Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research in Information Technology Service Management (ITSM): Theoretical Foundation and Research Topic Perspectives

In information systems (IS), Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) has become a popular research area among IS and management researchers as a result of industry push and the development and advancement of research in service sciences. From academic perspective, a growing number of papers have been published addressing many aspects of ITSM issues. This paper presents the results based on a study of comprehensive review of publications in ITSM over the past decade (from 2000 to 2010) with the objective of answering the following research question: what is the current state of research in ITSM, from theoretical foundation and research topic perspectives. Our findings suggest that 1) there is generally a lack of theoretically driven researches; 2) the field is still developing with a growing number of published papers dealing with the development of concepts, constructs, models, methods and implementations for theory development; 3) ITSM performance issues, justifications, and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) topics are among the most popular topics of research.
Alternative Source of Climate Data for Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Performance Prediction

The AASHTO Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) and accompanying Pavement ME Design software emphasize the influence of climate on pavement performance. Several hundred weather history files from ground-based operating weather stations (OWSs) are provided with the MEPDG software. An alternate climate data source, the Modern Era Retrospective–Analysis for Research and Application (MERRA) product from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is evaluated here. MERRA is a global climate reanalysis procedure that combines computed model fields with ocean-, airborne-, and satellite-based observations. MERRA has the advantage of uniform worldwide spatial coverage at an approximately 0.5° by 0.67° (latitude and longitude) horizontal resolution, continuous hourly time series from 1979 to the present, and a high level of data quality control. Comprehensive statistical comparisons between MERRA climate data and those from various conventional ground-based sources are presented. Comparisons of MEPDG performance predictions with MEPDG OWS and MERRA climate data for 20 locations distributed across the contiguous United States are also summarized. The statistical and performance prediction comparisons support the conclusion that MERRA is an acceptable and advantageous source for climate data that can be used in place of conventional ground-based OWSs.
A MODEL FOR ESTIMATING THE COST TRADEOFFS ASSOCIATED WITH OPEN ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS

Title of Document: A MODEL FOR ESTIMATING THE COST TRADEOFFS ASSOCIATED WITH OPEN ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS Zev Schramm, Master of Science, 2013 Directed By: Dr. Peter Sandborn, Professor of Mechanical Engineering An open systems approach (OSA), especially when used in conjunction with modular architecture, reuse, and harnessing of existing (COTS or proprietary) technologies, is commonly associated with cost avoidances resulting from: more efficient design; increased competition among suppliers; more efficient innovation and technology insertion; and modularization of qualification. However, OSA strategies require investment and may increase risk exposure. To determine if openness should be pursued, and to what degree, a quantitative model assessing the costs associated with openness is required. Previous attempts to measure openness rely on qualitative measures, and cannot be used to estimate the life cycle cost impacts of openness. The model developed in this thesis quantitatively determines the effects of openness on life cycle cost. The life cycle cost difference between two implementations with differing levels of openness was calculated for a case study of an ARCI sonar system, providing insight into the value of openness. The case study performed in this thesis provides the first known quantitative support for Abts’ COTS-LIMO hypothesis that increasing CFD increases cost avoidance. However, these results challenge Henderson’s implicit assumption that marginal openness is always positive (increasing openness is always beneficial). A MODEL FOR ESTIMATING THE COST TRADEOFFS ASSOCIATED WITH OPEN ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS
Resistenza di travi metalliche a doppio T con irrigidimenti longitudinali soggette a carichi trasversali concentrati

The thesis deals with the patch loading of I-girder with two longitudinal stiffeners. The configuration with two longitudinal stiffeners is often an excellent solution for beams of higher than 3 meters but has not yet been discussed in EN 1993-1-5. It is proposed a model of resistance harmonized with the methods used in Eurocodes for the other problems of buckling. The model contains three significant parts: the yield resistance, the elastic critical load used to determine the slenderness parameter and a reduction factor that relates the resistance to the slenderness. The thesis is structured into eight chapters, in addition to Preface and Table of Contents. Chapter 3 is a list of all symbols used. Chapter 4 presents a review of earlier works. Chapter 5 details the experimental investigations conducted by Gozzi (2007) on three samples without longitudinal stiffeners. Due to the difficulty of completing a personal physical model testing during the doctorate, it was decided to carefully study the laboratory work by Gozzi and use it as a basis for the calibration of the numerical study. In Chapter 6 is presented the first part of the numerical study. At this stage, the laboratory tests conducted by Gozzi have been reproduced through a finite element model. It is observed a good agreement of numerical results with test data. In Chapter 7 summarizes the results of numerical analysis of the girder with two longitudinal stiffeners. Chapter 8 presents the procedure proposed for calculating the ultimate patch loading resistance of the girder with two longitudinal stiffeners. Chapter 9 contains a summary of work done in this thesis with suggestions for the most important issues for future development. Chapter 10 lists the references. There are also three appendices with test data by Gozzi and data obtained from literature.
Gas turbine systems research and development program. Topical report, June 6, 1983-October 19, 1984

