Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Weapons of Clients: Why Do Voters Support Bad Patrons? Ethnographic Evidence from Rural Brazil

ABSTRACT Current approaches to voting behavior in clientelist contexts either predict that clients leave their preferences aside for fear of having their benefits cut off or voluntarily support politicians they perceive to be reliable patrons. These two approaches cannot account for clients’ vote choices in the Sertão of Bahia, Brazil, where voters were free to choose among competing candidates but supported patrons they knew were unreliable. This article argues that clients voluntarily voted for bad patrons as a strategy to gain symbolic power in their negotiations with politicians. By explaining clients’ paradoxical choices in the Sertão, this article reveals how clientelism can persist without monitoring mechanisms or positive attitudes toward patrons. In addition, this study shows the importance of incorporating voters’ perspectives and their everyday survival strategies to better account for clients’ political behavior.
Numerical study of a supersonic open cavity flow and pressure oscillation control

Numerical experiments were performed to study the flow structure and suppression of pressure oscillation in the M. ,. = 2.5 supersonic open cavity flow problem. Numerical results show that the large pressure variation within the cavity induced by the shear layer's wavy shape produces new vortices not found in situations where M. ,. < 2.5. The proposed suppression device imposes mass transfer on the cavity's aft bulkhead. The proposal is tested by replacing one of the cavity walls with a porous wall and adjoining vent chamber. Constant porosity and uniform vent-chamber pressure are assumed. Replacing the aft bulkhead with a porous wall/vent chamber combination provides the most effective suppression of pressure fluctuation, even with a porosity value as small as 0.1 for vent-chamber pressure ranging from p, to l.5py. Mass transfer at the cavity floor and forward bulkhead are also examined, but they are found to be less effective.
Experimental study of the effect of inhibitors in wax precipitation by different techniques

The blocking problems in equipment and flowlines caused by precipitation of wax solids is a well‐known problem and large research efforts have been focused on developing procedures dealing with wax deposition. Among the different alternatives, the use of chemicals is frequently used to inhibit wax precipitation. The presence of these compounds modifies the size and/or the shape of the paraffinic solids, thus affecting their flow behavior and cold properties. In this work, a methodology based on different experimental techniques was developed to study the effect of different additives on the crude oil behavior at low temperature. Four commercial inhibitors were added to three crude oils in different concentrations. The effect of the inhibitors on wax precipitation was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and cross‐polarized microscopy (CPM). Obtained results for wax appearance temperature (WAT) using DSC do not show remarkable differences regarding the presence of inhibitor. However, CPM analyses revealed differences in both size and shape of paraffin solids. The results obtained in this work reveal that in some cases the inhibitor does not modify the WAT values, but the morphology of the precipitated particles. In these cases, it is necessary to combine DSC and CPM analyses to obtain reliable results.
Low cost fabrication and testing of high isolation radio frequency MEMS switches

Abstract. Radio frequency MEMS switches are key components in low power communication systems. The present paper reports fabrication of MEMS based series and shunt switches for actuation voltage in the range of 30 to 50 V. Focusing on a low cost fabrication approach, the switches were designed for higher isolation of >25 dB and low insertion loss of <0.5 dB. Aluminum was chosen as a cost effective alternative for the fabrication of the transmission line and structural beam. The shunt and series switches were investigated for a frequency range of 1 to 20 GHz. The shunt switch shows the insertion loss of 0.5 dB and isolation of −28 dB and the series switch shows the insertion loss of 0.7 dB and isolation of −27 dB at 20 GHz. The measured actuation voltage was 30 V for the shunt switch and 42 V for the series switch.
Detection of Swine Dysentery (SD) caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae via PCR in Northern Vietnam

This study aimed to diagnose swine dysentery (SD) caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae in pigs by the PCR method in Vietnam. Of the 250 samples, 29 isolates of B. hyodysenteriae (11.60%) were identified by PCR in seven provinces of Northern Vietnam, and the infection rate differed from region to region. From the positive cases of B. hyodysenteriae, we analyzed B. hyodysenteriae infected cases according to the ages of the pigs, farm sizes, and veterinary hygiene practices to get more information about the disease in Vietnam. The results showed that the positive B. hyodysenteriae samples were commonly seen in post-weaning pigs (32.14%) in households (20.73%) with poor hygiene (24.69%). Clinical signs of SD included high fever (100%); anorexia (100%); watery, bloody diarrhea, usually gray to brown in color (100%); and weight loss (86.42%). Gross lesions of SD were limited to the large intestine were described as having a fibrinous, blood-flecked membrane covering the mucosa (93.75%), swollen with hemorrhaged colon and cecum (75.00%), and mesenteric lymph nodes (81.25%).
Optimal design of high damping force engine mount featuring MR valve structure with both annular and radial flow paths

