Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Overview of Passenger Equipment Fullscale Impact Tests: Results to Date

As part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Equipment Safety Research Program, a series of full-scale impact tests are being conducted on rail passenger vehicles. Three tests are intended to define the performance of current-design equipment in in-line collisions: (1) a single car impact with a fixed wall; (2) a two coupled car impact with a fixed wall; and (3) a moving cab car led train impact with a standing locomotive-led train. These tests are designed to first measure the crashworthiness of a single car, then the interactions of two cars when coupled, and finally the behavior of a complete train, including the interactions of the colliding cars. As part of these tests, interior configurations with forward facing unrestrained, forward facing restrained, and rear facing unrestrained test dummies are being used to measure potential occupant dynamics during a train collision. The first two tests have already been conducted. The third test is planned for the fall of 2001. Similar tests are currently being planned for crash energy management equipment. The crash energy management equipment is expected to perform significantly better in these tests than the conventional equipment. While the principal objective of these tests is to determine effective strategies for improved structural crashworthiness and improved occupant protection, a secondary objective is to validate and improve the computer models that have been developed as part of the rail vehicle crashworthiness research. Results from the tests conducted to date show that the force reaches a high initial peak, and then decreases as the car crushes. The consequence of this decreasing force/crush characteristic is that the structural damage will be focused on the impacting cars in a collision, with very little damage to the trailing cars. Results from the occupant experiments show that the collision environment experienced by the occupants is different than assumed in early analyses. Earlier analyses and sled tests have assumed that the principal car motions influencing the occupants occurred longitudinally, and that the vertical and lateral car motions could be neglected. The vertical accelerations of the cars during the two-car test resulted in the heads of the test dummies rising over the seatbacks, and consequent high loads on the necks of the dummies. Such motions and loads were not been observed in previous sled testing.
ROADWAY LIGHTING: AN INVESTIGATION AND EVALUATION OF THREE DIFFERENT LIGHT SOURCES

Nighttime visibility has been shown to be influenced by the lamp type used for roadway lighting, because the lamp's spectral output can influence sensors in the retina that are active at night. This report investigates the nature of these spectral effects and provides an in-depth review of available knowledge. It also addresses lighting levels and their relationship to driver safety. Three candidate lamp types have been analyzed in terms of technical characteristics and associated costs. This involves factors such as the efficacy with which the sources produce light, lamp life, and maintenance characteristics. Ideal lighting designs have been performed using the three sources for identical road sections, and initial and operating costs have been calculated, to assist in contrasting the difference between the sources. Two research plans have been developed for further investigations. One is a major project of field experimentation to determine relationships between visibility, safety, lighting level and lamp type under practical driving conditions. The other is based on using roadway sections lighted by the three sources respectively for the collection of accident data.
Study of serum ferritin levels as an inflammatory marker and its relationship with Hba1c in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading metabolic disorder globally as well as in India, affecting more than 135 million people all over the world. Studies have shown a strong association between elevated serum levels of ferritin and type 2 DM. Serum ferritin could be an independent determinant of poor metabolic control in the diabetic patient. Serum ferritin as an inflammatory marker in type 2 diabetes mellitus is an underutilized but can be a reliable tool to evaluate the metabolic disorder. We assessed 180 subjects (120 cases and 60 controls) in the current study. The case group was divided in to 2 groups based on the HbA1c levels as Group B: HbA1C < 6g/dl (60 cases) and Group C: HbA1C > 6g/dl (60 cases). The work embodied in the study includes subjects diagnosed of type 2 diabetes mellitus above 40 years of age, attending diabetic OPD in ESIC PGIMSR, of both gender. Group A (control) includes healthy adults above 30 years of age both the sexes. Serum levels Fasting sugar and Ferritin were estimated along with Glycated hemoglobin levels. Mean serum ferritin levels in Group A, Group B and Group C were 112.08 ± 90.1ng/dl, 334.4 ± 39.1ng/mL and 368.9 ± 46.7 ng/ respectively. Serum ferritin levels in Group B and C were significantly higher than Group A (p <0.001. The study concludes that inflammatory biomarker ferritin is strongly and independently associated with cardiovascular complications in diabetes.
When network bridges foster consensus. Bounded confidence models in networked societies

