Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavior of a Full-Scale Pile Cap with Loosely and Densely Compacted Clean Sand Backfill under Cyclic and Dynamic Loadings

BEHAVIOR OF A FULL-SCALE PILE CAP WITH LOOSELY AND DENSELY COMPACTED CLEAN SAND BACKFILL UNDER CYCLIC AND DYNAMIC LOADINGS Colin R. Cummins Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Master of Science A series of lateral load tests were performed on a full-scale pile cap with three different backfill conditions, namely: with no backfill present, with densely compacted clean sand in place, and with loosely compacted clean sand in place. In addition to being displaced under a static loading, the pile cap was subjected to low frequency, small displacement loading cycles from load actuators and higher frequency, small displacement, dynamic loading cycles from an eccentric mass shaker. The passive earth pressure from the backfill was found to significantly increase the load capacity of the pile cap. At a displacement of about 46 mm, the loosely and densely compacted backfills increased the total resistance of the pile cap otherwise without backfill by 50% and 245%, respectively. The maximum passive earth pressure for the densely compacted backfill occurred at a displacement of approximately 50 mm, which corresponds to a displacement to pile cap height ratio of 0.03. Contrastingly passive earth pressure for the loosely compacted backfill occurred at a displacement of approximately 40 mm. Under low and high frequency cyclic loadings, the stiffness of the pile cap system increased with the presence of the backfill material. The loosely compacted backfill generally provided double the stiffness of the no backfill case. The densely compacted backfill generally provided double the stiffness of the loosely compacted sand, thus quadrupling the stiffness of the pile cap relative to the case with no backfill present. Under low frequency cyclic loadings, the damping ratio of the pile cap system decreased with cap displacement and with increasing stiffness of backfill material. After about 20 mm of pile cap displacement, the average damping ratio was about 18% with the looser backfill and about 24% for the denser backfill. Under higher frequency cyclic loadings, the damping ratio of the pile cap system was quite variable and appeared to vary with frequency. Damping ratios appear to peak in the vicinity of the natural frequency of the pile cap system for each backfill condition. On the whole, damping ratios tend to range between 10 and 30%, with an average of about 20% for the range of frequencies and displacement amplitudes occurring during the tests. The similar amount of damping for different ranges of frequency suggests that dynamic loadings do not appreciably increase the apparent resistance of the pile cap relative to slowly applied cyclic loadings.
Heavy Quark Mass and Spin Effects in Bottomonium Bound States

In this thesis, the energy levels of different bottomonium bounded states were computed numerically within the confines of different corrections stemming from the static quark potential derived from non-relativistic QCD as presented in [2]. These different corrections were then compared with each other as well as with previously obtained results from Michael Eichberg and Marc Wagner in [11]. Furthermore, a method was introduced for obtaining the asymptotic solutions of a differential equation with poles around zero.
First-Fit: A Universal Algorithm for Spectrum Assignment

First-Fit (FF) is a well-known and widely deployed algorithm for spectrum assignment (SA), but until our recent study [1], investigations of the algorithm had been experimental in nature and no formal properties of the algorithm with respect to SA were known. In this work, we show that FF is a universal algorithm for the SA problem in the sense that 1) it can be used to construct solutions equivalent to, or better than, any solution obtained by any other algorithm, and 2) it can construct an optimal solution. This universality property applies to both the min-max and min-frag objectives, and to variants of the SA problem with or without guard band constraints. Consequently, the spectrum symmetry-free model of [1] extends to all known SA variants, which therefore reduce to permutation problems. Accordingly, all variants may be solved by similar, intuitive, effective and highly parallelizable algorithms. Our results unlock new algorithmic approaches for optical network design problems that encompass SA as an integral subproblem.
Road-Surface Contrast and Adaptation of Visibility of Low-Contrast Targets

This study investigated the visibility of low-contrast small targets on a roadway illuminated with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. Detection-distance measurements were taken on two pavement types, with multiple roadway-lighting illuminance levels, and with and without headlamps. Contrast, vertical illuminance, and visibility levels were also measured and/or calculated. Results showed that the uniformity of the pavement affected mean detection distance. Concrete pavement had less luminance uniformity and longer mean detection distances, while asphalt pavement had more luminance uniformity and shorter detection distances. When headlamps were on, mean detection distances were shorter, possibly because headlamps create a brighter environment to which the eye adapts, lowering its sensitivity to low-contrast objects. When the vehicle was close to the target, the headlamp light could drown out the contrast between the target and background, making it difficult to detect. In general, the brighter the LED roadway lighting, the longer the detection distances, but the results were not significant in three out of four experimental conditions. Visibility level, calculated using Weber contrast and a number of other factors, did not accurately predict the mean detection distance for two experimental conditions. Those calculations might not fully describe small-target visibility for all roadway conditions.
Design and Comparison of Five-Phase Induction Motors with Different Dimensions for Heavy Duty Electric Vehicles

