Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVE PRESTRESS FORCE IN 28-YEAR-OLD PRESTRESSED CONCRETE BRIDGE BEAMS

This paper presents the results of an experimental study to determine the effective prestress force in two full-scale prestressed concrete bridge beams that were removed from a bridge structure after a period of 28 years in service. An average prestress loss of 16% was determined for the two specimens. This loss value is approximately 60% of the loss predicted according to design specifications.
The buckling resistance of structures subjected to impulsive type actions

The behavior and resistance of structural components subjected to impulsive type loads is investigated. An increased insight into dynamic buckling is achieved by performing a literature study, together with analyses on beam-columns and plates. The analyses are done in the programs USFOS and ABAQUS. The literature study defines two forms of dynamic buckling; vibration buckling and pulse buckling. The thesis' main focus is dynamic buckling of beam-columns and plates. This can be related to slamming loads on ships or collisions between ships and offshore rigs. To be able to describe dynamic buckling properly, a theoretic foundation is created. The basic equations established by (Lindberg and Florence, 1987) are derived, as well as a mathematical description of dynamic buckling. The derivation show some of the basic features of pulse buckling for an axially loaded bar. Different parameters effect on dynamic buckling loads are also investigated. These parameters are load duration, shape and magnitude of initial imperfections, material choice and reduced slenderness. The dynamic loading factor is also included in the study. It is shown that the dynamic loading factor may drop below unity for loading durations close to the natural period of the component. The parameters effect on the buckling loads is shown to be significant, and is therefore further investigated in the analysis. An axially loaded beam-column is analyzed in USFOS. Steel is the material of choice. The beam-column contains initial geometrical imperfections compatible with the three first buckling modes. By varying the loading rate, the transition from one buckling mode to a higher mode is investigated. The effect of changing the magnitude of imperfections is also considered, as well as the composition of the imperfections. The reduced slenderness of the beam-column is varied, and it is found that the effect of this change on dynamic buckling loads is significant. To investigate the beam-columns behavior in real life, there are performed analyses with using a realistic value for the yield strength. A plate loaded with an edge load is analyzed in ABAQUS. The plate's eigenmodes are found by performing an eigenvalue analysis. The eigenvalues are implemented as initial imperfections. The effect of using different combinations and scaling of the eigenmodes are investigated by considering the change in the dynamic buckling loads. The effect of varying the reduced slenderness is also found, and by varying the loading rate the transition from one buckling mode to a higher mode is investigated. It is found that parameters such as reduced slenderness and scaling of the imperfections have a major influence on the dynamic buckling load. To verify the results from the analysis performed in ABAQUS, analytical results are obtained from (Ekstrom, 1973) and by using MATLAB.
Teacher Attitude towards the Implementation of Programme of Pastoral Instruction

Programme of Pastoral Instruction (PPI) is perceived as an easy subject needing little teaching because it is a mere extension of church services and the Bible. This leads to a negative attitude towards the subject. The attitude of teachers towards a subject affect how a programme is implemented. Some teachers in primary schools have a perspective that the programme of pastoral instruction is a source of disunity. The study sought to establish teacher attitude towards the implementation of the programme of pastoral instruction. The study was guided by Motivator-Hygiene theory. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. A simple random sampling technique was used to select fourteen catholic sponsored primary schools in Marakwet West Sub-County Elgeyo Marakwet County. All headteachers of the sample schools participated in the study. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 42 PP1 teachers and 272 pupils in the upper primary school, class 6, 7 and 8. Data were collected using questionnaires. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, including percentages, means, frequency and tables. The findings revealed that fifty-two percent (52%) of the respondents strongly disagreed that pastoral instruction has overcrowded the timetable. The study concludes that teachers' working conditions needed a boost by providing them with incentives to improve their morale. There is also a need to recognize and appreciate the efforts of teachers by rewarding them. The study recommends that: there is a need for teachers to undergo training. This is based on the fact that teachers who have adequate training on instructional resource use influence pre-school learners' achievement in both examinable subjects as well as non-examinable ones.
Large Monitoring Systems: Data Analysis, Design and Deployment