In this work we present novel results to the problem of the Hegselmann-Krause dynamics in networks obtained by an extensive study of the behavior of the standard order parameter sensitive to the onset of consensus: the normalized size of the giant cluster. This order parameter reveals the non trivial effect of the network topology on the steady states of the dynamics, overlooked by previous works, which concentrated on the onset of unanimity, and allows to detect regions of polarization between the fragmented and the consensus phases. While the previous results on unanimity are confirmed, the consensus threshold shifts in the opposite direction compared to the threshold for unanimity. A detailed finite size scaling analysis shows that, in general, consensus is easier to obtain in networks than in mixed populations. At a difference with previous studies, we show that the network topology is relevant beyond the finitness of the average degree with increasing system size. In particular, in pure random networks (either uniform random graphs or scale free networks), the consensus threshold seems to vanish in the thermodynamic limit. A detailed analysis of the time evolution of the dynamics reveals the role of bridges in the network, which allow for the interaction between agents belonging to clusters of very different opinions, after several repeated interaction steps. These bridges are at the origin of the shift of the confidence threshold to lower values in networks as compared to lattices or the mixed population.
The broaching of ships in following seas

The two aims of this work were: (1) to develop a theoretical technique for determining the conditions where a broach would occur, and (2) to identify the principal factors affecting the liability of a ship to broach. The first step was to develop a mathematical model based on the conventional manoeuvring equations with coefficients which were functions of the ship's longitudinal position in the wave, but independent of encounter frequency. Next, a theoretical method for calculating the values of some of the coefficients as functions of wave position was developed using a strip theory approach and the results compared with those obtained experimentally. The experimental technique involved using a planar motion mechanism to oscillate a constrained model balanced on a wave created by a wave dozer in a circulating water channel. Although the agreement was poor and experimental scatter high for some of the coefficients, the more important ones were predicted quite well using the theory. Constrained model experiments were also --carried out in calm water in order to determine the approximate value of the roll coupling terms and it was found that, since they were small, the roll equation could be ignored as a first approximation. It was then possible to study the stability of the lateral and longitudinal motions separately for various wavelengths and to determine that the principal factor causing a broach was the large wave induced yaw moment combined with the small restoring moment available from the rudder operating with reduced effectiveness. The lateral and longitudinal equations were then combined using a digital/analogue hybrid simulation permitting the conditions which caused a broach to be determined. When the results from the simulation-were compared with results which had already been carried out by the Admiralty Marine Technology Establishment at Haslar there was fairly good agreement, implying that this method could be used to determine whether a proposed design would meet an acceptable standard. Finally, possible improvements to the simulation were suggested and guidelines for reducing the liability to broach were given both for the operator and the designer.
Effects of the Main Gas Path Pressure Field on Rim Seal Flows in a Stationary Linear Cascade

Rim seals in the turbine section of gas turbine engines aim to reduce the amount of purge air required to prevent the ingress of hot mainstream gas into the under-platform space. A stationary, linear cascade was designed, built, and benchmarked to study the effect of the interaction between the pressure fields from an upstream vane row and downstream blade row on hot gas ingress for engine-realistic rim seal geometries. The pressure field of the downstream blade row was modeled using a bluff body designed to produce the pressure distortion of a moving blade. Sealing effectiveness data for the baseline seal indicated that there was little to no ingress with a purge rate greater than 1% of the main gas path flow. Adiabatic endwall effectiveness data downstream in the trench between the vane and blade showed a high degree of mixing. Extending the seal feature associated with the vane endwall indicated better sealing than the baseline design. Steady computational predictions were found to overpredict the sealing effectiveness due to underpredicted mixing in the trench.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
DETERMINATION OF PILE DRIVEABILITY AND CAPACITY FROM PENETRATION TESTS. VOLUME III: LITERATURE REVIEW, DATA BASE AND APPENDIXES

Research has been conducted on the potential improvement of dynamic wave equation analysis methodology using in-situ soil testing techniques. As a basis for this investigation, the literature was reviewed and a summary was compiled of efforts made to date on the development of models and associated parameters for pile driving analysis. Furthermore a data base was developed containing more than 150 cases of test piles with static load tests, dynamic restrike tests, soil information, driving system data and installation records. One hundred data base cases were subjected to correlation studies using both wave equation and CAPWAP. This work yielded dynamic soil model parameters which did not indicate a specific relationship with soil grain size. The in-situ soil testing device utilized was a Modified SPT which yielded data from both static and dynamic measurements. Either static uplift or torque tests yielded static ultimate shaft resistance, and uplift tests also indicated a shaft resistance quake. Static compressive tests on a special tip indicated ultimate end bearing and associated toe quake. Indirectly, by signal matching, soil damping parameters were calculated. These quantities were then used for the prediction of full-scale pile behavior. Data from the Modified SPT were gathered and analyzed on six sites with previous full-scale static pile tests and on three sites where static load tests were to be performed at a later date. Recommendations derived from these tests pertain to the current soil model and to proposals for future changes. In general, the current approach was found to yield, on the average, very reasonable results for end of installation situations. For restrike tests, standard parameters may be misleading. Any necessary modifications to the current approach, for example, the use of particularly large toe quakes or low toe damping factors, should be based on Modified SPT measurements. Differences between prediction and full-scale pile field behavior were attributed to soil strength changes over relatively small distances which cannot be detected with standard SPT spacings of 5 ft (1.5 m).
Lessons from Disaster: How Organizations Have No Memory and Accidents Recur