This report presents the results of a study to evaluate the feasibility of using dirty coal-derived fuels in combustion turbine systems. The fuels selected for the Westinghouse study were coal gas and a coal/water slurry. Results show that both fuels, when used in properly configured systems, can produce power at significantly lower cost than conventional coal-fired systems.
An Economic Theory of the Evolution of Common Law

IN a comprehensive analysis of common law doctrines, Richard Posner1 argues that the precedents established in the law of property, law of contracts, and the law of torts reflect the standard of economic efficiency. This is a surprising finding in view of the vagaries of individual cases and the disparate motives of the judges involved. It is more surprising still when one considers that judicial decisions were couched in the language of morality, fairness, and justice without explicit reference to anything resembling the modern conception of economic efficiency. Two explanations have been offered to account for this phenomenon. The first, relating to judicial motivation, argues either that common law judges tended to prefer efficiency or, at least, that there was no other plausible motivation which could produce an inefficiency bias.2 The chief limitation of this argument is that, while it may be true, it is largely a conjecture about facts that are somewhat difficult to verify. The second explanation looks upon the evolution of common law as a process of natural selection in which efficient rules survive because they will be less prone to challenge by repeated litigation. The argument, made by Rubin3 and amplified by Priest,4 is that the more inefficient a legal rule, the greater the social cost it imposes and, thus, the greater the probability that it will be challenged through litigation since the benefits of litigation versus
Impedance of Bucket Foundations: Torsional, Horizontal and Rocking Motion

Modern offshore wind turbines are flexible structures with natural frequencies near the excitation frequencies related to wave and wind-induced loads. In order to obtain a reliable prediction of the structural response, the dynamic stiffness of the foundation must be evaluated accurately. This paper concerns the analysis of bucket foundations with focus on torsional motion and coupled horizontal sliding and rocking. The frequency-dependent stiffness is found by means of a three-dimensional coupled boundary-element/finite-element scheme. Comparisons are made with known analytical and numerical solutions, finding that the present boundary-element–finite-element model provides accurate results. The influence of the soil properties as well as the skirt length of the foundation is analysed, and each dynamic stiffness component is computed as function of a non-dimensional frequency.
Statistical Performance Analysis Optimization of Digital Circuits

Aggressive device scaling has made it imperative to account for process variations in the design flow. A robust model of process variations is an essential requirement for any meaningful variation aware design analysis and optimization. In the first part of this work, we present an approach to extract spatial variation models based on the theory of spatial statistics. The proposed approach uses the concept of variogram function that represents how parameters can co-vary as a function of spatial distance. In the second part of this work, we present a new approach to compute the statistical maximum for improving the accuracy of existing statistical timing analysis approaches. Existing approaches use the results given by Clark for analytically computing the mean and variance of the maximum of two normal arrival time distributions. In practice due to the nonlinear maximum operation the arrival time distributions are found to be non-normal and skewed. Using skew-normal representation for arrival time distribution, analytical results are derived for propagating the skewed arrival time distributions. We then present an optimization method for yield optimization under simultaneous leakage power and timing constraints. The optimization approach uses a leakage power and performance analysis that is statistical in nature and considers the correlation between leakage power and performance to enable accurate computation of circuit yield under power and delay limits. The key to our approach is a new method to incrementally compute the gradient of yield with respect to gate sizes in the circuit with high efficiency and accuracy. Finally, we present a framework to perform full-chip gate oxide reliability analysis in the presence of process variations. The conventional approach for full chip oxide reliability analysis scales pre-characterized device level oxide reliability models assuming a uniform oxide thickness for all devices. Due to manufacturing variations, an alternative reliability analysis approach is needed for modeling oxide thickness variations. A statistical approach is proposed for performing chip level gate oxide reliability analysis while considering both die-to-die and within-die components of thickness variation.
Combination of planar laser optical measurement techniques for the investigation of pre-mixed lean combustion