The emergence of pervasive sensing, high bandwidth communications and inexpensive data storage and computation systems makes it possible to drastically change how we design, monitor and regulate very large-scale physical and human networks. Even small performance gains in the way we operate these networks translate into large savings. There are many critical challenges to create functional monitoring systems, such as data reliability, computational efficiency and proper system design, including choices of sensors, communication protocols, and analysis approaches. In this dissertation introduces a framework to design a monitoring system, deploy it, maintain it and process the incoming heterogeneous sources of information, resulting in new applications. The framework is applied to urban traffic monitoring and road infrastructure sensing. We develop various state of the art statistical inference algorithms, compute performance guarantees and study some of the fundamental limits of the proposed ideas. We illustrate the methodology using experimental deployments we have built and are currently in use.
Once Again, the Challenge to the U.S. Army During a Defense Reduction: To Remain a Military Profession

Abstract : The U.S. Army has been through three reductions-in-force since the inception of the All-Volunteer Force. The first one, roughly 1972-78, actually birthed the All-Volunteer Force. The second one occurred in the late 1990s after the end of the Cold War when the U.S. Army was reduced by approximately one-third in both force structure and budget (Total Obligational Authority). The third one is just now beginning in 2011-12 as the Army returns from a decade of war in the Middle East. Critical to the future effectiveness of the Army, and thus its trust with the American people, is whether the Army will retain the essential characteristics of a military profession -- each of the six carefully explicated in this monograph -- as it transits this era of Department of Defense reductions. Unfortunately, that future effectiveness is often not really known until the first battle of the next war, as the Army learned so painfully in the past, e.g., Task Force Smith in Korea. As noted in the Foreword, the Army's campaign of learning about the Army profession has been ongoing for a year, a campaign led by a broad community of practice (CoP) drawn from many of the proponent Centers (Army schools or agencies for each Army branch or functional specialty) in dialogue with cohorts throughout the Army. For purposes of analytical capabilities, the CoP is organized by cohort within the profession, e.g., officers, noncommissioned officers, warrant officers, enlisted Soldiers, Army civilians, etc. Throughout calendar year 2011, that CoP conducted multiple surveys, assessments, dialogues, forums, and exercises across the Army. This monograph highlights some of the outcomes to date, particularly those relating to the central research question: What does it mean now, after a decade of war, for the Army to be a military profession?
The exploration of use of an online knowledge base and effect on patient experiences and health care quality: An observational study in primary health care

Background: Evidence-based information available at the point of care improves patient care outcomes. Online knowledge bases can increase the application of evidence-based medicine and influence patient outcome data which may be captured in quality registries. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of use of an online knowledge base on patient experiences and health care quality.Methods: The study was conducted as a retrospective, observational study of 24 primary health care centers in Sweden exploring their use of an online knowledge base. Frequency of use was compared to patient outcomes in two national quality registries. A socio-economic care need index was applied to assess whether the burden of care influenced the results from those quality registries. Non-parametric statistical methods and linear regression were used.Results: Frequency of knowledge base use showed two groups: frequent and non-frequent users, with a significant use difference between the groups (p<.001). Outcome data showed significant higher values for all seven National Primary Care Patient Survey dimensions in the frequent compared to the non-frequent knowledge base users (p<.001), whereas 10 out of 11 parameters in the National Diabetes Register showed no differences between the groups (p>.05). Adjusting for care need index had almost no effect on the outcomes for the groups.Conclusions: Frequent users of a national online knowledge base received higher ratings on patient experiences, but figures on health care quality in diabetes showed near to no correlation. The findings indicate that some effects may be attributed to the use of knowledge bases and requires a controlled evaluation.
Novel coronavirus, old partisanship: COVID-19 attitudes and behaviors in the United States and Canada

We utilize nationally representative surveys from the United States and Canada to examine the partisan divide in COVID-19 attitudes and behaviours in both countries. The ﬁrst cases of COVID-19 in both the US and Canada occurred around the same time, but government responses were starkly diﬀerent. We explore politically salient assessments of governmental performance in both countries, as well as general concern regarding COVID-19 and declarations of changes to daily routines undertaken in response to the pandemic. We ﬁnd strong partisan diﬀerences in evaluations of the government’s response to COVID-19 and conﬁdence in its ability to handle the crisis. We also ﬁnd partisan diﬀerences in concern and behavioural responses to the pandemic in both countries. However, the behavioural diﬀerences are small, suggesting that while overtly political assessments are strongly partisan this polarization is dampened down when it comes to actual behavioural responses to the pandemic.
Determining the Resistivity of Resistive Sheets Using Transmission Measurements

