Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability of Current Biokinetic and Dosimetric Models for Radionuclides: A Pilot Study

This report describes the results of a pilot study of the reliability of the biokinetic and dosimetric models currently used by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as predictors of dose per unit internal or external exposure to radionuclides. The study examines the feasibility of critically evaluating the accuracy of these models for a comprehensive set of radionuclides of concern to the NRC. Each critical evaluation would include: identification of discrepancies between the models and current databases; characterization of uncertainties in model predictions of dose per unit intake or unit external exposure; characterization of variability in dose per unit intake or unit external exposure; and evaluation of prospects for development of more accurate models. Uncertainty refers here to the level of knowledge of a central value for a population, and variability refers to quantitative differences between different members of a population. This pilot study provides a critical assessment of models for selected radionuclides representing different levels of knowledge of dose per unit exposure. The main conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) To optimize the use of available NRC resources, the full study should focus on radionuclides most frequently encountered in the workplace or environment. A list of 50more » radionuclides is proposed. (2) The reliability of a dose coefficient for inhalation or ingestion of a radionuclide (i.e., an estimate of dose per unit intake) may depend strongly on the specific application. Multiple characterizations of the uncertainty in a dose coefficient for inhalation or ingestion of a radionuclide may be needed for different forms of the radionuclide and different levels of information of that form available to the dose analyst. (3) A meaningful characterization of variability in dose per unit intake of a radionuclide requires detailed information on the biokinetics of the radionuclide and hence is not feasible for many infrequently studied radionuclides. (4) The biokinetics of a radionuclide in the human body typically represents the greatest source of uncertainty or variability in dose per unit intake. (5) Characterization of uncertainty in dose per unit exposure is generally a more straightforward problem for external exposure than for intake of a radionuclide. (6) For many radionuclides the most important outcome of a large-scale critical evaluation of databases and biokinetic models for radionuclides is expected to be the improvement of current models. Many of the current models do not fully or accurately reflect available radiobiological or physiological information, either because the models are outdated or because they were based on selective or uncritical use of data or inadequate model structures. In such cases the models should be replaced with physiologically realistic models that incorporate a wider spectrum of information. « less
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVALUATING HORIZONTAL DESIGN CONSISTENCY BASED ON INVESTIGATIONS IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK

To a large extent, critical driving maneuvers on two-lane rural highways can be related to vehicular speeds that are inconsistent with the roadway alignment presented to the motorist. A method for identification of horizontal alignments that create speed transition problems for the motorist and recommendations for correcting them, for example, through the resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation (RRR) program, may help to improve highway safety on this important portion of the road network. An analyis based on design, speed, volume, and accident data for 261 road sections of two-lane rural state routes in the state of New York established (a) the relationship among the German design parameter curvature change rate, the American design parameter degree of curve, and operating speeds of passenger cars for different lane widths; (b) the effect of additional design parameters and volume data on operating speeds; (c) the relationship between degree of curve and accident rate for all lane widths and vehicle types; (d) estimates of reasonable ranges of degrees of curve and the corresponding operating speeds for good, fair, and poor designs; and (e) recommendations for evaluating critical inconsistencies in horizontal alignment. By applying these recommendations, the highway engineer could control minor inconsistencies in highway alignment, and detect and correct major geometric defects, for example, in conducting RRR projects.
Three-dimensional peak and cumulative L4/L5 spine loads and trunk postures during non-occupational tasks

Cumulative low back loading has been shown to be a risk factor for low back pain reporting in the workplace. Evaluation of tasks outside of work might offer insight into why workers continue to have low back pain and may report pain differentially even when doing the same job. This study utilized a video-based 3D posture sampling approach to document joint postures of 18 people over a 2-hour period while performing non-repetitive tasks in and around their own homes. A 3D rigid link segment model was used to calculate reaction forces and moments at L4/L5 and joint models were used to calculate joint forces. Average peak (4.0 kN) and cumulative (9.9 MN·s) compression force estimates indicate significant loads o n the low back occur during non-occupational tasks, despite the fact that participants spent most of their time (86.2%) in neutra l trunk postures. Cumulative anterior reaction shear force (440 kN·s) was found to be comparable to those documented for a wide variety of occupational tasks, when extrapolated to an 8-hour shift. To our knowledge, this study is the first to include a full complement of 3D low back forces and moments, in conjunction with an assessment of trunk posture, for non-occupational activities. The evidence suggests that considering 3D peak and cumulative low back loading during non-occupational tasks is warranted and may help to explain some of the variability in the reporting of workplace-related low back disorders despite extensive ergonomic intervention.
I Have to Choose This University: Understanding Perceived Usefulness of Word of Mouth (WOM) in Choosing Universities among Students of Higher Education