This paper summarizes recent efforts of applying combinatory or simultaneous multifaceted planar laser optical measurement techniques in reactive flow. The homogeneous (partially) premixed lean combustion in aircraft engines is the most promising combustion concept for the sustainable reduction of fuel consumption and emissions. The concept requires a 30-40% reduction in cooling air flow. These changes require an efficient cooling concept to deal with the increased demands like higher cooling air temperature, higher pressure and reduced cooling air flow. Overall the demands on the homogeneity of the temperature distribution in the reactive flow increase to take into account the increased heat load on the walls at lean combustion. Planar optical measurement techniques capable of providing different measurands were successfully combined in a common set up to enable rapid data acquisition consecutively or even simultaneously. Within a high pressure single sector combustor (SSC) the interaction between a pre-mixed lean flame and the near wall cooling film is observed at realistic pressure (here 5 bars) and preheat temperature (450 K). One of the main advantages of the SSC facility is its optical accessibility from three sides. In the present application an effusion-cooled wall with a mesh of cooling air holes represents the fourth side in the SSC and serves for the qualification of the laser optical measurement techniques for near wall investigations. A first assessment of the combustor design is achieved by the acquisition of the global velocity field, the spatial release of heat, the temperature field and the pre-mixing behavior of the cooling air concept within a central (symmetry) plane. For this purpose previously established spectroscopic measurement techniques are used such as the chemiluminescence of OH radical for the qualitative visualization of the heat release, the planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of the OH radical to study the mixing properties of combustor flow and film cooling as well as planar temperature distributions. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) visualized and quantified the swirling, recirculating flow field. The PIV measurements were acquired synchronized with the OH PLIF measurements on a single-pulse basis to obtain correlated information of the velocity field and the [OH] distribution with high spatial and temporal resolution. After global characterization of the combustion flow field near-wall PIV/LIF measurements were carried out with spatial high resolution in close proximity of the effusion cooled wall in an effort to visualize the structure of the cooling air jets in detail.
Blackbirds and blue whales: stress in English A+N constructions

In this article various constructions of English with the form A + N are considered, with particular reference to stress patterns. It is shown that there are several such patterns, and that stress patterns do not correlate with fixed effects. It is also argued that a simple division between compound and phrase does not seem to provide a motivation for the patterns found. The patterns seem to be determined partly by factors which are known to influence stress patterns in N + N constructions, and partly by lexical class, though variability in which expression belongs to which class is acknowledged. It is concluded that this is an area of English grammar that needs further research.
Use of fitness trackers to determine the volume of physical activity of students in secondary schools aged 15–16 years

Purpose: determine the weekly volume of motor activity of pupils of general education schools aged 15–16 in Lviv. Material & Methods: analysis of scientific and methodological literature, analysis and synthesis, determination of the volume of physical activity using technology FitnessTracker, methods of mathematical statistics. The study was attended by students of secondary schools No.45 and No. 54 (Lviv). For further processing, the results of the 26th boys and 25 girls were recorded. The total number of students was 51 people. Results: presents results of fixation of indicators of motor activity of children 15–16 years. The average number of steps that are carried out by students of this age on weekdays and weekends. Conclusions: it is established that on average, pupils of the specified age perform 7185,1 steps per day. This indicator is be-low the recommended standards for children of this age. Indicators of daily physical activity among children were higher than among women. It is established that the volume of physical activity of children 15–16 years old is 8,2% more on weekends compared with the same indicator on weekdays.
Implications of the Naturalistic Decision Making Framework for Information Dominance.

