Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Safety and Operational Benefits of Variable Speed Limits under Different Traffic Conditions and Driver Compliance Levels

Control of traffic by a variable speed limit (VSL) has been researched for a long time, but there is a lack of consensus on its safety and operational benefits and on the impact of driver compliance. This study provides quantitative evaluations of these benefits and shows the importance of driver compliance with VSLs. VISSIM and the technique of simulated vehicle conflicts (Surrogate Safety Assessment Model) were used in the study. To validate the safety analysis, an attempt was made to correlate the simulated vehicle conflicts with historic crashes. Three scenarios of traffic conditions were considered: heavily congested, lightly congested, and uncongested. Each scenario was further examined under four driver compliance levels: low, medium, high, and very high. The results con-firmed that the VSL had safety and operational benefits for motorway traffic. The system had the highest safety benefits during highly congested traffic conditions, followed by lightly congested conditions, and the least during uncongested conditions. Moreover, the system had the highest operational benefits during lightly congested traffic conditions, little benefit during uncongested conditions, and no benefit during heavily congested conditions. It was also found that the safety benefits of VSL were not at the expense of an increase in travel time. However, these benefits showed significant variations that depended on drivers' level of compliance with the system. The study concludes that the success of the VSL is highly dependent on the level of driver compliance.
Actual versus estimated night-time pedestrian visibility

Abstract The effects of headlight beams (high and low), glare and the use of a retroreflective tag by a pedestrian were studied simultaneously on the actual pedestrian night-time visibility distance and the pedestrian's estimate of his or her visibility distance. It was found that with a dark-clothed pedestrian for each of the visibility conditions studied (high beams, low beams and low beams + glare) the use of a retroreflective tag approximately doubled the pedestrian visibility distance. Furthermore, the tag invariably made the pedestrian visible at a distance greater than the stopping distance for a car travelling at 90 km/h. Most important, the pedestrian's estimate of his or her visibility distance also varied as a function of the same variables but in the case of high beams it was twice as far as the actual visibility and when the approaching car had its low beams on it was 1·4 times as far. Only in the presence of glare was the pedestrian's estimate of the visibility distance on average less than .
Learning how to deal with uncertainty of flood risk in long‐term planning

Abstract Long‐term planning in the context of Flood Risk Management (FRM) necessarily involves dealing with considerable uncertainties. In the past, there have been general doubts about the usefulness of long‐term plans as guiding frameworks for decision makers. Since the mid‐1990s, there has been a revival of long‐term planning to shape the future of European societies and cities. This revival will last in flood risk management only if the implications of dealing with uncertainty for practitioners can be specified. The paper explores learning as one reason to consider developments in the long run. It draws a distinction between exploiting what is already known and exploring what might come to be known in the future. Based upon theoretical reasoning and findings from case studies in London and Dresden, three recommendations to long‐term planners are derived to handle uncertainty in planning: (1) Balance learning to exploit a certain past and learning to explore uncertain futures, (2) Use forums for learning about uncertainties in long‐term strategies of FRM, and (3) Think of dealing with uncertainty in long‐term FRM as a social process prone to interruption, irrelevance for ongoing decision making, and post‐disaster politics.
Piezoelectric Transverse Shear Actuation and Sensing of Plates, Part 1: A Three-Dimensional Mixed State Space Formulation

This paper, in two parts, presents in this first part an exact three-dimensional solution of transverse shear actuation and sensing of simply-supported piezoelectric laminated plates. For this, the piezoelectric laminae are considered initially polarized along their first materialaxis (x1) and subjected to through-thickness electric field. Hence, transverse shear strains can be induced or measured under electric or mechanical loading, respectively. The formulation is based on a new mixed state space approach that retains the standard state mechanical displacement and transverse stress variables augmented with the electric potential and transverse displacement. The latter are condensed analytically at the piezoelectric lamina transfer matrix level. Thus, the solution of the assembled system is reduced to that of only a third-order one. Both open- and closed-circuit electric boundary conditions are considered for sensing and actuation problems, respectively. Corresponding computational procedures are also detailed. In part two of the paper, the present approach is applied to transverse actuation and sensing of sandwich plates. Parametric studies are also conducted for physical understanding of these mechanisms. Presented analytical results are useful for future reference and comparison with other approximate laminate electromechanics.
Low-consumption (below 2W) continuouswave singlemode quantum-cascade lasers grown by metal-organic vapour-phase epitaxy

Continuous-wave operating singlemode quantum-cascade lasers with a threshold current of 75 mA and total power consumption of less than 2 W are presented. The lasers are grown by metal-organic vapour-phase epitaxy; they function up to temperatures higher than 50° C and the emission wavelength is 5.25 μm.
Boron Release From Town Refuse Compost as Measured By Sequential Plant Uptake