ABSTRACT For decades, Word of Mouth (WOM) has been popularized as the most powerful form of marketing communication. However, there is scant evidence that validates its powerfulness from the receivers’ perspective. The study examined the powerfulness of WOM by testing its perceived usefulness in choosing Universities from 358 undergraduate students from the public university. Data were analyzed by using Structural Equation Modeling and the findings indicate that students choose Universities through the influence of WOM. Therefore, the University should focus on delivering quality services that influence the spread of positive WOM messages by its current students to prospective students.
Assessment of Physical Properties of Transuranic Waste in Hanford Single-Shell Tanks

CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. (CH2M HILL) is in the process of identifying and developing supplemental process technologies to accelerate the tank waste cleanup mission. One technology targets disposal of Hanford transuranic (TRU) process wastes stored in single-shell tanks (SSTs). Ten Hanford SSTs are candidates for designation as contact-handled TRU waste type: the B-200 series tanks (241-B-201, -B-202, -B-203, and -B-204), the T-200 series tanks (241-T-201, -T-202, -T-203, and -T-204), and Tanks 241-T-110 and T-111. Current plans identify a process in which these wastes are retrieved from the tanks, either dry or with a recycled liquid stream to help mobilize the waste in the tank and through transfer lines and vessels, dewatered to remove excess liquid, and transferred to waste packages in a form suitable for disposal. CH2M HILL seeks to procure a process for dewatering, handling, and packaging the contact-handled TRU waste after it is retrieved. An understanding of waste physical properties is needed to support design of the SST TRU handling and packaging system and to produce suitable physical simulants to test such a process. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been tasked with developing these waste simulants. This report summarizes PNNL's assessment of available waste physical propertymore » information for the 10 candidate TRU SSTs. Data sources include the Hanford Tank Waste Information Network System (TWINS) database, technical reports, and visual observations from the review of photographs and videotape recordings taken during the extrusion of various SST TRU waste core samples. While the retrieval process is expected to alter certain waste physical properties such as shear strength, the effects of this process on waste properties cannot yet be quantified. Therefore, the scope of this report is to describe the properties of SST TRU wastes as they are known for unprocessed wastes or, in some cases, for diluted waste samples. The report focuses on the waste rheology, settling characteristics, particle properties, bulk density, and water content. Because some physical properties of the waste are related to the waste chemistry (e.g., particle hardness), a brief overview of the process and chemistry resulting in the TRU waste is provided. Other properties, including the potential for gas retention in the waste, are discussed briefly. Qualitative descriptions of how waste properties might be affected by retrieval and subsequent processing are also noted. « less
Computer Competencies for the 21st Century Information Systems Educator

This article reports the results of a Delphi study to determine the general need for the preparation of computer technology competencies of business education teachers for the 21 century. The study consists of three rounds of a Delphi instrument using electronic mail as the primary means of communication. Twenty-three experts nominated by the National Association for Business Teacher Education (NABTE) served on the Delphi panel. The responses generated by the first round contributed to the development of an instrument; the second round involved rating the statements; and the third round determined the consensus on items. The findings of the study include 95 statements about computer competencies that should be included in business teacher education curricula. These competencies were grouped in five categories: computer hardware, software, computer programming, computer integration, and general computer knowledge.
Organizational issues of glaucoma diagnosis in Kazakhstan

