Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SIMULATION OF RAPID THERMAL PROCESSING IN A DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

Rapid thermal processing (RTP) has become a key technology in the fabrication of advanced semiconductor devices. As wafers get larger and chip dimensions become smaller, the understanding of the highly coupled physics, such as radiative heat transfer, transient fluid flow, heat transfer, and chemical reactions through numerical modeling using high-performance computing, is the key to the design, optimization, and control of RTP reactors. In this study, an accurate and efficient simulation tool for RTP in a distributed computing environment is developed by implementing various new models and algorithms. Thegoverning equations for highly coupled and transient transport phenomena inRTP are solved by anunstructured finite volume method (FVM). Surface radiative heat transfer is the most dominant mode of heat transfer in RTP and it is modeled by the modified discrete transfer method (MDTM). The radiative properties on the patterned wafer are quite different from those on the bare silicon and they are predicted by the matrix method. To enhance thecomputationefficiency, anefficient parallelalgorithmis implemented in the solution procedure. Data communication among the processors is carried out by the Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM). To evaluate the present simulation tool, an actual commercial RTP reactor is investigated under various conditions. The accuracy of the present model is validated through the comparisons of wafer temperature profile between different models for steady state andtransient flow andheat transfer cases. To demonstrate the importance of the pattern effects in RTP systems, a transient case containing the patterned wafer is investigated. The temperature profile and its uniformity for the patterned wafer are found to be quite different from those for the unpatterned wafer. To examine the performance on parallel computation, the previous transient case is studied with different processor numbers. As the processor number increases, the computationtime is seen to reduce; however, the parallel performance is seen to degrade A larger solution iteration number and higher communication overhead are believed to be the major reasons for the degradation of the parallel performance. The present case studies indicate that the simulation tool developed in this study can be used to systematically investigate various effects in RTP systems because of its high accuracy and efficiency.
Participant characteristics predicting communication outcomes in AAC implementation for individuals with ASD and IDD: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract This meta-analysis examined communication outcomes in single-case design studies of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions and their relationship to participant characteristics. Variables addressed included chronological age, pre-intervention communication mode, productive repertoire, and pre-intervention imitation skills. Investigators identified 114 single-case design studies that implemented AAC interventions with school-aged individuals with autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disability. Two complementary effect size indices, Tau(AB) and the log response ratio, were applied to synthesize findings. Both indices showed positive effects on average, but also exhibited a high degree of heterogeneity. Moderator analyses detected few differences in effectiveness when comparing across diagnoses, age, the number and type of communication modes, participant’s productive repertoires, and imitation skills to intervention. A PRISMA-compliant abstract is available: https://bit.ly/30BzbLv.
The effects of mobile real-time information on rural passengers

ABSTRACT Mobile real-time passenger information (RTPI) systems are becoming ubiquitous in public transport and a plethora of studies have explored the effects they have on passengers. However, these studies mostly focus on urban areas and largely ignore rural dwellers. In this paper, we present results of a study that looks into the effects that mobile RTPI has on passengers in rural areas. The results indicate that the participants primarily used the mobile RTPI system to gain situation and geospatial awareness and to adapt their travel behaviour in disrupted circumstances. Further, we have identified that mobile RTPI significantly affects the everyday public transport travel of individuals. The outcomes of this study provide an initial understanding of the effects of a mobile RTPI system on rural users.
Psychometric properties of two psychological restoration scales: translation, adaptation and validity evidences of the Brazilian versions (Propiedades psicométricas de dos escalas de restauración psicológica: traducción, adaptación y validez de las versiones brasileñas)

ABSTRACT Restorative environments refer to settings that allow for the recovery of depleted psychological resources. The potential to promote restoration can vary from place to place according to a setting’s characteristics. Two scales, Perceived Restorativeness Scale and Restoration Outcome Scale, have been applied to measure the restorativeness of places and restorative outcomes in the Global North. This study aims to translate, adapt and analyse the psychometric properties of these scales for their application in Brazil and to test their convergent validity. Our sample is composed of 566 adults (50.7% male) from the cities of Porto Alegre and São Paulo, with ages ranging from 18 to 85 years old. Both scales presented adequate internal consistency and model fit indexes. Moreover, the scales’ fit indexes were considered adequate regardless of participants’ gender and city of residence, which were tested through multigroup confirmatory factor analyses. With this contribution, we expect to help the expansion of research on restorative environments in the poorly studied Global South.
Image Assisted Total Stations for Structural Health Monitoring—A Review

