Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Special considerations in the modeling of induced strain actuator patches bonded to shell structures

Based on the thin-shell Donnel theory, a model to represent the action of discrete induced strain actuator patches bonded to the surface of a circular cylindrical shell has been developed. The model provides estimates of the curvature due to the out-of-phase actuation and the in-plane strains due to the in-phase actuation of the bonded actuator patches. The magnitudes of the induced curvature and the in-plane strain are found to be identical to those of plates; however, due to the cylindrical strain- displacement relations, the in-plane and out-of-plane displacements are coupled. Expressions for the equivalent forces and moments that represent the action of the actuator patches have been developed. Due to the curvature of the shell, the representation of the in-phase actuation with an equivalent in- plane line force applied along the edge of the actuator results in the application of erroneous rigid-body transverse forces. To avoid these rigid body forces, a method to represent the in-phase actuation with a system of self-equilibrating forces is proposed. The action of the actuator is then represented by an equivalent in-plane force and a transverse distributed pressure applied in the region of the actuator patch. Finite element verification of the proposed model is presented. The displacements due to the actual actuator actuation are compared with the proposed model, and very good agreement is found.
GRAVITY STIFFNESS OF CLASSICAL SUSPENSION BRIDGES

Although classical suspension bridges have been designed for over 70 years using the deflection theory, it is difficult to obtain from literature a clear understanding of their structural action. The all‐important “gravity stiffness” is isolated from the modifying effects due to cable extensibility, tower stiffness, and deck bending stiffness. Graphs of maximum gravity stiffness deflections and changes of slope due to concentrated and distributed loads are presented, and formula for the modifying effects are given. It is found that with flexible decks simple formula exist for the maximum bending moment and shearing force in the deck due to concentrated and distributed loads.
Missed nursing care and complexity theory: a conceptual paper

Background Missed nursing care is a complex healthcare problem. Extant literature in this area identifies several interventions that can be used in acute hospital settings to minimise the impact of missed nursing care. However, controversy still exists as to the effectiveness of these interventions on reducing the occurrence of missed nursing care. Aim This theoretical paper aimed to provide a conceptual understanding of missed nursing care using complexity theory. Methods The method utilised for this paper is based on a literature review on missed care and complexity theory in healthcare. Results We found that the key virtues of complexity theory relevant to the missed nursing care phenomenon were adaptation and self-organisation, non-linear interactions and history. It is suggested that the complex adaptive systems approach may be more useful for nurse managers to inform and prepare nurses to meet uncertain encounters in their everyday clinical practice and therefore reduce instances of missed care. Conclusions This paper envisions that it is time that methods used to explore missed care changed. Strategies proposed in this paper may have an important impact on the ability of nursing staff to provide quality and innovative healthcare in the modern healthcare system.
Numerical Canal Seepage Loss Evaluation for Different Lining and Crack Techniques in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: A Case Study of the River Nile, Egypt

Owing to the potential negative impacts of climatic changes and the grand Ethiopian renaissance dam, water scarcity has become an urgent issue. Therefore, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has started a national project of the lining and rehabilitation of canals, to reduce seepage losses and for efficient water resource management. This study presents a new approach for assessing three different lining and crack techniques for the Ismailia canal, the largest end of the river Nile, Egypt. A 2-D steady state seep/w numerical model was developed for the Ismailia canal section, in the stretch at 28.00–49.00 km. The amount of seepage was significantly dependent on the hydraulic characteristics of the liner material. The extraction from aquifers via wells also had a considerable impact on the seepage rate from the unlined canals; however, a lesser effect was present in the case of lined canals. The concrete liner revealed the highest efficiency, followed by the geomembrane liner, and then the bentonite liner; with almost 99%, 96%, and 54%, respectively, without extraction, and decreasing by 4% for bentonite and geomembrane liners during extraction; however, the concrete lining efficiency did not change considerably. Nevertheless, the efficiency dramatically decreased to 25%, regardless of the lining technique, in the case of deterioration of the liner material. The double effect of both deterioration of the liner material and extraction from the aquifer showed a 16% efficiency, irrespective of the utilized lining technique.
Investigating Noise Exposure to Newborn Infants From Respiratory Support: Methodological Considerations