Abstract : In September 2005, radar cross section (RCS) measurements were made of resistive sheets, or R-cards, wrapped around a polystyrene foam cylinder to compare with a newly developed theoretical RCS prediction technique. The resistivities of the R-cards were initially measured with a direct current (DC) four-point probe. When the RCS measurements were compared to the theoretical predictions, it became clear that DC resistivity alone is not sufficient to accurately predict the scattering from an R-card. This thesis presents alternating current (AC) methods for determining the resistivity of an R-card. Both freespace and waveguide techniques are presented. Experimental verification of the techniques is performed using two R-cards with DC resistivities 892 Ω/sq and 64 Ω/sq. The techniques are compared intraand inter-measurement apparatus. An error analysis is also performed to demonstrate the sensitivity of the techniques to errors in the measurements of the thickness or the permittivity of the support backing.
Ostrich farming in Germany - an animal welfare issue?

Commercial farming of African ostriches in Germany continues to be a controversial subject with regard to the aspect of animal protection. Those against it mainly argue that the wet and chilly weather in our latitudes affects the animals' welfare. According to them, artificial breeding results in impairment of the entire reproductive biology and, along with the fact that the young are not reared by the parent animals, has to be seen as an issue of animal welfare. Based on the behavioral observation of adult breeding ostriches and ostrich chicks, the present study investigated whether farm breeding under Southern German climatic conditions is appropriate for the animals. This was done taking into consideration utilization of the stable and the influence of various climatic parameters on behavior. For that purpose, 18 adult animals in 5 breed groups were observed from January to December. The animals were extensively kept at pasture with appropriate open stables. In another study the relevance of the keeping of artificially bred vs. naturally bred chicks in terms of animal welfare was investigated based on behavioral observations. To that end, 21 naturally bred animals as well as 307 artificially bred chicks were observed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. over 1 year. Both the chicks and the ostriches adapted their behavior to different weather conditions. In particular when it was cold and ground conditions were unfavorable the adult animals used the open stable with increased frequency to protect themselves against the weather, while the naturally bred chicks sought shelter underneath the parent animals. The daily amount of precipitation on the other hand had no influence on the utilization of the stable. In the outdoor enclosure, rain caused the animals to sit on the ground. Motion activity in the first 14 days of life was considerably higher in naturally bred chicks than in artificially bred chicks (P < 0.05). Feather pecking, however, was more frequent in artificially bred chicks (P < 0.05). The aspects investigated here suggest that appropriate husbandry of ostriches is indeed possible in our latitudes. There is a need for legally binding regulations on the husbandry of these animals, reflecting the current state of knowledge and demanding extensive keeping with an appropriately high level of care and looking after (in particular the chicks), housing and nutrition of the animals as well as expertise on the part of the animal keeper. Occasional husbandry for hobby purposes, limited to a small number of individual animals, is to be rejected.
Real Effective Exchange Rate Misalignment
of the Tunisian dinar

In the Tunisian context, the issue of the misalignment of the real exchange rate has arisen for some time for some reason, a question that has intensified after the adoption of the floating regime. In this article, we will look at the assessment of the effects, if any, of the misalignment of the real effective exchange rate (REER) to its equilibrium value over the period from 1986 to 2015. The results show that the equilibrium level of the long-run exchange rate depends on productivity, the terms of trade and government spending. Two sub-periods are noted, that of a positive mismatch (undervaluation) from 1986 to 2003 followed by another negative mismatch (overvaluation) from 2004 to 2015. Such a result can be explained by the orientation of Tunisia towards the flexibility of the real exchange rate which in turn is likely to reduce the degree of imbalance of the real exchange rate. Similarly, the Tunisian authorities must adopt gradual reforms in their decisions on liberalization and financial integration and they are called upon to strengthen their trade and exchange policies to meet the challenge of the new international financial architecture. Finally, concerning the misalignment, we found the difference between the observed exchange rate and the equilibrium exchange rate is very low, especially since the implementation of the structural adjustment plan.
AlN and High-k Thin Films for IC and Electroacoustic Applications

