Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Construction Productivity Measures for Innovation Projects

A 30-year retrospective analysis of resource use in a range of new construction and repair projects reveals insignificant productivity increase when applying traditional narrow measures, as shown in a case study of beam bridges. It appears as necessary to estimate hidden quality changes in both outputs and inputs. Changes in government regulations, in specifications, and the development of nonprice criteria for contract award emerge as important. Schemes for benchmarking the performance of construction projects as well as life-cycle analyses suggest that customer risk aversion and effects on customer productivity should be taken into account. The outcome is a set of measurements that can be applied to the selection of any type of proposed new construction or repair technology innovation according to their potential impact on industry productivity.
Carrier jumping over a potential barrier at the interface of LDPE laminated dielectrics

Space charge is formed in an interfacial region of LDPE laminated EVA dielectrics, when they are subjected to dc voltage. A modified Maxwell-Wagner model is proposed to analyze such an interfacial space charge distribution. Ionic charge might be predominant rather than electronic charge. Positive charge is more predominant than negative charge in this dielectric system. Ionic charge carriers in EVA jump over a potential barrier to form a charge distribution at the dielectric interface. It is confirmed that its peak penetrates into LDPE, and it may be drawn via the electric force.
Clinical Significance of Major Angiogenesis-Related Effectors in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated with Trastuzumab-Based Regimens

Purpose Angiogenesis is a crucial phenomenon in the development and progression of breast cancer (BC), but the clinical significance of angiogenesis-related proteins in metastatic BC remains unknown. This study investigates the prognostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, 3 (VEGFR1, VEGFR2, VEGFR3) as well as vascular endothelial growth factors A and C (VEGFA and VEGFC) in metastatic BC patients treated with trastuzumab-based regimens. Materials and Methods Two hundred female patients were included. Protein and mRNA expression of the studied angiogenesis-related factors were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Results High expression of VEGFA, VEGFC, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and VEGFR3 in the tumor cells was observed in 43.5%, 24.2%, 36%, 29.5%, and 43%, respectively. Stromal elements expressed high levels of VEGFA, VEGFC, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and VEGFR3 in 78.9%, 93.3%, 90.7%, 90.2%, and 74.8% of tumors with available data. High tumor cell expression of VEGFR1 was a favorable prognosticator for survival among patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive tumors (hazard ratio [HR], 0.55; p=0.013). A trend towards longer progression-free survival was detected univariately for patients with HER2-negative tumors and high expression of VEGFR2 (HR, 0.60; p=0.059). Conclusion VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 seem to have significant prognostic value in BC patients with metastatic disease treated with trastuzumab-based regimens.
TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL (TAM): EMPOWERING SMART CUSTOMER TO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTRICITY SUPPLY SYSTEM

Based on the literature on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and related efforts in technology adoption research, this paper proposed an extended model for analyzing supply system acceptance of users. Innovation adoption has been widely researched in academe, industry and the public sector. The user readiness to adopt and use smart grid will be evaluates using Technology Acceptance Model. This Literature review is based on articles relating to TAM model being identified and observed to have been published in journals from databases EBSCOhost , Emerald, Proquest New Platform, Science Direct and IEEE Explore between the year 1998- 2013. The most recent studies investigate the TAM model in information system and involved service industries in its scope have been reviewed. A discussion on the TAM model and factor on consumer acceptance smart grid is presented and conceptual framework and model are proposed.
High-precision AC-DC transfer standards at ETL

A new measurement system is developed in order to re-evaluate the present AC-DC transfer standards of the Electrotechnical Laboratory (ETL). The measurement system consists of a high-precision comparator system and a modified fast-reversed DC source. The AC-DC transfer differences of thermal transfer standards are compared using the comparator system with a resolution better than 1 ppm. The absolute AC-DC transfer differences of single-junction thermal converters (SJTCs) are evaluated in term of a multijunction thermal converter and by the modified fast-reversed DC method. The results obtained by the two methods agree within 1 ppm. >
How Satisfaction Is Achieved in the Implementation Phase of Large Transportation Infrastructure Projects

In the implementation phase of transportation infrastructure projects, unplanned events will inevitably occur. Although this is increasingly acknowledged, little systematic research has been conducted into what management strategies are best for dealing with these unplanned events. This article investigates how managers respond to unplanned events that occur in the context of a project during implementation, and which management responses produce satisfactory outcomes. To evaluate what strategies work in what contexts, we introduce multi-value Qualitative Comparative Analysis (mvQCA) and apply it to the Dutch A2 Maastricht transportation infrastructure project (the Netherlands). We produced systematic evidence that (a) internally oriented private management is associated with low satisfaction; (b) externally oriented management is associated with high satisfaction in responding to social, local unplanned events; and (c) that internally oriented management is associated with high satisfaction, depending in particular on the nature of the cooperation between principal and contractor in the project.
Gene p53 Mutations after the Induction of 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) and Administration of Anti-Carcinogenesis Properties of Gynura procumbens in Sprague Dawley Rats