Background and objective Excessive noise in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may lead to serious long-term effects on hearing and sensory development in newborns. As such, the maximum allowed noise level is 45 A-weighted decibels (dBA). Studies regarding noise exposure to ventilated preterm infants show inconsistent results; however, these studies also vary considerably in their methodology in terms of noise ascertainment. We hypothesized that the study methodology can significantly influence data quality when measuring noise levels. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the variations in ventilator noise levels in NICUs could be a result of methodological differences in study designs. Methods A ventilator circuit was set up using nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) and high-frequency (HF) modes with nasal prongs. Noise levels were measured using a commercially calibrated noise meter. Three different scenarios were tested: (1) measurements were taken at different angles (0° to 180°), with 180° facing the end of the nasal prongs, without a mannequin, with the membrane/orifice of the noise meter placed 2 mm laterally from the prongs; (2) noise levels were measured at 180° at distances of 0-20 mm from the nasal prongs; (3) measurements were taken in the oral cavity of a life-size intubation mannequin of a newborn baby. Results Overall, the noise levels produced at different settings varied significantly, ranging from 45.7 dB to 82.2 dB. The average environmental background noise was 44.4 dB. Noise levels typically increased as the angle increased, with the highest noise level recorded at 180° for both HF and nCPAP modes, at 58.4 dB and 58.2 dB, respectively. Noise levels recorded at HF were slightly higher than nCPAP values. Furthermore, with regard to distance, the highest mean value, 82.2 dB, was recorded with the noise meter approximately 3 mm from the nasal prongs, and the lowest mean value, 47.6 dB, was recorded at ~20 mm. During trials with the mannequin, the lowest value, 50.1 dB, was recorded at the entrance of the mouth with slightly higher values being recorded within the oral cavity. Conclusion The results indicate that small changes in experimental settings, such as positioning and distance from the nasal prongs, can greatly influence noise levels, particularly above the recommended levels for neonates. These differences may be attributed to wind-generated noise. In summary, some study results are potentially influenced more by the study design than the device type or ventilator setting. We recommend further research and detailed reporting in the NICU to gain deeper insights into the topic.
Electrical and physical properties of ultrathin reoxidized nitrided oxides prepared by rapid thermal processing

A systematic study of the correlations between electrical and physical properties of nanometer-range reoxidized nitrided oxide films is reported. Rapid thermal processing was applied to the full fabrication process 7.7-nm-thick oxides nitrided at various conditions were reoxidized at 900-1150 degrees C for 15-600 s. Nitridation- and reoxidation-condition dependences of charge-trapping properties, i.e. the flat-band voltage shift and the increase of midgap interface state density induced by a high-field stress, were studied. The hydrogen concentration in the film and the nitrogen concentration near the Si-SiO/sub 2/ interface were measured by secondary ion mass-spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy respectively. It was shown that striking improvement of the charge-trapping properties by rapid reoxidation is achieved by the reducing of hydrogen concentration while keeping the nitrogen concentration near the interface unchanged. >
Functional Nanoscale Phase Separation and Intertwined Order in Quantum Complex Materials

Nanoscale phase separation (NPS), characterized by particular types of correlated disorders, plays an important role in the functionality of high-temperature superconductors (HTS). Our results show that multiscale heterogeneity is an essential ingredient of quantum functionality in complex materials. Here, the interactions developing between different structural units cause dynamical spatiotemporal conformations with correlated disorder; thus, visualizing conformational landscapes is fundamental for understanding the physical properties of complex matter and requires advanced methodologies based on high-precision X-ray measurements. We discuss the connections between the dynamical correlated disorder at nanoscale and the functionality in oxygen-doped perovskite superconducting materials.
Adsorption of Diazo Dye C.I. Acid Red 97 from Aqueous Solution onto Yemen Natural Clay: Equilibrium and Thermodynamic Studies

The equilibrium adsorption of diazo dye C.I. Acid Red 97 (AR97) from aqueous solutions onto Yemen natural clay has been studied as a function of temperature and particle size range. The equilibrium data were correlated using Langmuir, Fruendlich, Temkin, Redlich-Peterson, and Sips isotherm models. Thermodynamic parameters such as standard enthalpy (ΔHº), standard entropy (ΔSº) and standard Gibbs free energy (ΔGº) were calculated. It was found that the adsorption capacity of clay for AR97 decreases with increasing temperature and particle size range. The results show that Fruendlich and Sips isotherm models best fit the experimental data over the whole concentration range. The maximum adsorption capacity for Yemen natural clay was 196.7 (mg.g-1 ). The value of ΔHº was -20.5 (kJ.g-mol−1) indicating that the adsorption of AR79 onto Yemen natural clay is characterized by physical adsorption. ΔGº values obtained were all negatives indicating a spontaneous adsorption process
THE EFFECTS OF ROAD DESIGN ON SPEED BEHAVIOUR: A LITERATURE REVIEW