Further, a highly selective dry etch process for etching Al on AlN has been developed for the fabrication of MIM, MIS, SAW and BAW test structures for electrical and electroacoustic characterization of the films. A dielectric constant of 10 for AlN and 25 for Ti doped Ta2O5 have been measured. With respect to electroacoustic characterization, BAW measurements gave a longitudinal velocity of 11350 m/s and a TCD of -25ppm/K. AlN thin film test structures on SiO2/Si yielded a SAW velocity of around 5000 m/s, while those on polycrystalline diamond exhibited a SAW velocity of 11800 m/s. The latter results illustrate one of the biggest advantages of thin film SAW technology, namely one can exploit both the piezoelectric properties of the film and the acoustic properties of the substrate and hence devise components with superior performance. The explosive development of personal communications systems, navigation, satellite communications as well as personal computer and data processing systems together with the constant demand for higher speeds and larger bandwidths has driven the fabrication technology to its limits. This in turn necessitates the development of novel functional materials for the fabrication of devices with superior performance and higher capacity at reduced manufacturing costs. This thesis focuses on the synthesis and characterization of such materials for IC and electroacoustic applications. Specifically, AlN thin films as well as Ti doped Ta2O5 thin films have been grown using both RF and pulsed-DC reactive sputter deposition on a variety of substrate materials. AlN is a piezoelectric material and hence its crystallographic structure and film texture are of prime interest, while Ta2O5 is a material with a relatively high dielectric constant. A significant part of the work deals with the optimization of the deposition processes. The latter have been optimized both empirically and theoretically by modeling the reactive sputter process. Subsequently, highly textured AlN thin films have been synthesized and characterized. The films were fully c-axis oriented with a typical value for the FWHM of the (002) rocking curve of 1.6°. In addition, epitaxial AlN films have been grown on sapphire at 500oC with relatively low defect density.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease among Palestinian Diabetic Patients: a Cross Sectional Study

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem and diabetes is one of major risk factor for its development and progression. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in a cross-sectional population of patients with type 2 diabetes treated in primary health care centers in North West Bank. Methods Patients’ data including patient characteristics, creatinine level, blood pressure, HbA1c, and hypertension and diabetes duration was collected from primary health care centers. eGFR was calculated using the CKD-EPI equation. CKD was staged according to the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes System (KDIGO) 2012 guidelines. Both univariate and multivariate statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS. Results The prevalence of chronic kidney disease among diabetic adults in North West Bank was found to be 23.6% (95% CI: 19.4%-28.1%) distributed as follows: 19.7% had stage 3 CKD, 2.6% had stage 4 CKD and 1.3% had stage 5 CKD. In multivariate logistic regression, CKD was significantly associated with hypertension [adjusted OR= 4.43, P value=0.005], smoking [adjusted OR= 2.1, P value=0.01], and age [adjusted OR= 1.1, P value <0.001] Conclusions CKD is highly prevalent among Palestinian diabetic adults. Co-morbid hypertension, smoking and older age were found to increase the probability of developing this condition. Intensive screening for diabetic patients to detect CKD at earlier stages and implementation of more aggressive treatment modalities for diabetes as well as other important risk factors, especially hypertension and smoking are recommended.
Annual Report on Application of Model-Based Signal Processing Methods to Computational Electromagnetics Simulators

Abstract : This report summarizes the scientific progress on the research grant "Application of Model-Based Signal Processing Methods to Computational Electromagnetics Simulators" during the period 1 December 1997 - 30 November 1998. Progress on model-based frequency extrapolation of antenna radiation patterns on complex platforms and extraction of sparse representation of antenna radiation and coupling data is described.
High Level Impulse Sounds and Human Hearing: Standards, Physiology, Quantification

Abstract : Assessing the noise hazard of high level impulse sounds created by friendly and enemy weapons is of critical importance since hearing loss negatively impacts mission success and unit readiness, and creates a costly common Soldier disability. Noise hazard assessment tools must strike a balance between minimizing hearing injury and creating high lethality weapons that ensure battlefield superiority and survivability. Existing tools, e.g., the U.S. National Research Council s Committee on Hearing and Bio-acoustics s (CHABA) Damage Risk Criteria (DRC), are not applicable for a broad range of military blasts, such as from improvised explosive devices (IEDs). This report provides background information and justification for using the auditory hazard assessment algorithm for humans (AHAAH), which incorporates state-of-the-art knowledge about the human hearing system to predict and quantify hearing loss caused by high level impulse sounds. This 10-year-old extensively peer-reviewed model has immediate value as a health hazard assessment tool and a design tool for the military. It can predict the onset of hazard in the human ear much more accurately than other methods and simulate the behavior of various hearing protection devices (HPDs). Further, its foundations in physical phenomenology are generalizable to new weapon sounds. The model provides engineering insight into the loss process to promote safer, more effective designs.