Measuring structures and its documentation is one of the tasks of engineering geodesy. Structural health monitoring (SHM) is defined as a periodic or continuous method to provide information about the condition of the construction through the determination of measurement data and their analysis. In SHM, wide varieties of sensors are used for data acquisition. In the following, the focus is on the application of image assisted total stations (IATS). The combination of tacheometry and photogrammetric measurement offers high flexibility and precision. Different approaches of automated detecting and matching whose applications have been tested in practice are briefly explained. A distinction is made between built-in cameras (commercial) and external camera systems (prototypes). Various successful applications of IATS in the field of SHM are presented and explained.
Freestanding block overturning fragilities: Numerical simulation and experimental validation

The overturning fragilities of symmetric and asymmetric freestanding blocks, ranging in height from 0.54 to 3.6 m and with height‐to‐width ratios ranging from 2.1 to 6.6, are determined numerically. A probabilistic formulation regularizes the overturning responses when exposed to earthquake‐like random‐vibration waveforms. The peak amplitude of the forcing excitation (peak ground acceleration or PGA) is parameterized as a function of the block size, block shape, overturning probability, and either the PGA normalized peak ground velocity (PGV/PGA), spectral acceleration at 1 s (Sa(1)/PGA), or spectral acceleration at 2 s (Sa(2)/PGA). These later intensity measures are correlated with the duration of the predominant acceleration pulse. The overturning fragilities are compared with shake table experiments using blocks ranging in height from ∼0.2 to 1.2 m and with height‐to‐width ratios ranging from ∼2 to 10. Excitations utilized in the shake table experiments include recordings of the 1979 Imperial Valley, 1985 Michoacan, 1999 Duzce, 1999 Chi‐Chi, and 2002 Denali Earthquakes along with synthetic waveforms. The overturning fragilities accurately represent the overturning responses of blocks with simple basal contact conditions. Objects with multiple rocking points, such as precariously balanced rocks, are more fragile than predicted. Nondestructive tilting tests are used to account for blocks with complex basal contact conditions, demonstrating that these blocks overturn similarly to more slender blocks with simple contact conditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tool path generation for five-axis machining of impellers

This paper proposes a new tool path generation method for machining impellers with five-axis machines. Using the geometric characteristics of impellers, the proposed method first computes the tool path in the cylindrical coordinates and then converts it into the cartesian coordinates. The proposed method is simpler, more efficient, and requires less user interactions than known methods. Collision avoidance and optimum cutting condition issues are also addressed in this paper.
Ambiguous effects of minimum wage tool of labour markets regulation – key study of V4 countries

In this paper we analyze the effect of minimum wage change on selected labour market indicators such as duration of employment, hours worked, unemployment by education or profession or long-term unemployment. Our research is based on Eurostat and OECD data for V4 countries. The hypothesis discussed is whether the effect of minimum wage increase is positive or negative and we discuss the issue of economic regulation more generally. The output values of the regressions coefficients of all the V4 countries showed that the effects are more positive than negative. Mapping the overall intensity of effects of the minimum wage on selected indicator of the labour market in the Czech Republic and Hungary indicated a low sensitivity. The effects were very weak in Slovakia and Poland. The results of the analysis complied with the results of the domestic and international research in 13 cases and the results were different in 6 cases. Slightly more often they confirmed more positive effects of the minimum wage on selected indicators of the labour market than negative effects.
The reconfiguration of twenty-first century Latin American regionalism: actors, processes, contradictions, and prospects

ABSTRACT The introduction to this Special Issue reflects on both the multiplicity of Latin American (LA) regionalism and the theoretically pluralist terrain of contemporary scholarship on LA politics and international relations. The introduction will first outline the complexity of twenty-first century LA regionalism and the challenge this poses for scholars in the field. Secondly, we make the case for an ‘integrative pluralism' approach to unpacking the multiplicity of regionalisation projects, from both above and below. In bringing together diverse perspectives to a common research problem, we hope to contribute to ongoing debates in IR/IPE over the ‘pluralist turn’, and what might be done to push this collective project forward. Thirdly, we briefly explore the multi-scalar nature of region-building, encompassing both various spaces/scales as well as political actors. Finally, we outline the contributions to the Special Issue, that span the terrain of LA regionalism from above (political institutions) and below (transnational movements).
Capacity of Oriented Strand Board Shear Walls with Overdriven Sheathing Nails