This literature review contains an overview of the efficacy of various speed reducing measures. Measures that affect driving speed directly are discussed. However, special attention is paid to factors that affect driving speed indirectly, for instance by influencing the willingness to show the appropriate speed behaviour. Advantages and disadvantages of various measures are discussed. Currently, the largest reductions in driving speed are realised by speed reducing measures that physically restrict driving at high speeds. Since this only forces road users to reduce speed, but does not let them choose this voluntarily, a more optimal solution is to design roads that are "self-explaining". By designing a road that provides a speed image, that is in accordance with the actual speed limit, drivers will choose the appropriate driving speed more or less automatically. Currently, subjective road categories do not seem to correspond with the official road categories. Yet, no research has addressed the exact relationship between subjective road classification and actual driving behaviour. (A)
Organic Food Consumers and Purchase Intention: A Case Study in Romania

Organic farming has become an important alternative to conventional farming, mostly because of environmental sustainability issues, and has long-term positive benefits over soil, water, air and climate change, biodiversity, prohibiting the use of genetically modified organisms, and encouraging the development of ecological services. In Romania, the organic food market follows a positive trend, although the consumption rate is still very low compared to the European Union; therefore, it is necessary to identify the main barriers in consumption but also the factors influencing the increase in demand for this category of food products. In order to accomplish these objectives, a survey based on a questionnaire was conducted in the North-West Development Region of Romania, the second most important Romanian region from an economic development perspective. Five hundred and sixty-eight questionnaires were distributed in 2016. The collected data were danalyzed using descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. The results indicated that the most important barrier in consumption was price, followed by perishability and availability. High prices, mistrust, and lack of proper promotion for organic food are the influencing factors for organic food.
It's not what you did, it's what you could have done

We are more likely to judge agents as morally culpable after we learn they acted freely rather than under duress or coercion. Interestingly, the reverse is also true: Individuals are more likely to be judged to have acted freely after we learn that they committed a moral violation. Researchers have argued that morality affects judgments of force by making the alternative actions the agent could have done instead appear comparatively normal, which then increases the perceived availability of relevant alternative actions. Across five studies, we test the novel predictions of this account. We find that the degree to which participants view possible alternative actions as normal strongly predicts their perceptions that an agent acted freely. This pattern holds both for perceptions of the prescriptive normality of the alternatives (whether the actions are good) and descriptive normality of the alternatives (whether the actions are unusual). We also find that manipulating the prudential value of alternative actions or the degree to which alternatives adhere to social norms, has a similar effect to manipulating whether the actions or their alternatives violate moral norms. This pattern persists even when what is actually done is held constant, and these effects are explained by changes in the perceived normality of the alternatives. Together, these results suggest that across contexts, participants' force judgments depend not on the morality of the actual action taken, but on the normality of possible alternatives. More broadly, our results build on prior work that suggests a unifying role of normality and counterfactuals across many areas of high-level human cognition.
Ground control and improvement

This book has two main purposes: (1) to enable practicing engineers to make the best decision, in technical and economic terms, regarding ground engineering problems or when alternative schemes are formulated and evaluated, and (2) to provide the necessary information and credible data for a complete design. Because this is a textbook, not a handbook, each chapter describes the process, articulates the design philosophy, and presents the design methodology, and is supplemented by examples and case studies. Chapter 1 discusses groundwater lowering and drainage techniques for projects that require construction or permanent dewatering. Underpinning is the subject of Chapter 2. Chapter 3 reviews excavation support methods. In Chapter 4, it is demonstrated that, with the availability and popularity of soil compaction and consolidation techniques, there are no longer unacceptable construction sites. In situ ground reinforcement is the subject of Chapter 5. The main topic is soil nailing. A different form of in situ earth reinforcement is discussed in Chapter 6. This technique involves small-diameter cast-in-place elements. Chapters 7 and 8 summarize the most recent practice in permeation and jet grouting. The rehabilitation of aging rock slopes is discussed in Chapter 9. Vertical screens are discussed in Chapter 10. Chapter 11 reviews the fundamentals of ground freezing. An Index is provided.
Sickle and Guard Design for Soybean Harvesting

ABSTRACT DATA are presented on the amount of soybean header loss when various cutterbar designs were evaluated on a laboratory test stand. Four cutterbar designs were compared in 1975: a conventional cutterbar with sickle sections and guards with a 76.2-mm spacing, a conventional sickle with modified guards, a cutterbar with a reciprocating sickle and a fixed shear bar, and a double sickle cutterbar with two reciprocating sickles. In 1977 two cutterbar designs were evaluated: the conventional sickle and guard cutterbar with 76.2-mm spacing, and a cutterbar equipped with sickle section and guards with spacings of 38.1 mm. Significant differences between designs were found in shatter and total header losses. The cutterbar equipped with the modified guards and air-jet guards provided the lowest header loss in 1975. In 1977 the cutterbar with sickle sections and guards at a 38.1-mm spacing provided the lowest average header loss when operated at 7.1 km/h with a reel index of 1.5.
Maternal effects on early-life gut microbiota maturation in a wild nonhuman primate

