demonstrated, in agreement with the theoretical model of Single Cone droplet emission and the assumption that the array of emitters is uniformly operating. The propellant doping level strongly influ30