Objective: The aim of this research is to study p53 gene mutations in the mammary gland of DMBA-induced Sprague Dawley rats treated with the ethanol extract of Gynura procumbens. Methods: Sprague Dawley female rats aged 40 days were used. DMBA positive control animals were treated with 20 mg/kg bw DMBA; Gynura-extract positive control animals were treated with 300 or 750 mg/kgbw G. procumbens extract without DMBA treatment; experimental animals were treated with 300 or 750 mg/kg bw G. procumbens extract and 20 mg/kg bw DMBA, intragastric, while negative control animals neither treated with DMBA nor G. procumbens extract. Each group consists of 5 animals. Palpation and necropsy of mammary glands was conducted at the end of the experiment. Mutation of p53 was studied in exon-6 of this gene, in triple or less, depended on available samples. Result: G. procumbens extract generally suppress tumor incidence in DMBA treated animals. p53 sequence showing some point mutations which also affect on its amino acid sequence, but it was not exclusively occurred in DMBA treated animals. Conclusion: Based on this research we can not conclude that tumor incidence in this experiment was resulted by the mutation of p53 gene.
Oligodendrocytes regulate the adhesion molecule ICAM‐1 in neuroinflammation

Recently, oligodendrocytes (Ol) have been attributed potential immunomodulatory effects. Yet, the exact mode of interaction with pathogenic CNS infiltrating lymphocytes remains unclear. Here, we attempt to dissect mechanisms of Ol modulation during neuroinflammation and characterize the interaction of Ol with pathogenic T cells. RNA expression analysis revealed an upregulation of immune‐modulatory genes and adhesion molecules (AMs), ICAM‐1 and VCAM‐1, in Ol when isolated from mice undergoing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). To explore whether AMs are involved in the interaction of Ol with infiltrating T cells, we performed co‐culture studies on mature Ol and Th1 cells. Live cell imaging analysis showed direct interaction between both cell types. Eighty percentage of Th1 cells created contacts with Ol that lasted longer than 15 min, which may be regarded as physiologically relevant. Exposure of Ol to Th1 cells or their supernatant resulted in a significant extension of Ol processes, and upregulation of AMs as well as other immunomodulatory genes. Our observations indicate that blocking of oligodendroglial ICAM‐1 can reduce the number of Th1 cells initially contacting the Ol. These results suggest that AMs may play a role in the interaction between Ol and Th1 cells. We identified Ol interacting with CD4+ cells in vivo in spinal cord tissue of EAE diseased mice indicating that our in vitro findings are of interest to further scientific research in this field. Further characterization and understanding of Ol interaction with infiltrating cells may lead to new therapeutic strategies enhancing Ol protection and remyelination potential. Oligodendrocytes regulate immune modulatory genes and adhesion molecules during autoimmune neuroinflammation Oligodendrocytes interact with Th1 cells in vitro in a physiologically relevant manner Adhesion molecules may be involved in Ol‐Th1 cell interaction.
TSSr: an R package for comprehensive analyses of TSS sequencing data

Abstract Transcription initiation is regulated in a highly organized fashion to ensure proper cellular functions. Accurate identification of transcription start sites (TSSs) and quantitative characterization of transcription initiation activities are fundamental steps for studies of regulated transcriptions and core promoter structures. Several high-throughput techniques have been developed to sequence the very 5′end of RNA transcripts (TSS sequencing) on the genome scale. Bioinformatics tools are essential for processing, analysis, and visualization of TSS sequencing data. Here, we present TSSr, an R package that provides rich functions for mapping TSS and characterizations of structures and activities of core promoters based on all types of TSS sequencing data. Specifically, TSSr implements several newly developed algorithms for accurately identifying TSSs from mapped sequencing reads and inference of core promoters, which are a prerequisite for subsequent functional analyses of TSS data. Furthermore, TSSr also enables users to export various types of TSS data that can be visualized by genome browser for inspection of promoter activities in association with other genomic features, and to generate publication-ready TSS graphs. These user-friendly features could greatly facilitate studies of transcription initiation based on TSS sequencing data. The source code and detailed documentations of TSSr can be freely accessed at https://github.com/Linlab-slu/TSSr.
How COVID-19 Displaced Climate Change: Mediated Climate Change Activism and Issue Attention in the Swiss Media and Online Sphere