This series of essays on safety and loss prevention is aimed at helping the process industries avoid accidents and improve its public image. The central message is the apparent inability of organizations to learn, and retain in the long term, the lessons drawn from accidents. Thus incidents of a similar type recur within the same company at intervals of a decade or so, as personnel involved move on to other jobs. Kletz illustrates his thesis copiously with cases which provide advice for engineers. He also offers his own advice on how to improve the corporate memory.
Rhizosphere Microbiome Regulates the Growth of Mustard under Organic Greenhouse Cultivation

Organic cultivation can improve soil fertility and biodiversity through the preservation of soil organic matter. Meanwhile, greenhouse cultivation can provide a controlled environment and therefore enables the management of every aspect of plant growth. In recent years, the combination of organic and greenhouse cultivation has slowly become a popular option in tropical regions to prevent the unpredictable impact of weather. Although it is known that organic cultivation significantly increases the density and species of microorganisms, the impact of soil microbiome on short-term vegetable growth under organic greenhouse cultivation is still not elucidated. In this study, we examined soil physiochemical properties as well as the rhizosphere microbiome from healthy and diseased mustard plants under organic greenhouse cultivation. Through next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis, our results revealed that the rhizosphere microbiome structure of healthy mustard plants was significantly different from those of the diseased mustard plants under organic greenhouse cultivation. Our findings suggest that soil microbiome composition can influence the growth of the vegetable significantly. As such, we have shown the impact of soil microbiome on vegetable growth under organic greenhouse cultivation and provide a possible strategy for sustainable agriculture.
Minority Stress as a Multidimensional Predictor of LGB+ Adolescents’ Mental Health Outcomes

ABSTRACT The minority stress model has been used to explain added daily stressors that non-heterosexual (LGB+) individuals experience. While the emphasis of minority stress research is frequently broad (global minority stress) or narrow (specific stressors) in focus, the literature often refers to specific stressors at the domain level as either distal (external) or proximal (internal). This study found that, compared with broad and narrow levels, a domain level approach may be best for understanding the predictive value of minority stress. Multiple regression analyses with a sample of 152 LGB+ adolescents found that distal stress predicted substance misuse (p < .001) and suicidality (p = .002) and was a stronger predicter than proximal stress for psychological inflexibility. This study might contribute to an evidence base that could guide measurement approaches for assessing minority stress and using related results to inform the prediction of—and, ultimately, intervention with—LGB+ adolescents’ mental health outcomes.
Dominance effects on the time budget and milking behaviour of cows managed on pasture and milked in an automated milking system

The influence of social hierarchy on the behaviour of a herd of 41 cows milked in an automated milking system (AMS) was studied under conditions of free or no access to water at pasture. In phase 1 (P1) water was available within a central collection area (CCA) in the centre of the farm from which return to pasture was via the AMS. In phase 2 (P2), water was available at pasture in addition to the CCA. The time budget for activity (grazing, standing, lying or walking) and location (paddock, CCA entrance race, exit race or waiting yard) was determined over 2x24h in each of P1 & P2. Dominance values (DV) were calculated and cows classified as high, middle or low ranking. In P1 & P2, DV was positively related to the number of milking visits to the AMS. In P1, 83.4% of all drinking occurred in the CCA compared with 14.2% in P2. Social rank had no effect on time budget in P1, however, in P2, DV influenced waiting times with lower ranking cows spending a greater proportion of time waiting before entering the AMS. The results show that social rank affects the number of visits to the AMS and yard waiting times but has little effect on the activity time budget of cows milked in a AMS.
Water content and electrical conductivity profile measurements for dispersive media using enhanced time domain and frequency domain models