This paper focuses on the optimal design of a compact and high damping force engine mount featuring magnetorheological fluid (MRF). In the mount, a MR valve structure with both annular and radial flows is employed to generate a high damping force. First, the configuration and working principle of the proposed MR mount is introduced. The MRF flows in the mount are then analyzed and the governing equations of the MR mount are derived based on the Bingham plastic behavior of the MRF. An optimal design of the MR mount is then performed to find the optimal structure of the MR valve to generate a maximum damping force with certain design constraints. In addition, the gap size of MRF ducts is empirically chosen considering the ‘lockup’ problem of the mount at high frequency. Performance of the optimized MR mount is then evaluated based on finite element analysis and discussions on performance results of the optimized MR mount are given. The effectiveness of the proposed MR engine mount is demonstrated via computer simulation by presenting damping force and power consumption.
School segregation, inequality and trust in institutions: evidence from Santiago

ABSTRACT This study looks at segregation across the high schools of Santiago, Chile, and the levels of trust students hold in key institutions. Confidence in government and private institutions, such as parliament, courts, government agencies, the Church, the media, banks and firms, is important to political and social stability and for maintaining social cohesion. The results from a survey of high school students are used to examine the links between segregation and levels of student trust in public and private institutions. Multi-level modelling is employed to derive estimates of student institutional trust and explore the within – and between-school components. The results show that there are significant levels of between-school variation in levels of trust in both public and private institutions. The between-school differences are largely explained by the effects of student socioeconomic status (SES), mean school SES, and type of school.
Hierarchical characterization of aggregates for Monte Carlo simulations

Modeling of crystallization processes is usually based on deterministic population balances. Although conceptually there is no such limitation, population balance modeling is used only up to a few internal dimensions because of the computational effort. Alternatively, Monte Carlo methods are increasingly used for the simulation of particulate systems. There, the characterization of particles is also often limited to a few size and shape parameters similar to those of deterministic population balance modeling. A major advantage of Monte Carlo methods, however, is its simple extensibility to more complex particle characterizations. However, actually considering the full three-dimensional shape of a complex agglomerate may lead to a prohibitive computational effort. To overcome this bottleneck a hierarchical particle characterization is proposed. This characterization allows the realistic representation of the agglomerates, without the need for detailed geometric computations for each particle. Instead of the full geometry, substitution systems are introduced that can be used to perform aggregation events or to identify crystal faces that are available for growth. The substitution systems consist of point mass systems, which preserve certain characteristics of the original agglomerate such as the moment of inertia. Numerical studies show the applicability of the approach. Based on this characterization, modeling of rate processes can be performed on a much higher level of detail than is allowed by standard one- or two-dimensional particle characterizations. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006
Bounce of hollow balls on flat surfaces

The bounce of a hollow spherical ball from a hard flat surface results in large deformations of the thin-walled shell; these deformations increase the internal stresses in the shell near a knuckle of bending and also increase the internal gas pressure inside the shell. This paper calculates the deformation and consequent contact forces that repel the ball from the surface, and compares the results with both a finite element analysis and experimental data. A table tennis ball is considered as an example of a thin-walled elastic shell. Since for an elastic ball there are no energy losses due to inelastic material behaviour, the analysis assumes that all energy losses are due to either friction in the contact area or impulsive forces arising from the instantaneous rate-of-change of momentum in the knuckle. In practice, the table tennis ball shows energy losses that increase with increasing impact speed; these losses substantially exceed the losses taken into account by the elastic shell analysis.
Is Customization Fruitful in Industrialized Homebuilding Industry

The level of customization currently being built by U.S. industrialized homebuilders, including modular and manufactured homes producers, is characterized and the impacts of customization on plant operational performance, and employee and customer satisfaction are examined. To assess the current state of the industry, including the level of customization offered and operational performance, a large-scale survey of industrialized housing producers was conducted. Results revealed that in general, the operational performance of the surveyed homebuilders deteriorates with an increase in home customization. Producers that offer more customization tend to be less efficient in their use of manufacturing space and less efficient with their labor. Results also show that a higher level of customization leads to higher employee satisfaction (lower labor turnover) and leads to lower customer satisfaction. However, those producers that had active quality programs (e.g., continuous improvement) had higher customer sati.
Dynamic behavior of a magnetorheological elastomer under uniaxial deformation: I. Experiment