Traction motor is one of the major components of an Electric Vehicle (EV) which defines the size, weight and cost of the EV. Space for the traction motor is the main constraint in the medium and heavy duty EVs. With the available space, the motor of required power rating should be so designed to give the better performance. The desired machine can be designed with various dimensions viz. lengths and diameters. However, the change in the length and diameter of the machine, results in the variation of its performance parameters. This paper, proposes two such multiphase machines with different dimensions namely machine-A and machine-B. The machine-A is considered to have longer length and smaller diameter whereas machine-B has shorter length and larger diameter. Both of the machines are designed and modeled using Ansys Maxwell software with same power rating. These models have been studied and the comparison of performance parameters is presented.
Texture analysis for urban areas classification in high resolution satellite imagery

In this study the texture analysis is used to classify a high resolution QuickBird panchromatic image, in an urban area. The gray level cooccurrence matrix (GLCM) is computed to extract texture images. Texture measures are considered to be divided into three groups: Contrast, Orderliness and Statistic. The window size for the GLCM is determinated by semivariogram method. The principal component analysis (PCA) is then executed on texture images. The first few principal component bands (PCi), representing most of variations, are selected and assembled to panchromatic images. The selected PC bands, in conjunction with the original panchromatic image, are classified using an object-based approach to categorize pixels into three classes: buildings, roads and vegetation.
Optimal Design of a Highly Self-Adaptive Gripper with Multi-Phalange Compliant Fingers for Grasping Irregularly Shaped Objects

The development of a robotic gripper for handling objects of various sizes, shapes, weights, and degrees of hardness is a challenging problem in the field of robotics. In order to design a highly self-adaptive gripper capable of conforming to a wide range of objects, this article presents an innovative topology-optimized design of a compliant finger consisting of several multi-material phalanges connected by flexure hinges. The prototype was produced by means of a metamaterial approach, which utilizes 3D-printed infill structures (periodic cells) with different infill densities to represent regions with different equivalent mechanical properties. Adaptability tests were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design in grasping circular, rectangular, trapezoidal, and concave objects. The results were compared with those of the fingers with single infill densities and a commercially available Festo MultiChoiceGripper, which features a Fin Ray structure. The total contact length between the fingers and the grasped object was used as a measure of the grippers’ adaptability. The test results demonstrate that this novel self-adaptive gripper is comparatively highly adaptable for grasping irregularly shaped objects and is able to carry a maximum payload of 6.76 kg.
The occurrence of an upper decomposed peat layer, or "kultureller Trockenhorizont", in the Alps and Jura Mountains

Many European mires show a layer of increased decomposition and minerogenic content close to the mire surface. Although the phenomenon is widely recognised, there have been few investigations of its distribution, cause and effect. In this study, nine peat profiles from the Alps and Jura Mountains in central Europe were studied to assess general trends in the upper peat stratigraphy. Analyses of pollen and fungal spore content in two profiles indicates that near-surface changes in decomposition are related to recent historical changes in grazing intensity of the surrounding landscape. Reduced trampling pressure and/or decreased nutrient input allowed partial Sphagnum regeneration in the western Alps and Jura Mountains from AD 1940–60, and in the eastern Alps from AD 1820–60. The results are considered in the context of climate and land use, and future implications for mire development in a changing environment are discussed. Many high-altitude mires in the area are now in a Sphagnum peat re-growth state, but future land use and climatic change will determine whether they will develop towards raised bog or forest carr.
Integration in migration societies

Migration is – along with fertility and mortality – one of the three fundamental demographic processes, and it constantly changes the composition of societies. Contrary to widespread and populist assumptions, it has always been a significant social phenomenon. At the overall international level, migration has not really increased in relative terms in recent decades (De Haas et al. 2020, p. 4). However, it is true that migration directions have become concentrated. Some regions in the world, including Western Europe, North America, but also the Middle East, have recently experienced a rapidly growing share of migrant populations and a concomitant increase in ethnic diversity (De Haas et al. 2020, p. 6). In many countries, the descendants of former immigrants, the second and later generations, make up large proportions of the younger population (Jonsson et al. 2018). In various places, the formerly so-called ‘majority’ has now become more of a ‘minority’ (Crul 2016). All of this leads to a plethora of interesting phenomena and questions that address the basic sociological problem of social integration. It is therefore not surprising that the topic of ‘migration and integration’ has become one of the booming subfields of sociology in recent years. For example, if we look at the European Sociological Review, which is the leading sociological journal in Europe in terms of impact factor, we find that about 23 percent of all research articles published before the end of 2009 already contain the word ‘immigrant’; for those published in 2010 or later, this is even true for 42 percent.1 The topic has also been prominent for a long time in top American sociological journals. It is also true, however, that the boom has been accompanied by a great diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches, especially since the topic of integration touches on many different aspects and many neighboring disciplines. Given the societal importance and policy-relevance of the issues involved, the need for shared standards and a common core for an integrative perspective, two important ingredients of ‘rigorous sociology’ (see the introduction chapter by Raub, De Graaf & Gërxhani in this Handbook), are particularly urgent and obvious. Certainly, some developments in this area cannot be regarded unequivocally as useful contributions. Still, a closer look reveals that overall, there has been clear progress.
Next generation pan-cancer blood proteome pro�ling using proximity extension assay

Cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease in need of accurate and non-invasive diagnostic tools. Here, we describe a novel strategy to explore the proteome signature by comprehensive analysis of protein levels using a pan-cancer approach of patients representing the major cancer types. Plasma pro�les of 1,463 proteins from more than 1,400 cancer patients representing altogether 12 common cancer types were measured in minute amounts of blood plasma collected at the time of diagnosis and before treatment. AI-based disease prediction models allowed for the identi�cation of a set of proteins associated with each of the analyzed cancers. By combining the results from all cancer types, a panel of proteins suitable for the identi�cation of all individual cancer types was de�ned. The results are presented in a new open access Human Disease Blood Atlas. The implication for cancer precision medicine of next generation plasma pro�ling is discussed.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Cranial and Spinal Hemangioblastomas: A Single-Institution Retrospective Series.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been an attractive treatment modality for both cranial and spinal hemangioblastomas, especially for multiple lesions commonly associated with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. This study aims to provide the largest long-term analysis of treatment efficacy and adverse effects of SRS for cranial and spinal hemangioblastomas at a single institution. METHODS We evaluated the clinical and radiological outcomes of patients with hemangioblastomas treated with CyberKnife SRS at our institute from 1998 to 2022. The follow-up data were available for 135 hemangioblastomas in 35 patients. Twenty-eight patients had 123 hemangioblastomas associated with VHL, and 7 had 12 sporadic hemangioblastomas. The median age was 36 years, and the median tumor volume accounted for 0.4 cc. The SRS was administered with the median single-fraction equivalent dose of 18 Gy to the 77% median isodose line. RESULTS At a median follow-up of 57 months (range: 3-260), only 20 (16.2%) of the VHL-associated and 1 (8.3%) sporadic hemangioblastomas progressed. The 5-year local tumor control rate was 91.3% for all hemangioblastomas, 91.7% among the sporadic lesions, and 92.9% in patients with VHL. SRS improved tumor-associated symptoms of 98 (74.8%) of 131 symptomatic hemangioblastomas, including headache, neck pain, dizziness, visual disturbances, dysesthesia, ataxia, motor impairment, seizures, and dysphagia. Two patients developed radiation necrosis (5.7%), and 1 of them required surgical resection. CONCLUSION SRS is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with hemangioblastomas in critical locations, such as the brainstem, cervicomedullary junction, and spinal cord, and in patients with multiple hemangioblastomas associated with VHL disease.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of transarterial chemoembolization combined with stereotactic body radiation therapy versus transarterial chemoembolization for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma: A markov modelling study CURRENT STATUS: UNDER REVIEW

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) might both provide survival benefits for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Adopting combined therapy as a solution carries major cost and resource implications. We aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of TACE plus SBRT and TACE alone in inoperable HCC. A Markov model was constructed in a hypothetical cohort of patients aged 60 years with inoperable HCC and Child-Pugh A/B cirrhosis over a lifetime frame. Two strategies (TACE plus SBRT and TACE) were compared. Transition probabilities, utility and costs were extracted from published literature. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were measured. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the findings.
Functional plasticity of polarity proteins controls epithelial tissue architecture