ABSTRACT Issues continuously compete for attention in the news media and on social media. Climate change is one of the most urgent problems for society and (re)gained wide public attention in 2019 through the global climate strike protest movement. However, we hypothesize that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 challenged the role of climate change as a routine issue. We use extensive news media and Twitter data to explore if and how the pandemic as a so-called killer issue has shifted public attention away from the issue of climate change in Switzerland. Results show that the climate debate fell victim to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the news media and the Twitter-sphere. Given the vast dominance of the pandemic, there is a strong indication this finding applies similarly to various other issues. Additional hashtag co-occurrence analysis shows that some climate activists react to this development and try to connect the issue of climate change to the pandemic. We argue that suppression of climate change by the pandemic is a problem for its long-term resolution, as it seems to have turned climate change back into a struggling issue.
Surface Transient Storage Under Low‐Flow Conditions in Streams With Rough Bathymetry

In natural and restored rivers, protruding river‐bed elements can cause complex flow patterns. We hypothesize that, particularly at very low flows, solute spreading in such streams is controlled by different mechanisms than at high flows, questioning existing parameterizations. We investigate two‐dimensional flow and transport in a synthetic channel with rough bathymetry under low‐flow conditions with a numerical model solving the full shallow‐water equations. Recirculation cells form behind protruding bed elements and trap water, macroscopically acting as transient‐storage domain. We fit the one‐dimensional mobile‐immobile transport model to the concentration breakthrough curves of the two‐dimensional model and relate the fitted parameters to easy‐to‐measure properties of the stream. The velocity in the mobile domain undergoes a power‐law relation with the discharge and the channel slope, differing from the relationship expected for normal flow in streams with large water depths. Both the fitted dispersion coefficient and the mass‐transfer coefficient between the mobile and immobile domains scale linearly with the velocity in the mobile domain. The ratio of immobile to mobile storage volumes β first increases then decreases with increasing discharge. We suggest measuring the surface area of bed elements protruding the water surface and that of the open water. The product of the corresponding area ratio with the velocity exerts a power‐law control on β. Altogether, we can relate the coefficients of the mobile‐immobile transport model to a few easy‐to‐measure properties of the stream. The findings of the present work contribute to the understanding of surface transient storage in natural and restored streams.
A fault locator for radial subtransmission and distribution lines

This paper presents the design and development of a prototype fault locator that estimates the location of shunt faults on radial subtransmission and distribution lines. The fault location technique is based on the fundamental frequency component of voltages and currents measured at the line terminal. Extensive sensitivity studies of the fault location technique have been done-some of the results are included in the paper. Hardware and software of the fault locator are described. The fault locator was tested in the laboratory using simulated fault data and a real-time playback simulator. Some results from the tests are presented. Results indicate that the fault location technique has acceptable accuracy, is robust and can be implemented with the available technology.
Bimanual Movements and Chronic Stroke Rehabilitation: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Executing voluntary motor actions in the upper extremities after a stroke is frequently challenging and frustrating. Although spontaneous motor recovery can occur, reorganizing the activation of the primary motor cortex and supplementary motor area takes a considerable amount of time involving effective rehabilitation interventions. Based on motor control theory and experience-dependent neural plasticity, stroke protocols centered on bimanual movement coordination are generating considerable evidence in overcoming dysfunctional movements. Looking backward and forward in this comprehensive review, we discuss noteworthy upper extremity improvements reported in bimanual movement coordination studies including force generation. Importantly, the effectiveness of chronic stroke rehabilitation approaches that involve voluntary interlimb coordination principles look promising.
Photonic techniques for use on the Atacama Large Millimeter Array

Progress on a photonic local oscillator that may be suitable for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) is described. The proposed system is based on the coherent heterodyne of 1550 nm infrared signals generated at a central location and then distributed over optical fiber to each antenna. The length of each fiber is held constant by a servo system which uses an optical interferometer to measure the fiber path length. The difference between the two laser frequencies is converted at the receivers to a radio frequency (RF) signal by a high-speed photomixer.
Formation of hafnium-aluminum-oxide gate dielectric using single cocktail liquid source in MOCVD process