This paper presents an experiment testing the accelerations of a system composed of a magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) and a cuprous mass under displacement excitation. The goal of this paper is to explain the experiment and to present the experimental results (the hysteresis loops). The method of extracting field-dependent material properties of the MRE from the results and further analysis will be presented in a subsequent paper. The experimental results reveal that the mechanical behavior is nonlinear and the field-dependent behavior of the MRE is associated with the applied frequency. (The frequency domain is divided into three ranges according to the field-dependent characteristics of the MRE.) In the low frequency range, the mechanical properties of the MRE change slightly with the applied magnetic field; in the moderate frequency range, the field-dependent properties appear and they are highly nonlinear; in the high frequency range, the field-dependent properties deviate from those of the moderate frequency range, which causes the circled area of the hysteresis loops in the two measured acceleration domains to decrease with the applied magnetic field. To explain the characteristics in the low frequency range, ABAQUS code is used to calculate the zero-field property of the MRE and a point-dipole model is employed to model the field-dependent property approximately.
Analysis of Temporal Variations of Air Pollutant Concentrations in Ogoni Area, Niger Delta Region, Nigeria

This study investigated the temporal variations of air pollutant concentrations in Ogoni area, Niger Delta, Nigeria. The study used hourly data measured over 8 hours for 12 months at selected locations within the area. The analyses were based on time series and time variations techniques in Openair packages of R programming software. The variations of air pollutant concentrations by time of day and days of week were simulated. Hours of the day, days of the week and monthly variations were graphically simulated. Variations in the mean concentrations of air pollutants by time were determined at 95 % confidence intervals. Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ground level Ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations exceeded permissible standards. Air pollutant concentrations showed increase in January, February, November and December compared to other months. Simulation showed that air pollutants varied significantly by hours-of-the-day and days-of-the-week and months-of-the-year. Analysis of temporal variability revealed that air pollutant concentrations increased during weekdays and decreased during weekends. The temporal variability of air pollutants in Ogoni area showed that anthropogenic activities were the main sources of air pollution in the area, therefore further studies are required to determine air pollutant dispersion pattern and evaluation the potential sources of air pollution in the area.
Unrepeatered 40-Gbit/s RZ single-channel transmission at 1.55 /spl mu/m using various fiber types

Summary form only given. The increasing request for broadband communication services demands for telecommunication networks offering line capacities exceeds those of existing facilities. One way to increase the transmission capacity of a given fiber link is TDM. When installing new transmission links, network operators have to decide which fibers will best meet future traffic requirements. 40-Gbit/s TDM transmission at 1.55 /spl mu/m over standard single-mode fiber has been reported using various dispersion-compensating techniques: passive dispersion compensation with dispersion-compensating fibers or chirped Bragg fiber gratings and active dispersion compensation by mid-span spectral inversion. In this paper we investigate experimentally and theoretically 40-Gbit/s TDM transmission over trueWave/sup TM/ fiber (2.3-ps/nm/km chromatic dispersion), standard fiber (16-ps/nm/km), and dispersion-shifted fiber (0.1-ps/nm/km).
Dynamic characteristics of 2-2 piezoelectric composite transducers

Lateral resonant modes associated with specific lateral structures in piezoceramic-polymer composites are the main drawback that interferes with performance of ultrasonic transducers utilizing the composites as driving elements. This paper presents a field solution to characterize dynamic behavior of lateral modes in composite transducers with 2-2 connectivity. The solution is derived based on a concept of Lamb wave propagation along piezoceramic and polymer layers in the thickness direction of the composite transducers. The behavior of 2-2 composite is investigated over a broad spectrum ranging from quasi-static stage up to mode transition zones. Dispersion curves for various modes were calculated and compared with experimental results. A safe zone can be identified from the dispersion curves where the interference of lateral modes to thickness oscillation is negligible. Strong interactions between thickness modes and lateral modes are observed in the transition zones where two modes merge together in the frequency domain. Electromechanical thickness coupling coefficient, k/sub t/, is calculated for the first time to include the effect of aspect ratio of the composite. Results show that the coupling coefficient, k/sub t/, varies dramatically as a function of both ceramic volume fraction and the aspect ratio. As k/sub t/ reaches its maximum value, the vibration of the ceramic phase is completely decoupled from that of the polymer phase.
Experiments on external combustion with leading edge fuel-injection in hypersonic flow

External combustion experiments were conducted in a shock tunnel at a freestream Mach number of 7.6. Hydrogen fuel was injected near the leading edge of a simple wedge configuration at conditions conducive to auto-ignition of the fuel-air mixture. Pressure and heat flux signals were recorded along the intake and expansion surfaces, and were used in combination with holographic plates to explore the usefulness of intake combustion. The leading edge shock was found to displace and deflect from the intake surface, when mass and heat addition occurred. This alleviated the pressure rise due to burning, indicating a trend towards constant pressure burning on the intake. A pressure rise was still measured on the thrust surface. Interaction of the fuel jet with the leading edge shock was observed, indicating vigorous mixing and good penetration of the fuel. The results indicate that external combustion on an intake, or simply mass addition, could be applied to hypersonic flows to generate additional thrust, lift or a change in pitching moment.
Comparison of Postoperative Pain in 70 Women with Breast Cancer Following General Anesthesia for Mastectomy with and without Serratus Anterior Plane Nerve Block

