Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variance of the Output in a Deterministic Two-Machine Line

In this thesis, we explore the variability of the output produced by a deterministic processing time two-machine finite buffer line with unreliable machines. We characterize the interruptions of flow in the system and propose a model to predict the variance of the output in the short term. We identify the correlations between consecutive departures from the line as a main factor in determining the variance of production of a two-machine finite buffer line. We derive some conclusions about the behavior of the variance of the output in the long term, and finally, we explore the changes in the variance of the output as a function of time. The tools used for this work are primarily simulations and previous analytical results. Thesis Supervisor: Stanley B. Gershwin Title: Senior Research Scientist Acknowledgments First of all, I want to thank my thesis advisor Stanley Gershwin for his encouragement during this past year. I would not have survived my research without having his support. And after a year working together, I can almost pronounce his name properly now. I also want to thank Dr. Burman for giving me the chance (and the shock) of applying our research to a real manufacturing plant and for being a constant source of energy. I want to thank Asbjoern for his infinite help. I doubt there is a single way of overloading a computer that I have not explored thoroughly, and he has been patient enough to help me out each time. Very special thanks for Augusto and Jim for the good time we have had together. They have made me laugh so much I was looking forward to going to work. I want to say I feel lucky and proud I have got to know them all. It was worth coming all the way from Spain to meet them. Finally, I want to thank Jose and Rosa for the great and crazy year we have spent together. I also take advantage of the opportunity to apologize for boring them to death with my manufacturing talks. I want to acknowledge the finantial support and helpful assistance provided by "La Caixa" Fellowship Program. Without this funding I would have never come to the States. Research in this thesis has been partially supported by NSF Grant DDM-9216358.
Molecular Epidemiology of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Southern Ethiopia

Background Understanding the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) is limited by lack of genotyping data. We sought to characterize the drug susceptibility testing (DST) patterns and genetic diversity of M. tuberculosis (Mtb) isolates in Southern Ethiopia. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among newly diagnosed sputum smear positive patients with TB visiting nine health facilities in southern Ethiopia from June 2015 to May 2016. Three consecutive sputum samples (spot-morning-spot) per patient were examined using acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear microscopy with all smear positive specimens having AFB cultures performed. Mtb isolates had DST performed using indirect proportion method and were genotyped with RD9 deletion typing and spoligotyping. Spoligotyping International Types (SIT) and sub-lineages (clades) were assigned according to the SITVITWEB data base. Results Among 250 newly diagnosed patients with TB, 154 (52%) were male and 143 (57%) from rural areas. The prevalence of HIV co-infection was 4%. Of the 250 AFB positive sputum samples, 230 (92%) were culture positive. All 230 isolates were M. tuberculosis strains belonging to three lineages: Euro-American, 187 (81%); East-African-Indian, 31 (14%); and Lineage 7 (Ethiopian lineage), 8 (4%). The 230 isolates could be categorized into 65 different spoligotype patterns, of which 84% fell into 29 clusters. The dominant spoligotypes were SIT149 (21%), SIT53 (19%) and new strains (16%). Mtb strains were clustered by districts. DST revealed that 14% of Mtb isolates were resistant to > 1 first line anti-TB drugs including 11% to isoniazid. SIT 149 was the most prevalent genotype among drug resistant isolates (20%). Conclusion The study revealed several clusters including lineage 7 strains circulating in southern Ethiopia. SIT 149 (T3-ETH) was the most dominant circulating strain in the study area including among drug-resistant cases.
Main drivers for the settlement of creative industries in Toulouse : the manager's view

The objective of this study is to understand why managers of selected sectors of creative knowledge industries chose to start their economic activities in the Urban Area of Toulouse. The report presents a qualitative research based on interviews with 20 managers and 7 experts of the following sectors: business and management consultancy, motion picture, video, television and radio, electronic publishing, web design and computer games. Results show that the managers' location decision is mostly related to personal trajectory factors as well as to "hard" factors, such as the size of the metropolis, providing markets opportunities, and the quality of the labour force. "Soft" factors such as the natural environment and the urban atmosphere do not play an overwhelming role in the decision to settle in Toulouse, which puts some current theories(Richard Florida's notably) into perspective.
The Effect of Field-of-View Size on Performance of a Simulated Air-to-Ground Night Attack,