Abstract : This report explores the implications of the Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) framework for the domain of Information Dominance, defined as an operational advantage obtained through superior effectiveness of informational activity. NDM is the study of how people use their experience to make decisions in field settings. Expertise was considered at both the individual and the team level of decision making. The report defines the components of expertise and identifies obstacles to the acquisition of Information Dominance. These obstacles include: (1) excessive data, (2) pre-processed data, (3) excessive procedures, (4) performing formal analyses, (5) passive data handling and limited ability for information seeking, and (6) interfaces that obscure the big picture. The danger exists that these obstacles will severely limit the use of expertise at the individual and the team level, and that information technology will result in reduced rather than increased performance. The application of the NDM perspective demonstrates how information technologies can interfere with expertise, and provides assistance in the development of procedures which ensure that information technologies support Information Dominance functions. Directions for future research into the nature of the obstacles are identified.
Understanding dietary behaviour change after a diagnosis of diabetes: A qualitative investigation of adults with type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major public health concern. Optimal management of T2D often requires individuals to make substantial changes to their dietary intake. This research employed a qualitative methodology to examine decision making processes underpinning dietary behaviour change. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted on a purposive sample of 21 Australian adults who had recently consulted a dietitian after being diagnosed with T2D. Data were analysed using theoretical thematic analysis and themes were matched deductively with constructs that underpin motivational, volitional, and implicit processes which exist in common models of behaviour change. Influences on motivation, such as a desire to improve health status and making use of valuable support networks featured in participant narratives. Volitional influences included knowing their limits, dealing with falling off the wagon, and learning how their body responds to food. The themes unlearning habits and limit the availability were identified as underpinning implicit influences on dietary change. Individual differences and emotions were constructs additional to the model that influenced dietary change. These findings contribute to a richer understanding of the subjective experiences of adults with T2D regarding dietary change and highlight the multiple processes that guide their decision making in this context.
Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe Make A Match terhadap Motivasi dan Hasil Belajar Matematika

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh model pembelajaran kooperatif tipe make a match pada materi bangun datar kelas V SDN 1 Balun Banjarnegara dilihat pada motivasi dan hasil belajar siswa. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian kuantitatif dalam bentuk Quaisi Experimental Design dengan desain Nonequivalent Control Group Design. Populasi penelitian adalah seluruh siswa kelas V SDN 1 Balun Banjarnegara tahun pelajaran 2018-2019 . Sampel yang diambil adalah siswa kelas V A berjumlah 22 siswa dan siswa kelas V B berjumlah 21 siswadengan menggunakan teknik Non Probability Sampling. Data dalam penelitian ini diperoleh melalui dokumentasi, observasi, angket, dan tes. Hasil analisis angket motivasi siswa menunjukan bahwa presentase kelompok eksperimen (90,91%) lebih besar dari kelompok kontrol (57,14%), serta berdasarkan hasil hitung uji t diketahui lebih besar dari (2,995>2,021). Kesimpulannya bahwa model pembelajaran Make A Match berpengaruh terhadap motivasibelajar siswa. Nilai kelompok eksperimen diketahui rata-rata 65,91 lebih besar dari kelompok kontrol 49,05, serta berdasarkan hasil uji t di ketahui lebih besar dari (6,502>2,01).
Evaluating Location of Placement and Spacing of Detectors for Real-Time Crash Prediction on Urban Expressways

The concept of real-time crash prediction is in its early stage and so far the focus has been on evaluating different methods to improve the overall prediction accuracy assuming a fixed existing underground loop detector infrastructure. Very few studies are conducted on the location of placement and spacing of detectors for urban expressways which is vital when the crash potential of a specific road section is to be monitored. Guidelines regarding this can be highly beneficiary for developing proactive road safety management systems under budget constrains for hazardous road sections. This study evaluated six different detector spacings by developing six separate real-time crash prediction models with Bayesian Network. Crash data and traffic flow data (flow and speed) were collected for two years (December, 2006 to November, 2008) from 30 loop detectors on Shinjuku 4 Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway, Japan. Crash data were aggregated for each 250 meters road segment and six different detector spacings (in each case, one detector in the upstream and the other one in the downstream of the segment under consideration) were evaluated. The 5-minute cumulative flow difference and average speed difference between upstream and down stream detectors were found to be the suitable predictors. Although all the six detector spacings could predict more than 50% future crashes accurately, the spacing with the downstream detector placed 500 meters and upstream detector placed 250 meters from the center of the 250 meter road segment provided 63% accuracy for crash and 80% accuracy for non-crash situations.
Informality and Formality in Learning: a report for the Learning and Skills Research Centre

Learning is often thought of as ‘formal’, ‘informal’ or ‘non-formal’. This report suggests that these are not discrete categories, and to think that they are is to misunderstand the nature of learning. It is more accurate to conceive ‘formality’ and ‘informality’ as attributes present in all circumstances of learning. The priority for research is then to identify these attributes, explore their relationships, and identify their effects on learners, teachers and the learning environment.