The effect of applied town refuse compost, either alone or supplemented with different mineral fertilizers, on sequential boron uptake by ryegrass, under greenhouse conditions was determined. The experiment included 19 treatments: soil alone (T), two treatments containing soil + mineral fertilizers mixtures, soil + compost (C) at 60 t ha-1 and 15 treatments including soil + compost + different individual or combined mineral complements of N, P, K and S. Four harvests of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. c.v. Argo) were carried out. Application of compost alone to soil caused an increase, especially during the second, third and fourth harvests, both in the boron concentration and in boron plant uptake, although no toxic effects were observed. The ability of town refuse to make boron available is reduced by mineral fertilizers additions. This fact could turn out to be extremely useful in avoiding the possible toxic effect of boron which might be caused by the application of large doses of compost.
Conceptual design of a medium size flying wing

Abstract Flying wings are one of the most promising concepts regarding the ever-increasing air traffic demand. Furthermore, they help improving economic efficiency and are environmentally friendly, both in terms of emissions and noise. In the first place, the paper deals about the initial design of a medium size C-type flying wing, of the 300-seat class, showing that the aircraft is operationally efficient, and can beat conventional airplanes of similar capacity. It specifically exhibits some considerable gains in field and cruise performances. Second, the paper addresses the potential of some emerging technologies, such as laminar flow control, vectored thrust, and active stability, which provide additional improvements and allow the simplification of the original configuration to a U-type arrangement. A preliminary assessment of emergency evacuation is included.
Edge irregularities in extremely down-scaled graphene nanoribbon devices: role of channel width

When it comes to extremely downscaled graphene device research, it is imperative to develop a comprehensive understanding of what kinds of edge irregularities are likely to occur in the realistic graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) as well as their impact on the electronic and transport properties of GNRs. Here we present the first-principle calculations of the formation energy of the edge vacancies and protrusions in the armchair GNRs (AGNRs) with widths ranging from 9 to 12 carbon atoms and zigzag GNRs (ZGNRs). We also examine their influence on the electronic states and transport characteristics of the GNRs. The formation energy calculations show that double vacancy (DV) edge defects and zigzag protrusions are the most likely edge irregularities in the AGNRs. The DV edge defects increase the bandgap in 11-AGNRs and decrease the bandgap in 9, 10, 12-AGNRs. Zigzag protrusions widen the bandgap in 9, 12-AGNRs and reduce the bandgap in 10, 11-AGNRs. Edge defects induced wave function localization leads to the anti-resonant transmission characteristics. Edges of the ZGNRs show a high tendency to be modified by the exothermic effect. However, their current carrying capacity is not compromised by the edge irregularities.
Mechanical Model for Non Ductile Reinforced Concrete Columns

Column failure is the primary cause of collapse during earthquakes for many existing reinforced concrete buildings. The main objective of this article is to develop a macro model to reproduce the lateral load–deformation response of reinforced concrete columns with limited ductility due to degradation of shear resistance. This model will eventually be used to perform probabilistic assessments of collapse risk for existing reinforced concrete frame structures, and hence must be computationally efficient. Current modeling approaches for reinforced concrete components provide a reasonably accurate prediction of flexural and longitudinal bar slip response, while shear deformations and, in particular, post-peak shear behavior needs further development. The shear response introduced in this article is based on a mechanical approach for pre-peak, point of shear failure, and post-peak behavior of reinforced concrete columns. Flexural, shear, and longitudinal bar slip responses are simulated by individual springs in series. These springs are combined to obtain the total lateral response of the column. The column model has been implemented in OpenSees and validated using data from column tests representing a broad range of design parameters typical of older reinforced concrete frames.
Enhanced Radar Imaging in Uncertain Environment: A Descriptive Experiment Design Regularization Approach

A new robust technique for high-resolution reconstructive imaging is developed as required for enhanced remote sensing (RS) with imaging array radar or/and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) operating in an uncertain RS environment. The operational scenario uncertainties are associated with the unknown statistics of perturbations of the signal formation operator (SFO) in turbulent medium, imperfect array calibration, finite dimensionality of measurements, uncontrolled antenna vibrations, and random carrier trajectory deviations in the case of SAR. We propose new descriptive experiment design regularization (DEDR) approach to treat the uncertain radar image enhancement/reconstruction problems. The proposed DEDR incorporates into the minimum risk (MR) nonparametric estimation strategy the experiment design-motivated operational constraints algorithmically coupled with the worst-case statistical performance (WCSP) optimization-based regularization. The MR objective functional is constrained by the WCSP information, and the robust DEDR image reconstruction operator applicable to the scenarios with the low-rank uncertain estimated data correlation matrices is found. We report and discuss some simulation results related to enhancement of the uncertain SAR imagery indicative of the significantly increased performance efficiency gained with the developed approach.
Heterodyne and Coherent Optical Fiber Communications: Recent Progress