Abstract : Five experienced fighter pilots flew a simulated. night attack, pop-up bomb delivery, with a flight simulator that had a head-mounted display. The mission was conducted with an aircraft-fixed forward looking infrared sensor (FLIR) or a head-steered FLIR. With the head-steered FLIR. the sensor image was viewed on a helmet-mounted display. whereas the aircraft-fixed FLIR was presented on a HUD. With both types of sensor. The FOV with which the subjects could see the outside world was varied from 20 to 80 degrees. The purpose of the experiment was to explore the mechanisms by which field-of-view (FOV) size may affect performance. and to provide data for the determination of the minimum FOV size for helmet-mounted displays (HMDs). With a head-steered sensor, subjects acquired the targets earlier in the mission (7.88 sec after pop-up vs 13.88 sec), and released their bomb at a higher altitude (1084 vs 902 ft). Increasing the size of the FOV also resulted in earlier target acquisition (7.05 sec with an 80 deg head-steered FOV. 9.55 sec with a 20 deg FOV). and higher altitude releases (1175 ft vs 843 ft). It is explained how early target acquisition allowed subjects to modify their flight paths and so position their aircraft for higher releases. Using the times to find targets as the criterion, HMD FOVs of 20 and 30 degrees were significantly worse (p<0.05) than FOVs of 40, 60 or 80 degrees.
Advanced Practices in Travel Forecasting

This study explores the use of travel modeling and forecasting tools that represent significant advances over the current state of practice. The study includes five types of models: activity-based demand, dynamic network, land use, freight, and statewide. Information was gathered through literature review; detailed interviews among federal, state, and metropolitan agencies, and consulting firms; and case studies.
Methanogenic granular sludge as a seed in an anaerobic baffled reactor

This paper reviews the importance of phase separation in anaerobic wastewater treatment, characteristics of anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR), properties of anaerobic granular sludge, granulation process and advantages of granular sludge over nongranular sludge. The performance data of ABR and its modified configurations with regard to carbonaceous matter removal by using various seed sludges are compared. It is concluded that enhanced wastewater treatment efficiencies can be achieved with methanogenic granular seed sludge in an ABR because of a number of advantages associated with granular biomass over nongranular aggregates.
Financial Information Extraction and Visualization

In the scope of this thesis we are addressing two challenges, automated information extraction and its comprehensible visualization. The first part is concerned with identification of possibly interesting financial data from newspaper articles and their extraction. We are proposing a new approach to recognize named entities using DBpedia, we are identifying financial relations and extracting monetary data. Next, to communicate obtained information clearly, a tool for visualizing the financial cost of recognized entities is introduced. As we developed an advanced system, which helps people to reinforce their finance-related knowledge, we believe that the thesis? s objective was met.
Dewatering of microalgal cultures : a major bottleneck to algae-based fuels

Microalgae dewatering is a major obstruction to industrial-scale processing of microalgae for biofuel prodn. The dil. nature of harvested microalgal cultures creates a huge operational cost during dewatering, thereby, rendering algae-based fuels less economically attractive. Currently there is no superior method of dewatering microalgae. A technique that may result in a greater algal biomass may have drawbacks such as a high capital cost or high energy consumption. The choice of which harvesting technique to apply will depend on the species of microalgae and the final product desired. Algal properties such as a large cell size and the capability of the microalgae to autoflocculate can simplify the dewatering process. This article reviews and addresses the various technologies currently used for dewatering microalgal cultures along with a comparative study of the performances of the different technologies.
Cloning and Expression Analysis of the BocMBF1c Gene Involved in Heat Tolerance in Chinese Kale

Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. chinensis Lei) is an important vegetable crop in South China, valued for its nutritional content and taste. Nonetheless, the thermal tolerance of Chinese kale still needs improvement. Molecular characterization of Chinese kale’s heat stress response could provide a timely solution for developing a thermally tolerant Chinese kale variety. Here, we report the cloning of multi-protein bridging factor (MBF) 1c from Chinese kale (BocMBF1c), an ortholog to the key heat stress responsive gene MBF1c. Phylogenetic analysis showed that BocMBF1c is highly similar to the stress-response transcriptional coactivator MBF1c from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtMBF1c), and the BocMBF1c coding region conserves MBF1 and helix-turn-helix (HTH) domains. Moreover, the promoter region of BocMBF1c contains three heat shock elements (HSEs) and, thus, is highly responsive to heat treatment. This was verified in Nicotiana benthamiana leaf tissue using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter. In addition, the expression of BocMBF1c can be induced by various abiotic stresses in Chinese kale which indicates the involvement of stress responses. The BocMBF1c-eGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) chimeric protein quickly translocated into the nucleus under high temperature treatment in Nicotiana benthamiana leaf tissue. Overexpression of BocMBF1c in Arabidopsis thaliana results in a larger size and enhanced thermal tolerance compared with the wild type. Our results provide valuable insight for the role of BocMBF1c during heat stress in Chinese kale.
Mitigation of Wind-Induced Vibration of Stay Cables: Numerical Simulations and Evaluations