Eight shear wall specimens sheathed with 11 mm structural oriented strand board panels were assembled with overdriven sheathing nails and tested using a pseudo-dynamic procedure. Specimens used 38389 mm Douglas Fir-Larch framing members and 8d cooler, gun-driven sheathing nails. Four overdriven nail depths were considered: flush, 1.6, 3.2, and 4.8 mm. Nails were spaced at 76 mm on center along the edges and 305 mm on center along intermediate supports. Edge nailing distance was 9.5 mm. Two specimens were constructed for each aforementioned overdriven depth. To determine a lower bound on capacity, 100% of the sheathing nails in a specimen were driven to the specified depth. Results from this study indicate that any level of sheathing-nail overdrive will reduce the capacity of a shear wall. Compared to specimens with flush-driven nails, specimens with nails overdriven 1.6 mm suffered 5% loss in strength and gained 1% in displacement capacity. Specimens with nails overdriven 3.2 mm had strength and displacement capacity reduced by 12 and 22%, respectively. Specimens with nails overdriven 4.8 mm fared poorly; strength was reduced 24%, and displacement capacity was reduced 56%.
Impact of North Atlantic Oscillation on water resources in South Western Poland

The paper presents the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the water resources, especially considering groundwater discharge (baseflow) in south-western Poland. The impact of long-term changes of meteorological conditions on the water resources of this area in the 1966-2015 was determined on the basis of changes in the baseflow and total stream flow. Statistical analysis of meteorological and hydrological data showed that the runoff from the Sudeten mountain range and its foreground depends on the circulating climate factors (like the NAO). The annual NAO index best describes the variability of the average annual (12-month) total stream flow and groundwater discharge calculated from February to January and March to February, while the winter NAO index best describes the variability of the average annual (12-month) total stream flow and groundwater discharge calculated from March to February and April to March. The winter NAO index also best describes the variability of the average six-month (6-month) stream flow and groundwater discharge calculated from April to September. In the above-mentioned cases, the values of the Pearson correlation coefficient are at a high level and reach the value of -0.65.
Aero-thermal performance of transonic high-pressure turbine blade tips

This thesis presents an experimental and theoretical study of unshrouded tips on gas turbine blades with and without winglets. The goal of the winglet tip design is to reduce over-tip leakage flow. To assess the potential use of winglets, their effectiveness in reducing loss and the cooling scheme's effectiveness must be determined under engine-realistic flow conditions. An aero-thermal investigation was performed to answer these questions. A high-speed linear cascade was commissioned for use under transonic conditions. Once realistic inlet and exit conditions were established, the heat transfer measurement technique used was qualified. An infrared thermography technique was used to obtain a detailed time history of the surface temperature, which was used to reconstruct heat flux and calculate heat transfer coefficients. Several processing techniques were compared to determine that a technique using an impulse response digital filter in the frequency domain has the smallest uncertainty, is the most consistent and is the most computationally efficient. Heat transfer tests were then performed on a flat blade tip under transonic and low-speed flow conditions, and results showed both qualitative and quantitative differences, highlighting the need for testing at engine-realistic conditions. A heat transfer tip gap survey was then performed on a flat tip, and this agreed well with an independent computational study. Uncooled and cooled winglet tip heat transfer was also examined, showing that the uncooled winglet has nearly 3.2 times the area-averaged heat load of a flat tip and the cooled winglet has nearly 3.4 times the area-averaged heat load of a flat tip. Cooled winglet heat transfer results showed enhanced heat transfer compared to the uncooled winglet and an increase in film cooling effectiveness with a smaller tip gap. Reflecting the complexity of testing at high-speed conditions, these are the first detailed, spatially-resolved heat transfer results on the blade tip under transonic conditions. Aerodynamic loss measurements were obtained using a specially-designed three-hole probe and a single-hole probe to resolve the near-casing region. The flat tip experimental and computational results agree well. The winglet results showed a decrease in loss with coolant injection. Finally, a numerical study is carried out to investigate the influence of 2-D corner conduction on the accuracy of heat transfer measurements when using the conventional semi-infinite 1-D assumption. The errors in the conventionally processed heat transfer coefficient are shown to be very high around the corner. A relatively simple and efficient new correction method has been developed and shown to be effective.
The impact of sowing dates and varieties on the incidence of Oxycarenus laetus and Dysdercus koingii on cotton

Dusky bug ( Oxycarenus laetus ) and red cotton bugs ( Dysdercus koingii ) are commonly known as seed bugs because they feed on cotton seed. They have become major threat to cotton in Pakistan since last two years. The present studies were therefore planned to find out the role of sowing dates in cotton pest population. The dusky and red cotton bug population varied considerably with respect to date of sowing. The results revealed that invasion of both bugs was significantly more in case of early sowing ( up to 15 red cotton bug/plant & 25 dusky bugs/boll) than in normal and late sowing (8 to 10 red cotton bugs & 10 to 12 dusky bug/boll respectively). Sampling dates exhibited that population of cotton bugs (dusky and red cotton bug) was higher during first week of October followed by mid September, 2013, whereas lower in late sowing. Varietal comparison depicted that FH-118 and FH-142 showed non significant difference for red and dusky cotton bug population. The results further explained that peak population of red cotton bug was recorded during the month of October, 2013.
Impact of risk disclosures on IPO performance: Evidence from India