The technical significance, history of research and development, relevant technical tasks, and recent progress in heterodyne and coherent optical fiber communications are described. The achievements of 1-MHz frequency stability (peak-to-peak) and 0.1-MHz spectral purity (3-dB spectral width) with semiconductor lasers have been two principal motivations that accelerated the research and development. Rapid progress in the single-polarization single-mode fiber technology is also encouraging. The bit-error rate of a PCM-ASK/heterodyne optical communication system has been measured as a function of the received signal level, showing a good error performance close to the quantum-noise limitation.
TQM tools and techniques in promoting team working culture in the manufacturing organisations

Total quality management (TQM) is a management philosophy, a paradigm, a continuous improvement approach for doing business through a new management model. The TQM philosophy evolved from the continuous improvement philosophy with a focus on quality as the main dimensions of business. Under TQM emphasising the quality of the product or service predominates. TQM expands beyond statistical process control to embrace a wider scope of management activities of how we manage people and organisations by focusing on the entire process, not just simple measurements. TQM is a comprehensive management system followed by most of the organisations in the corporate world which focuses on customer focus, continuous improvement, involvement of every one and maximising the performances of processes. The effective use of various TQM tools and their correct use as a part of the company wide total quality initiative have an impact on the quality of the products and services offered by the organisations. In this paper, the concept, the need, the type of tools and the extent of implementation of this concept in various organisations in and around Bangalore, employee involvement levels and benefits obtained through this concept implementation were studied.
Mapeamento de semeaduras de soja (Glycine max (L.)Merr.) mediante dados MODIS/Terra E TM/Landsat 5: um comparativo

The objective of this work was to compare the soybean crop mapping in the western of Parana State by MODIS/Terra and TM/Landsat 5 images. Firstly, it was generated a soybean crop mask using six TM images covering the crop season, which was used as a reference. The images were submitted to Parallelepiped and Maximum Likelihood digital classification algorithms, followed by visual inspection. Four MODIS images, covering the vegetative peak, were classified using the Parallelepiped method. The quality assessment of MODIS and TM classification was carried out through an Error Matrix, considering 100 sample points between soybean or not soybean, randomly allocated in each of the eight municipalities within the study area. The results showed that both the Overall Classification (OC) and the Kappa Index (KI) have produced values ranging from 0.55 to 0.80, considered good to very good performances, either in TM or MODIS images. When OC and KI, from both sensors were compared, it wasn't found no statistical difference between them. The soybean mapping, using MODIS, has produced 70% of reliance in terms of users. The main conclusion is that the mapping of soybean by MODIS is feasible, with the advantage to have better temporal resolution than Landsat, and to be available on the internet, free of charge.
A dynamic method to determine the supports capacity in longwall coal mining

The determination of the correct design support capacity of shield supports is the key to the safe control of strata within the vicinity of longwall coal panels. There are a number of design methods that have been developed, dependant on the prevalent geological and mining conditions. However, these methods have been found to be inappropriate to the design of the supports for longwall panels practising either high seam height extractions or the top-coal caving methods practised within many Chinese underground thick seam mines. To address these conditions, a dynamic simulation method is proposed to determine the shield support capacity required for these conditions. Based upon the geological conditions experienced on the first caving event of the main roof, the shield support capacity for the four case study mine coal panels is determined and compared against the performance of the installed support capacities. It is concluded that the predicted support capacities compare well with the performance of the supports installed within the case study mines.
Mathematical model for determining machining parameters in multipass turning operations with constraints

The paper presents a new mathematical programming model for optimizing process parameters and subdivisions of depth of cut in multipass turning operations. The model is a direct non-linear mathematical model that solves the optimization problem of multipass turning operations providing all decision variables (cutting speed, federate, depth cut, subdivision of depth of cut, number of passes) for both finishing and rough cutting in a single run. It relaxes restrictive assumptions related to depth of cut and other process parameters. In addition, the developed model eliminates the complexities encountered in existing methods. Illustrative examples from the literature are presented to test and compare the developed model against existing methods.
An Experimental Study of Heat Transfer on an Outlet Guide Vane