Cable-stayed bridges have been recognized as the most efficient and cost effective structural form for medium-to-long-span bridges over the past several decades. With their widespread use, cases of serviceability problems associated with large amplitude vibration of stay cables have been reported. Stay cables are laterally flexible structural members with very low inherent damping and thus are highly susceptible to environmental conditions such as wind and rain/wind combination. Recognition of these problems has led to the incorporation of different types of mitigation measures on many cable-stayed bridges around the world. These measures include surface modifications, cable crossties, and external dampers. Modifications to cable surfaces have been widely accepted as a means to mitigate rain/wind vibrations. Recent studies have firmly established the formation of a water rivulet along the upper side of the stay and its interaction with wind flow as the main cause of rain/wind vibrations. Appropriate modifications to exterior cable surfaces effectively disrupt the formation of a water rivulet. The objective of this study is to The objective of this study is to supplement the existing knowledge base on some of the outstanding issues of stay cable vibrations and to develop technical recommendations that may be incorporated into design guidelines. Specifically, this project focuses on the effectiveness of cable crossties, external dampers, and the combined use of crossties and dampers. Finite element simulations are carried out on the stay cable systems of constructed stay cable bridges under realistic wind forces in order to address these issues. Explicit time-history analysis enabled the performance of stay cable systems with different mitigation strategies to be assessed and compared for their relative advantages and disadvantages.
Parental Psychological Factors and Quality of Life of Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

OBJECTIVES Parents have a central role in the management of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Alterations in parental psychological well-being may affect the patient's health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between maternal and paternal distress, anxiety, depression and pain catastrophizing and the HRQoL of patients with IBD. METHODS Children with IBD aged 8-18 years and their parents were prospectively recruited. Children answered questionnaires on HRQoL while parents completed an assessment of distress, anxiety, depression and pain catastrophizing. Univariate and multivariate regression models analysis were used to evaluate correlations between parental measures and patient's HRQoL and between the factors related to children health and parental psychological suffering. RESULTS One hundred patients (45 Crohn's disease, 55 ulcerative colitis), 90 mothers and 62 fathers were enrolled. Parents had high levels of distress while anxiety, depression and pain catastrophizing levels were relatively low. Parental distress had the most substantial correlation with children's HRQoL and was associated with patients' disease activity and recent flares. On multivariate regression analysis, parental factors explained less than 20% of the variance in the children's HRQoL scores. Mothers suffered from psychological alterations more frequently than fathers, but the parental inter-rater agreement was strong in regards to distress and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS Parental distress is high and correlates with the HRQoL of children with IBD. Interventions aimed at evaluating and managing parental distress should be considered during the management of children with IBD.
Managing by Values: A Corporate Guide to Living, Being Alive, and Making a Living in the 21st Century

Preface Introduction PART I: MANAGEMENT BY VALUES: LOGIC AND CONTENT Managing by Values (MBV): Its Foundation and Evolution Values: But, what Actually are they? Renew or Die: The Importance of Culture Change The Logic of Two Different Cultures: Control vs. Development PART II: PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH MANAGEMENT BY VALUES (MBV) The Relationships between Organizational Development (OD) and MBV Creating a Culture Shift: Roles and Managing Resistance to Change in your Company A Step by Step Process for Putting MBV into Practice Putting MBV into Practice is not Easy: 24 Likely Problem Areas - and Suggested Answers Postscript: An MBV Voyage: Past, Present and Future Appendices
The non-technical side of office technology

Many office technology projects fail. The outcomes of these projects are often not in line with initial expectations. This book assumes that this disappointing result is largely the result of the fact that office technology projects are too IT-driven. The basic assumption is that the problems experienced in a specific office environment can be solved by a technical solution. In this book, the author suggests that office technology projects should acknowledge the existence of a non-technical side to office technology, namely the underlying intentions of the technology, which is referred to as the spirit. The effects of new office technology are not a function of the quality of the technology itself, but of the extent to which end-users apply the technology in accordance with its spirit. This suggests that office technology is 'realized' while it is used, not during its technical development. Therefore, improving office technology projects means that they should be less IT-driven, and more IT-use driven.
Smoking and Alcohol Intake but Not Muscle Strength in Young Men Increase Fracture Risk at Middle Age: A Cohort Study Linked to the Swedish National Patient Registry