Purpose Analysis of the organizational issues of the diagnosis of glaucoma in Kazakhstan and State programs for health care system: “Salamatty Kazakhstan” and “Densaulyk”. Methods The state of screening for glaucoma was included increased intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement and pachymetry, which was used for the corneal thickness examination. Although the IOP can be increased or be in the normal ranges, thin central cornea thickness generally was ignored by ophthalmologists. In this regard, the indications for examination for glaucoma with systemic hypotension during screening were expanded, and pachymetry was one of the essential diagnostic tool in the clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as a mandatory research method. Results Sufficiency and effectiveness of the screening program was confirmed by the trend in the number of identified patients with glaucoma depending on age. Correlation between suspected glaucoma and age groups was exposed. The number of registered glaucoma patients was 43,337 patients in 2010. In contrast, after the screening program the figures raised to 68,195 people in 2016. Moreover, there was the increase of newly identified glaucoma cases by 49%: from 70.8 per 100 thousand populations in 2010 to 124 per 100 thousand populations in 2016. Conclusions State programs for health care system development in Republic of Kazakhstan "Salamatty Kazakhstan" (2011-2015) and "Densaulyk" (2016 – 2019) were the initial steps for the prevention of the irreversible blindness and disability due to glaucoma. Screening programs allow to timely and adequate diagnosis of the disease over 40 years of age.
On Modern IGBT Modules: Characterization, Reliability and Failure Mechanisms

The increased demand of offshore power conversion systems is driven by newly initiated offshore projects for wind farms and oil production. Because of long distances to shore and inaccessibility of the equipment long repair times must be expected. At the same time the offshore environment is extremely harsh. Thus, high reliability is required for the converters and it is important to have good knowledge of the switching devices. This thesis investigates switching characteristics and losses of commercially available IGBT modules to be used for this application. It focuses on switching time and switching energy losses depending on gate resistance, current and voltage levels, operation temperatures, and show differences between several devices of the same type. Some test show how device characteristics and losses when the device has been exposed to stress over a certain period.
The influence of hull form on the slamming behaviour of large high-speed catamarans

Wave-piercing catamarans are used extensively for both defence and commercial sea transportation because of their many advantages. Issues such as the impact of the bow into the water when operating in large waves, better known as wetdeck slamming, can affect their mission capability and cause structural damage. However, the design criteria for this type of craft are not yet sufficiently accurate. Based on an exploratory study, wave-piercing catamarans such as the vessels built by INCAT Tasmania often have a centrebow that provides reserve buoyancy under the wetdeck to reduce heave and pitch motions and avoid deck diving in following seas. Over time, for INCAT large catamarans, hull parameters such as tunnel clearance, centrebow length and centrebow volume have decreased as the vessels have grown in length. To evaluate the effect of various bow forms on motions and slamming loads, an adjustable hydroelastic segmented model was designed and constructed as part of the collaboration between AMC, UTAS and INCAT. This segmented model is a scaled model of a 112m INCAT wave-piercing catamaran and has two transverse cuts and a separate centrebow. The centrebow was equipped with two six degree of freedom force/torque transducer to measure slam forces both in vertical and horizontal directions. The model shell was built from a sandwich panel of carbon-fibre layers and Divinycell foam core. Lessons learnt from an existing hydroelastic catamaran model were taken into consideration to design and construct this model. Three centrebow volumes (lengths) were designed and tested in head seas in the AMC towing tank for 2.76 m regular wave heights and 20 knots speed. The results showed a significant variation in slam loads when comparing the three centrebow lengths, with the highest loads found on the longest centrebow, caused by larger water volume constrained between the centrebow and demihulls. The slams in shorter centrebows occurred further forward and at more inclined angles. Results also showed that the longer centrebows have higher pitch motions in slamming conditions due to higher vertical forces on the centrebow. It could be concluded that in the tested condition, the shorter centrebow performed better overall in waves. Also a study with Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) was conducted investigating slamming especially for enclosed sections. Various vessel bow sections were dropped into water to replicate slamming. The simulations included single-phase, two-dimensional and three-dimensional modelling of two simple wedges, a wedge with two side-plates and a fully INCAT catamaran bow section comparing with experimental drop tests results. It is concluded that SPH is capable of simulating monohull sections slamming successfully. However, simulation results of enclosed sections did not match well with the experiments, most likely due to inclusion of air under the section which will be the subject for future research.
INTERSECTION NEGOTIATION PROBLEMS OF OLDER DRIVERS, VOLUME II: BACKGROUND SYNTHESIS ON AGE AND INTERSECTION DRIVING DIFFICULTIES