Background This study was conducted at a single center and aimed to compare postoperative pain in 70 women with breast cancer following general anesthesia for mastectomy with and without serratus anterior plane (SAP) block. Material/Methods A total of 70 breast cancer patients who met the criteria were randomly divided into the general anesthesia combined with SAP block group (group S) and the general anesthesia only group (group G). Perioperative anesthetic drug dosage, the visual analog scale (VAS) score at different time points, and the patient’s satisfaction with analgesia 24 h after surgery, and incidence of postmastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) were statistically analyzed in the 2 groups. Results Compared with group G, group S had lower intraoperative remifentanil dosages (P=0.003), a lower total amount of sufentanil via analgesia pump during the 24-h postoperative period (P<0.001), and lower VAS scores at 2 h, 4 h, and 8 h after surgery, and the differences were significant (P<0.05). Compared with group G, group S had a shorter first flatus time, got out of bed sooner, had a lower incidence of nausea and vomiting (P<0.05), and lower incidence of PMPS at 3 and 6 months after the operation (P<0.05). Conclusions At a single center, preoperative SAP block can significantly reduce postoperative pain after modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer.
Effects of loading and routeing decisions on performance of flexible manufacturing systems

Abstract Research has found that while flexibility is purported to be a prime advantage of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), it has not yet become a major competitive priority for American and European manufacturers. Moreover, many installed systems either are not very flexible or do not use the available flexibility to the best advantages. We suspect that inappropriate application of the conventional production management concepts to FMS is one of the major factors that hinders current FMSs from capturing their key advantage: flexibility. This paper takes a first step to examine why the conventional job shop loading and fixed routeing concepts fail to capture the flexibility of FMS. Once problems are identified we suggest ways to exploit the FMS flexibility. We further conduct an experiment to investigate FMS performance under different manufacturing policies and operating conditions. The results indicate that the performance of an FMS greatly diminishes when the conventional job shop loading and fix.
Analysis of Multi-Converter System’s Stability Using the Active Damping Method

In Multi-converter power electronic systems, load converters exhibit constant power load (CPL) behavior for the feeder converters and tend to destabilize the system. In this paper, Buck DC-DC converters are taken as an example, and the implementation of active-damping techniques has been shown to analyze the stability of multi-converter power electronic systems. Moreover, active damping is generally implemented by a feedback loop, which produces the effect of a virtual resistor and damps the oscillations, the proposed active-damping method can overcome the negative impedance instability problem caused by the CPLs. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been verified by Matlab/Simulink simulations.
KNEE CAP: A MORPHOMETRIC STUDY IN DRY HUMAN PATELLA

Introduction: Patella is the largest sesamoid bone. Knowledge of dimensions and of classification of patellae is very important anthropologically as well as clinically for total knee arthroplasty and harvesting techniques of patellar ligament grafts. Since there are very few studies on patella, present study aimed to do morphometry of patella. Material & Methods: Morphometric measurements were done on 60 dry patellae of both sexes, using digital sliding Vernier caliper. All statistical analysis was done with help of standard SPSS software. Student t-test was used to ascertain whether significant difference exist between right and left patella. Patella was also classified into one of three categories according to Koyuncu’s classification-Type A (WMAF=WLAF), Type B (WMAF WLAF). Results: Out of 60 patellae, 34 patellae were of right side and 26 were of left side. Mean patellar height was 39.53+ 5.58; mean width of patella 41.27+3.67 and mean patellar thickness was 19.84+1.76. Width of medial articular facet was 17.50+1.88 and width of lateral articular facet was 20.82+2.72. There was no significant difference in measurements of right and left patella except width for lateral articular facet where p value was <0.01. In present study, according to Koyuncu’s classification 86.66% patella were of class B type, 13.34% patella were of class C type while class A type patella was not found. The secondary ridge was found to be conspicuous in 23.3% patellae. Conclusion: Present study on morphometry of the patella is obviously very important and concluded parameters can be variably used in anthropology and anthropometrics, comparative anatomy and evolutionary biology, patellofemoral unit prosthesis synthesis, patellar implants, arthroplasty and forensic sciences.
Minimum delay bound in Bluetooth transmissions with serial port profile

Bluetooth is a key technology for wireless short-range communications. A model to characterise the delay of Bluetooth communications is proposed, which employs the serial port profile, which is nowadays massively implemented by commercial Bluetooth-capable devices. In particular, the model defines the inferior limit of the end-to-end data delay, taking into consideration the overhead and segmentation introduced by the protocols involved in the transmission. The performed experiments show that the model accurately fits the delay obtained through the measurements of actual Bluetooth connections.