We aimed to determine the relationship between handgrip strength, smoking, and alcohol consumption in young men and fracture risk at middle age. Thus, we carried out a cohort study including young men undergoing conscription examination in Sweden from September 1969 to May 1970 at a typical age of 18 years. Data on muscle strength, height, weight, and lifestyle factors were linked to the National Patient Register 1987–2010. Handgrip strength was considered the main exposure and smoking and alcohol consumption as secondary exposures. Outcomes were all fractures (except face, skull, digits), major osteoporotic fractures (thoracic/lumbar spine, proximal humerus, distal forearm or hip), and major traumatic fractures (shaft of humerus, forearm, femur, or lower leg) based on ICD‐9 and ‐10 codes. We used Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) according to handgrip strength as a continuous variable (per 1 SD), after adjustment for weight, height, parental education, smoking, and alcohol consumption. A total of 40,112 men were included, contributing 892,572 person‐years. Overall, 3974 men fractured in middle age with the incidence rate (95% CI) of 44.5 (43.2–45.9) per 1000 person‐years. The corresponding rates were12.2 and 5.6 per 1000 person‐years for major osteoporotic and traumatic fractures, respectively. Handgrip strength‐adjusted HR (95% CI) was 1.01 (0.98–1.05), 0.94 (0.88–1.00), and 0.98 (0.88–1.08) per SD for all, major osteoporotic, and major traumatic fractures, respectively. Adjusted HR (95% CI) for smokers (>21 cigarettes/d) was 1.44 (1.21, 1.71) for all fractures, while the association between alcohol consumption and hazards of fracture was J‐shaped. Therefore, young adult handgrip strength was not associated with fracture risk in middle‐age men, although smoking and high alcohol consumption did confer an increased risk. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Combined with a New Strontium-Enriched Bioactive Glass: An ex-vivo Model for Bone Regeneration

A 3D cellular model that mimics the potential clinical application of a biomaterial is here applied for the first time to a bioactive glass, in order to assess its biological potential. A recently developed bioactive glass (BGMS10), whose composition contained strontium and magnesium, was produced in the form of granules and fully investigated in terms of biocompatibility in vitro. Apart from standard biological characterization (Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) testing and biocompatibility as per ISO10993), human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (BM-MSCs) were used to investigate the performance of the bioactive glass granules in an innovative 3D cellular model. The results showed that BGMS10 supported human BM-MSCs adhesion, colonization, and bone differentiation. Thus, bioactive glass granules seem to drive osteogenic differentiation and thus look particularly promising for orthopedic applications, bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Is Using Regular Flexible Leave Associated with Employee Wellbeing

The use of flexible arrangements will likely increase with the Labour government's introduction of the National Employment Standards which provide employees with caring responsibilities the right to request flexible work arrangements. Data come from a sample of public servants (n=2168) surveyed in 2008, providing a unique setting to investigate the implementation process associated with work life balance policy. Results showed that employees who regularly used flexible leave compared with non users reported lower work interference in home life. The study found some interesting differences among men and women. Men appeared to benefit more than women from these arrangements. Mothers benefit but not when they work long hours. Users compared to non users perceived a more supportive and equitable workplace culture, and these variables were found to be stronger predictors of wellbeing than utilisation alone, highlighting the importance of creating an inclusive workplace culture to obtain positive outcomes.
Passing operations on a recreational two-lane, two-way highway

A study was conducted of passing maneuvers in selected passing zones over a 21-mi segment of a principal arterial, two-lane, two-way roadway in northern Wisconsin. Within the project, passing was restricted to 33% of the roadway length due to horizontal and vertical geometrics. Five independent sites were monitored using both field observers and directional speed and volume recorders. Timed video-recorders were also placed at two sites. The data were gathered on three peak summer weekends in 1988. Operational data, segregated into 15-min intervals, included information on directional flows, average speeds, and passing operations. The data conformed with AASHTO expectations and indicated that on recreational weekends with traffic volumes of 200 to 250 veh/hr in the major direction and 85 to 175 veh/hr in the minor direction, 25 to 35% of all passes were made in the presence of an opposing vehicle, an average of 21 passes per hour were completed with duration of time in the opposing lane (at 60 mph) of 12.2 sec, and pass aborts comprised 0.8% of all passes. Under higher flow levels of 330 to 420 veh/hr in the major direction and 70 to 170 veh/hr in the minor direction, 26 to 50% of all passes were made in the presence of an opposing vehicle, an average of 16 passes per hour were completed with duration of time in the opposing lane of 11.3 sec, and pass aborts comprised up to 7% of all passes where passing was restricted to 33% for a 10- to 15-mi segment. The data indicate that (a) the passing driver's decision threshold is negatively affected by the inability to pass, (b) this effect increases significantly at volume levels as low as 500 veh/hr two-way, and (c) passing drivers may be significantly overestimating their ability to complete passing maneuvers safely.
A review of measures of competitive balance in the “analysis of competitive balance” literature

This paper presents a review of measures of the competitive balance of sports leagues proposed in the line of literature which Fort and Maxcy (2003, p. 155) call “… the analysis of competitive balance (ACB) literature itself”. They describe this as the literature which “… focuses on what has happened to competitive balance over time or as a result of changes in the business practices of pro sports. ” A number of books and articles have provided surveys of these measures of competitive balance. This review consolidates that work and augments it by adding details to facilitate the appropriate application and interpretation of the measures. This paper also considers the applicability of the measures of competitive balance in the literature to the professional leagues of association football.