In the present study, the heat transfer characteristics on the suction and pressure sides of an outlet guide vane (OGV) are investigated by using liquid crystal thermography (LCT) method in a linear cascade. Because the OGV has a complex curved surface, it is necessary to calibrate the LCT by taking into account the effect of viewing angles of the camera. Based on the calibration results, heat transfer measurements of the OGV were conducted. Both on- and off-design conditions were tested, where the incidence angles of the OGV were 25 degrees and -25 degrees, respectively. The Reynolds numbers, based on the axial flow velocity and the chord length, were 300,000 and 450,000. In addition, heat transfer on suction side of the OGV with +40 degrees incidence angle was measured. The results indicate that the Reynolds number and incidence angle have considerable influences upon the heat transfer on both pressure and suction surfaces. For on-design conditions, laminar-turbulent boundary layer transitions are on both sides, but no flow separation occurs; on the contrary, for off-design conditions, the position of laminar-turbulent boundary layer transition is significantly displaced downstream on the suction surface, and a separation occurs from the leading edge on the pressure surface. As expected, larger Reynolds number gives higher heat transfer coefficients on both sides of the OGV.
On‐board small‐size printed LTE/WWAN mobile handset antenna closely integrated with system ground plane

An on‐board uniplanar printed mobile handset antenna with a small size of 15 × 30 mm2 for 8‐band long term evolution/wireless wide area network (LTE/WWAN) (698–960/1710–2690 MHz) operation is presented.The antenna is a spiral monopole coupled with a long parasitic shorted strip. The spiral monopole has a length of 78 mm (about 0.25 wavelength at 950 MHz), while the shorted strip capacitively excited by the spiral monopole has a length of 125 mm (close to 0.25 wavelength at 700 MHz). The spiral monopole is encircled by the shorted strip so that the antenna has a compact configuration to fit in a small no‐ground portion at the corner of the bottom edge of the main circuit board in the mobile handset. In addition, the antenna is closely integrated with the system ground plane on the main circuit board and is spaced by a small distance of 0.5 mm to the nearby system ground plane. This leads to compact integration of the on‐board LTE/WWAN printed antenna on the main circuit board of the mobile handset. Results of the proposed antenna including its specific absorption rate and hearing aid compatibility behavior are presented and discussed. The antenna is about the smallest for the on‐board all‐printing LTE/WWAN handset antennas that have been reported for the present. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1336–1343, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25961
Conditionality & Coercion

In many recent democracies, candidates compete for office using illegal strategies to influence voters. In Hungary and Romania, local actors including mayors and bureaucrats offer access to social policy benefits to voters who offer to support their preferred candidates, and they threaten others with the loss of a range of policy and private benefits for voting the “wrong” way. These quid pro quo exchanges are often called clientelism. How can politicians and their accomplices get away with such illegal campaigning in otherwise democratic, competitive elections? When do they rely on the worst forms of clientelism that involve threatening voters and manipulating public benefits? This book uses a mixed method approach to understand how illegal forms of campaigning including vote buying and electoral coercion persist in two democratic countries in the European Union. It argues that clientelistic strategies must be disaggregated based on whether they use public or private resources, and whether they involve positive promises or negative threats and coercion. The authors document that the type of clientelistic strategies that candidates and brokers use varies systematically across localities based on their underlying social coalitions, and also show that voters assess and sanction different forms of clientelism in different ways. Voters glean information about politicians’ personal characteristics and their policy preferences from the clientelistic strategies these candidates deploy. Most voters judge candidates who use clientelism harshly. So how does clientelism, including its most odious coercive forms, persist in democratic systems? This book suggests that politicians can get away with clientelism by using forms of it that are in line with the policy preferences of constituencies whose votes they need. Clientelistic and programmatic strategies are not as distinct as previous studies have argued.
Urban Bicyclists

As issues related to oil dependency, rising gas prices, and global warming come to the forefront of topics of concern for Americans, the need for alternative modes of transportation has become critical. Urban settings are seemingly ideal for bicycling to become a significant mode, given the greater compactness of destinations. However, in the United States, bicycling is both scarcely used and very dangerous, as bicyclists are 12 times more likely to be killed than automobile drivers. The purpose of this research is to gain greater insights into the geographic dimensions of traffic crash intensity that bicyclists may experience in American cities. Bicycle crashes are studied in Buffalo, New York, for the years 2003 and 2004. The geographic distribution of crashes is determined and compared for both youth and adult bicyclists and factors of crash hazard intensity are statistically identified. Density of development and physical road characteristics such as roadway and intersection functional class are examined, as well as socioeconomic and demographic variables and potential trip attractors. Given the spatial nature of these variables, a spatially weighted regression model is incorporated to account for spatial dependencies of the dependent variables and of their model residuals. The results of the analysis indicate clear distinctions between youth and adult bicycle crashes, both in terms of the neighborhoods where victims reside and in terms of the neighborhoods where these two demographic groups are found to be more frequently involved in a crash with a motorized vehicle.