approved: _____________________________________________________________________ John S. Selker Water conservation and water quality are rapidly increasing in importance in all areas of the world. The ability to accurately measure soil water content and salinity, over a wide variety of conditions, is key to meeting this need. A set of forward prediction models and waveform interpretation algorithms to extract Volumetric Water Content (WC) and Electrical Conductivity (EC) profiles vs. position and time for electrically lossy and dispersive geophysical and biological media are presented. These are applicable to both Time Domain and Frequency Domain Electromagnetic Wave Propagation Transmission and Reflection measurements. These forward prediction models are developed using physically based First Principles models from the Theory of Electromagnetics together with Scattering (S) Parameter and Transmission (T) Parameter network modeling techniques applied to wave propagation in various media with cascaded domains of different properties. The interpretation algorithms fit the pre-derived Forward Prediction models to the measurement data via lookup tables, interpolation and optimization methods. Presented applications include the transmission line methods of Time Domain Reflectometry, Time Domain Transmission, Frequency Domain Reflectometry and Frequency Domain Transmission including high dynamic range Frequency Domain Vector Network Analysis. Other applications include Ground Penetrating Radar and Microwave Remote Sensing. The models account for temporal and spatial heterogeneity to obtain WC and EC vs. time and position. Models are introduced for composite media with multiple constituents of varying Ohmic (EC) and dielectric (electric permittivity) properties accounting for dispersive frequency dependence and loss. These models interpolate between the physical upper and lower bounds of parallel and serial influences of each of the capacitive and conductive constituents. New models are also introduced accounting for charged interfaces and resulting bound and semi-bound water constituents within the pore spaces of soils containing clay or organic matter fractions resulting in a transition zone from bound to free water (via a semi-bound water zone) impacting the frequency dependence on electric permittivity. Validations of the models are presented via comparisons to actual measured data over wide ranges of water content, electrical conductivity and soil types. ©Copyright by Benjamin A. Flugstad June 10, 2013 All Rights Reserved Water Content and Electrical Conductivity Profile Measurements for Dispersive Media using Enhanced Time Domain and Frequency Domain Models by Benjamin A. Flugstad
Intelligent Transportation Systems Benefits, Costs, and Lessons Learned: 2005 Update

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies offer a clear opportunity to improve transportation safety, relieve congestion, and enhance productivity. This report is a continuation of a series of reports providing a synthesis of the information collected by the United States Department of Transportation's ITS Joint Program Office on the impact that ITS projects have on the operation of the surface transportation network, and the costs of ITS deployment and operations. New in the 2005 report is the inclusion of summaries of lessons learned from ITS planning, deployment, operations, and evaluation experience. Information in this report is drawn from the ITS Benefits and Costs Databases, regularly updated repositories of such information, available on the Internet at www.benefitcost. its.dot. gov. The report presents material from the databases that describes the impacts and costs of the intelligent transportation infrastructure as well as intelligent vehicle applications. More details of the lessons learned discussed in this report will be presented in the Internet-accessible ITS Lessons Learned Database planned to be available in the summer of 2005.
Invited discussion - roof strength and injury risk in rollover crashes

When using crash data to study the influence of roof strength on injury, it is essential to consider all factors that might affect the likelihood of injury. For example, if it is known that rural rollovers tend to be more severe than urban rollovers, then the analysis should control for rural vs. urban because some vehicles may have more rural crashes than others. The statistical study that considers these extraneous influences is more accurate than the study that ignores them. Unfortunately, the current paper by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), "Roof Strength and Injury Risk in Rollover Crashes" (IRCOBI Conference, 2008) (see ITRD E144233), ignores many of the important confounding factors that would influence their results. When these errors are corrected, the IIHS data are consistent with the results of prior research: that there is no relationship between roof strength-to-weight ratio and serious injury/fatality likelihood for vehicles which comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 216. For the covering abstract see ITRD E144229.
What a Diverse Top Management Team Means: Testing an Integrated Model

Prior research has produced inconsistent results on the relationship between top management team (TMT) diversity and firm performance. Drawing on the information–social categorization framework, this study is designed to investigate both the mechanism and the contextual factors underlying the relationship between TMT cognitive diversity and firm performance by examining them in a unified model so as to better understand how a diverse TMT works. Based on a multi‐sourced survey of top managers from 118 Chinese firms, this study finds that team interdependence and team cohesion moderate in the linkage between TMT cognitive diversity and elaboration of task‐related information. In addition, TMT's elaboration of task‐related information mediates the interactive effects of TMT cognitive diversity and team interdependence on firm performance as well as the interactive effects of TMT cognitive diversity and team cohesion on firm performance.