The main aim of the paper is to explore the performance of Indian IPOs in the context of risk disclosures in the offer documents. For the purpose of assessing the impact of risk disclosure factors on initial returns, subsequent returns and post issue risk of IPOs, the study has implemented ordinary least square regression. The study has analysed 109 IPOs that were listed in two main Indian stock exchanges (BSE and NSE) from 2015–2019. Outcomes of the present study are contrary to the previous studies which showed that information disclosure reduces the asymmetry, which is touted as the main reason for underpricing, the present study did not find any association between risk disclosures and underpricing. Quantitative risk measures showed positive association with 1-year returns, but qualitative measures failed to show any association. The post issue risk of the firms showed positive association with external risk factors listed in prospectus and negative association with liquidity. The results of this study are useful for the investors as based on the results they can make decisions about investing in Indian IPOs. Besides, the managers of issuing companies and lead managers of issues can use the results of this study to improve the pricing of issues. To the best of the authors’ knowledge no study has been done before in the Indian context which is specific to risk disclosures (quantitative and qualitative measures) and IPO performance. The present study seeks to fill this gap and contribute to the existing literature.
Biochemical risk factors of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: from a narrow and controversial approach to an integral approach and precision medicine

ABSTRACT Introduction Guidelines of management of dyslipidemias and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are based on firm scientific evidence obtained by randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, the role of elevated low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C)as a risk factor of CVD and therapies to lower LDL-C are frequently disputed by colleagues who disagree with the conclusions of the RCTs published. This review focuses on this dispute, and evaluates the current approach of management of dyslipidemias and CVD prevention to find modern alternatives for more precise diagnosis and therapy of dyslipidemic patients. Areas covered Recent interest in lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) and remnants lipoproteins and in therapies that do not influence LDL-C levels primarily, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and icosapent ethyl, has revitalized our concern to optimize the care for patients with increased CVD risk without focusing simply on reduction of LDL-C by therapy with statins, ezitemibe, and proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors. Expert opinion The limited characterization of study populations by measurement of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) followed by measurement or calculation of LDL-C should be extended by a more integral approach in order to realize precision diagnostics and precision medicine, for the sake of personalized patient care.
Ultrashort Pulse Laser-Triggering of Long Gap High Voltage Switches

Laser-triggered high voltage switches need longer length and lifetime laser plasmas at controlled plasma densities in order to achieve optimal operational parameters (such as short runtime, low temporal jitter, and high voltage hold-off). We have approached the problem by considering ultrashort laser pulses of sub-picosecond duration for the high voltage trigger source. To this end, several laser plasma diagnostic techniques were employed to quantify the ionization and to determine methods for appropriately tailoring the laser plasma for switching purposes. Switching behavior under basic plasma conditions and with improved plasma channels are discussed. ∗Voss Scientific LLC, 418 Washington Street SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108; www.vosssci. com; (505) 255-4201
Development of a Smart Monolayer Application System for Reducing Evaporation from Farm Dams: Introductory Paper

Abstract Chemical monolayer films are potentially an economical low-impact means of reducing evaporative loss from farm water storages. However, their performance can be highly variable as they are affected by climatic and environmental factors: principally wind, wave action and bio-degradation. Some of this observed variability is associated with the monolayer materials themselves and their interaction with the water-surface physics and biology, but the fact that they are only a few nanometres thick means that a very small amount of material has to be distributed over a very large area. Therefore, appropriate and timely autonomous application of monolayer, with regard to prevailing (and changing) wind conditions on-site, is required. Although a number of autonomous application systems for monolayer already exist, none has proved overly successful. It is argued that while this is in part due to sub-optimal performance of monolayer materials, it is also due in large measure to inaccuracies and/or inappropriate design in both application systems and particularly application strategies, which are not adaptive to the prevailing environmental conditions. Therefore a control system is being developed to adaptively and spatially vary monolayer application rates according to changing conditions monitored on-site. This will form part of an autonomous electromechanical system for the optimal application and spreading of any given chemical monolayer. This paper reports progress towards this objective; firstly by evaluation of the design requirements for automated systems at a range of spatial scales; and secondly via the construction of a first pre-prototype to act as an evaluation platform and concept demonstrator.