Early-life gut microbial colonization is an important process shaping host physiology, immunity and long-term health outcomes in humans and other animals. However, our understanding of this dynamic process remains poorly investigated in wild animals, where developmental mechanisms can be better understood within ecological and evolutionary relevant contexts. Using 16s rRNA amplicon sequencing on 525 fecal samples from a large cohort of infant and juvenile geladas (Theropithecus gelada), we characterized gut microbiome maturation during the first three years of life and assessed the role of maternal effects in shaping offspring microbiome assembly. Microbial diversity increased rapidly in the first months of life, followed by more gradual changes until weaning. As expected, changes in gut microbiome composition and function with increasing age reflected progressive dietary transitions: in early infancy when infants rely heavily on their mother’s milk, microbes that facilitate milk glycans and lactose utilization dominated, while later in development as graminoids are progressively introduced into the diet, microbes that metabolize plant complex polysaccharides became dominant. Furthermore, the microbial community of nursing infants born to first-time (primiparous) mothers was more “milk-oriented” compared to similarly-aged infants born to experienced (multiparous) mothers. Comparisons of matched mother-offspring fecal samples to random dyads did not support vertical transmission as a conduit for these maternal effects, which instead could be explained by slower phenotypic development (and associated slower gut microbiome maturation) in infants born to first-time mothers. Together, our findings highlight the dynamic nature of gut colonization in early life and the role of maternal effects in modulating this trajectory in a wild primate.
HR practices and turnover intention; the mediating role of organizational commitment in Tehran: a cross-sectional study

Background: Employees are increasingly being recognised as a valuable source of information, especially in knowledge-based businesses. Businesses, however, suffer financial and organisational memory losses related to re-hiring and training new staff, and lost productivity and intellectual property because of employee turnover. Hence, employee turnover should be considered an essential part of human resource management. Furthermore, employees’ trust in management and human resource (HR) practices substantially impact organisational commitment (OC). Thus, anticipating employee commitment and turnover intentions is crucial, as people are the sole source for knowledge-based firms to maintain their competitive advantage. In the context of selected Tehran Renewable Energy (RE) firms, this study investigated the mediating impact of OC on the relationship between HR practices (recruitment and selection; training and development opportunities; performance appraisal and evaluation; teamwork; compensation and pay; and job security) and employee turnover intention. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in Tehran that involved 90 experts and knowledgeable employees from four of Tehran's top RE businesses. A questionnaire was distributed to collect data which was later analysed with correlation, regression and bootstrapping analyses. Results: All six dimensions of HR practices were discovered to have an indirect impact on turnover intention and a direct impact on OC. OC among employees has an indirect effect on turnover intention. It was also revealed that the training and development opportunity has the most considerable effect on OC and turnover intention. OC was not found as a mediator between HR practices and turnover intention. Conclusions: The outcomes of this study showed that both training and development opportunities; and pay and compensation structure were found to be two significant components of HR practices in the relationship with OC. RE managers should employ appropriate HR strategies, particularly in these two dimensions, to improve an individual's degree of OC and reduce turnover intention.
Impact of urbanization on soil microbial diversity and composition in the megacity of Shanghai

Urbanization alters the physicochemical environment on an unprecedented scale and strongly affects biodiversity. How urbanization affects the biodiversity of soil microbial communities, especially in large cities, however, is poorly known. We investigated soil microbial communities from 258 sites covering a variety of environmental gradients in the megacity of Shanghai, China, to determine the impact of urbanization on soil microbial biodiversity. Using the distance to city centre, urbanized land cover, and road density as three proxies to characterize the levels of urbanization, we revealed that increased urbanization was associated with slightly homogenized communities of prokaryotes, total fungi, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi but not ectomycorrhizal fungi. The richness of soil prokaryotes and total fungi was weakly but positively related to urbanization as well. For the abundance of microbial phylotypes along urban gradients, we observed synchronous increases and decreases of many phylotypes at relatively high and low urbanization levels, respectively. Further, urbanization explained an independent part of microbial variances in richness and community composition, although the contribution of soil properties in explaining the variances was generally larger than that of urbanization. Together, this work provides evidence for the influences of urbanization on the biodiversity of soil microbes and highlights the importance of considering taxa and the level of urbanization to assess the impacts of urbanization on biodiversity.