We demonstrate that a high quality metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) HfAl/sub x/O/sub y/ (hereafter HfAlO) dielectric film can successfully be deposited with a wide range of composition controllability between HfO/sub 2/ and Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ in HfAlO using a single cocktail liquid source HfAl(MMP)/sub 2/(OiPr)/sub 5/. A composition ratio between 45 to 90% of HfO/sub 2/ in HfAlO is achieved by controlling deposition process parameters. The effect of the composition ratio between HfO/sub 2/ and Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ on the electrical properties of the film is also investigated. The HfAlO film with 90% HfO/sub 2/ (10% Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/), which has minimum sacrifice of K value (around 19), shows a great improvement in thermal stability and significant reduction of interfacial layer growth during subsequent thermal processes, leading to the reduction in leakage current by around 2 orders of magnitude compared to pure HfO/sub 2/ film. The HfAlO film also shows good compatibility with TaN metal gate electrode under high temperature annealing process.
A New Methodology for Three-dimensional Dynamic Analysis of Whole Body Movements

With the development of modern motion analysis technologies, biomechanical analysis of human activities can be evaluated by motion camera system with relatively simple set of external reflective markers. In this study a three-dimensional (3D) marker-based whole body biomechanical model was developed to evaluate whole body activities. This model can be used with motion analysis system to provide mathematical description of the kinematics of body segments and conduct kinetic analysis. As an application, this model has been used to compute the lower back torque during manual asymmetric lifting activities.
Les futurs enseignants du Québec sont-ils technocompétents? : Une analyse de la compétence professionnelle à intégrer les TIC

Cet article discute de la maitrise de chacune des composantes de la competence professionnelle a integrer les technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC), huitieme competence de 12 a acquerir par les futurs enseignants du Quebec en fin de formation universitaire (Ministere de l’Education du Quebec [MEQ], 2001). Meme si cette competence doit etre maitrisee a la fin de leur formation universitaire, les futurs enseignants quebecois revelent des carences sur le plan de la maitrise des technologies. De nombreuses etudes montrent que les enseignants utilisent peu les TIC pour des raisons personnelles ou des problemes d’infrastructures ou de formation. L’article a comme objectif de porter une appreciation de chaque composante de la competence professionnelle a integrer les TIC de 2 065 futurs enseignants quebecois lors de leurs stages. Les resultats indiquent que sur les six composantes de la competence, une est generalement maitrisee, quatre sont maitrisees partiellement et une reste a developper.
Potential Obstacles to Successful Implementation of Public-Private Partnerships in Beijing and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Public-private partnership (PPP) has been practiced for quite some time around the world and there are numerous infrastructure, construction, and building projects which are employing the concepts. Unfortunately, not all of these PPP projects are equally successful and some of these projects have been exposed to formidable obstacles. The need to identify potential obstacles for PPP projects is therefore becoming an important issue for both research and practice. Despite the amount of interest vested in PPP, it is normally the advantages of PPP that are touched on rather than the potential obstacles. Both Beijing and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (referred to as Hong Kong from here onwards) have been keen to introduce more PPP projects. This paper presents part of the findings of an empirical questionnaire survey in relation to the prevailing barriers to PPP success conducted in these two administrative systems. It was anticipated that the obstacles would be similar for these jurisdictions. R.
Energy harvesting cycles based on electro active polymers

Energy harvesting using dielectric elastomers is an interesting possibility to convert ambient energy into electric energy. Different small scale prototypes of energy harvesting devices, like SRIs wind- and wave-power generators have been developed so far. Nevertheless, the theoretical limits and practical implementation still have to be considered. The contribution of this paper is related to the calculation of the achievable energy gain. Different harvesting cycles are investigated theoretically and compared to each other. Based on the derived equations, several design rules for the material development are quoted. To analyze the various properties of dielectric elastomer generators an electromechanical test bench is realized. The design of an appropriate HV power electronics for energy harvesting devices is presented in the last section.
Seismic Analysis of the Zipingpu Concrete-Faced Rockfill Dam Response to the 2008 Wenchuan, China, Earthquake

AbstractThis paper presents the findings from both the detailed site investigations and the computational analyses on the Zipingpu concrete-faced rockfill dam (CFRD), a 156-m high dam in which 100-cm permanent settlement and 60-cm horizontal displacement occurred during the 2008 Wenchuan, China, earthquake. The Zipingpu CFRD was 17 km away from the epicenter and was considerably damaged by the Wenchuan earthquake. It was estimated that the peak acceleration in the top of the dam along the axial and vertical direction was about 20.0 m/s2, and the peak acceleration at the river level was about 16.0 m/s2. It was calculated that peak acceleration of dam bedrock was more than 5.0 m/s2, and the intensity (Chinese scale) was more than IX. Based on an in-situ investigation, the peak value of settlement of the dam crest reached 744.3 mm, and the peak value of horizontal displacement toward the right and left abutment are 226.1 mm and 106.8 mm, respectively. The actual experience of the peak acceleration and sei.