The Drosophila polarity protein Crumbs is essential for the establishment and growth of the apical domain in epithelial cells. Dynamic regulation of apical domain size is crucial for forming and maintaining complex epithelial structures such as tubes or acini. The protein Yurt limits the ability of Crumbs to promote apical membrane growth, thereby defining proper apical/basal membrane ratio that is essential for the functional architecture of epithelial cells. Here, we show that Yurt is not a general inhibitor of Crumbs, but rather hijacks Crumbs activity toward specific functions. In particular, Crumbs recruits Yurt to the apical domain to increase Myosin-dependent cortical tension while decreasing relative tissue viscosity. Yurt overexpression thus induces apical constriction in epithelial cells. The kinase aPKC phosphorylates Yurt, thereby dislodging the latter from the apical domain and releasing apical tension. In contrast, the kinase Pak1 promotes Yurt dephosphorylation through activation of the phosphatase PP2A. The Pak1–PP2A module thus opposes aPKC function and supports Yurt-induced apical constriction. Hence, the complex interplay between Yurt, aPKC, Pak1 and PP2A contributes to the functional plasticity of Crumbs. Overall, our data increase our understanding of how proteins sustaining epithelial cell polarization and Myosin-dependent cell contractility interact with one another to control epithelial tissue architecture.
Coordination on Open Double-Integrator Multi-Agent Systems

This letter studies the consensus problem of a double-integrator open multi-agent system (OMAS) when agents are permitted to depart and arrive at any time. With regards to this, a distributed algorithm is designed to extensively generalize the usual efforts in multi-agent theory. It is shown that the proposed scheme can assure consensus of interacting agents, and further argued that average consensus is attainable. Moreover, it is proved that sum of agents' position or velocity information in essence links to the related initial values. As an extension, leader-following problem in an OMAS setting is also discussed, naturally suggesting a nontrivial effort when in comparison with the leaderless case. Finally, a numerical test is given to support the proposed method and the derived results.
Multi-class 4-DoF Carton Box Detection for Heterogeneous Robotic Container Unloading

Container unloading is one of the most challenging tasks in depalletizing applications and has not been well addressed. Because it is non-trivial to accurately detect irregularly packed boxes and efficiently unload boxes in confined spaces, in this paper, we investigate both the detection step and the motion planning step in the container unloading task. First, we introduce the multi-class 4-DoF box detection into container unloading tasks and build a detection method based on YOLOv5. To generate the unloading sequence of boxes, a heuristic rule is proposed by using human prior knowledge. And to match the categorical attributes of different types of boxes and task setups, we design suitable motion trajectories. Based on the proposed methods, a complete robotic unloading system is developed. We evaluate our system via real-world experiments and the results indicate the efficiency and reliability of our robotic system. The video demonstration can be found at: https://youtu.be/nYvCbNoYi5Y.
Prediction of Empathy Induced by Synthesized Speech using Hilbert Marginal Spectrum Analysis

Empathy plays a pivotal role in human emotion regulation and prosocial behaviors. However, research on the neurophysiological basis of empathy is still in its early stages. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between electroencephalography (EEG) lateralization in the frontal and parietal regions and empathy stimulated by synthesized speech in different contexts. Particularly, Hilbert marginal spectrum (HMS) analysis was employed to calculate EEG lateralization. The findings revealed that the parietal delta power asymmetry significantly predicted the empathy induced by synthesized speech in both positive context and negative contexts. Our results highlighted the potential of parietal delta power asymmetry as a biomarker for empathy induced by auditory stimuli and demonstrated the efficiency of HMS in calculating EEG lateralization.
Dimensions of Similarity: Towards Interpretable Dimension-Based Text Similarity

This paper paves the way for interpretable and conﬁg-urable semantic similarity search, by training state-of-the-art models for identifying textual similarity guided by a set of aspects or dimensions. The similarity models are analyzed as to which interpretable dimensions of similarity they place the most emphasis on. We conceptually introduce conﬁgurable similarity search for ﬁnding documents similar in speciﬁc aspects but dissimilar in others. To evaluate the interpretability of these dimensions, we experiment with downstream retrieval tasks using weighted combinations of these dimensions. Con-ﬁgurable similarity search is an invaluable tool for exploring datasets and will certainly be helpful in many applied natural language processing research applications.
Object Detection Algorithms - A Review

Over several decades, traffic engineers have persistently focused on implementing various measures to enhance the safety of drivers and pedestrians amidst the growing traffic on streets worldwide. This pressing concern stems from the continuous growth in vehicles, pedestrians, and road density. However, with the remarkable advancements in computational power and the simultaneous reduction in the cost of technical equipment, the integration of object detection has emerged as a viable solution, even in real-time applications within the realm of traffic engineering. However, it is essential to note that the impact of computer technology extends far beyond mobility-related issues. Its wide-ranging influence has permeated diverse fields of interest, including medicine, where it aids in diagnostics and treatments, face recognition systems used for security, industrial automation processes, and even artistic endeavors, where it has opened new frontiers of creativity. This indicates object detection technology's vast potential and versatility, with its ability to revolutionize numerous sectors and bring about meaningful societal advancements. This review outlines the chronological progression of the essential YOLO algorithm, highlighting its significant advancements and developments over the years.