This project included a background literature synthesis and observational field study. The research goals were to document driving problems and errors at intersections, for older drivers using their own cars to travel familiar and unfamiliar routes, and to measure how well they could be predicted by prior tests given in an office setting. Volume I presents the field study methodology and results; this volume, Volume II, presents the background synthesis. Field observations of intersection negotiation were conducted using 82 subjects, age 61 and older, referred to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for special testing. The subjects first completed a functional test battery measuring vision, attention capabilities, and head/neck flexibility. They then underwent on-road testing administered by DMV examiners. Subjects were administered the test on both an unfamiliar and familiar route, unless the testing was prematurely terminated for safety reasons. During the on-road tests, a miniature, multiple-camera apparatus in the driver's own vehicle recorded visual search behaviors, brake and accelerator use, and traffic events in the forward scene. Analysis of the videotaped data revealed a high incidence of visual search errors. Many common behaviors were included (such as failure to look to the sides when traveling through an intersection on a green light) that were technical errors, but which rarely require an emergency response. The highest error rate for an actual maneuver, as captured by the cameras, was making a lane change with an unsafe gap. This problem was exaggerated on the low familiarity test route, where drivers had no expectation of where the next turn would occur. Analysis of errors recorded by the DMV examiners followed the same general pattern as the video-based error classification, where scanning errors predominated across both familiar and unfamiliar test routes, and maneuver errors occurred less frequently. Those driving errors observed most often by the examiners included failure to stop completely at a stop sign, stopping over a stop bar, improper turning path, and stopping for no reason. Regression analyses examined the relationships between functional test results and weighted examiners' error scores. Speed of response on visual discrimination tasks was the best predictor, but no single measure accounted for more than 18% of variance on the criterion.
CRISPR-Clear: A Fieldable Detection Procedure for Potential CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Drive Based Bioweapons

Rapid progression in genetic modification research has made gene editing increasingly cheaper and easier to use. CRISPR-Cas9 for example, allows for the specific alteration of the genome of an organism with relative simplicity and low costs. This raised a worrying question; can genetic modification techniques be used to create novel bioweapons? A specific scenario is the initiation of a synthetic gene drive for malicious purposes. A synthetic gene drive can be used to quickly spread a mutation through an entire population. This mutation could alter vectors in such a way that they will spread human diseases or eradicate essential organisms. Since a gene drive spreads efficiently through a population, timely detection is essential. Thus, a quick and field deployable screening method is needed to counteract the malicious use of gene drives. Here, we show a battery-operated, sensitive screening method, named CRISPR-Clear, for the detection of gene drive modified organisms. CRISPR-Clear is based on the combination of three components: 1) A DNA amplification technique known as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for detecting the presence of a gene drive; b) a portable battery-operated Arduino device which heats up the sample to allow DNA amplification, and c) a naked-eye visualization of the results. We designed and tested six LAMP primers targeting a Cas9 endonuclease-based gene drive, assembled a battery-operated Arduino device and tested the naked-eye visualization method. In addition, we were able to detect the presence of the Cas9 gene, extracted from a transformed bacteria, providing a proof-of-concept of the CRISPR-Clear device.
Bandit Algorithms

sets of environments and policies respectively and ` : E ×Π→ [0, 1] a bounded loss function. Given a policy π let `(π) = (`(ν1, π), . , `(νN , π)) be the loss vector resulting from policy π. Define S = {`(π) : π ∈ Π} and λ(S) = {x ∈ cl(S) : y 6< x for all y ∈ S} , where y 6< x is defined to mean it is not true that yi ≤ xi for all i with strict inequality for at least one i. Prove that if λ(S) ⊆ S and S is convex, then for each x ∈ λ(S) there exists a prior q ∈ P(E) and policy π∗ such that `(π) = x and ∑ ν∈E q(ν)`(ν, π∗) = min π∈Π ∑
Environmental & economical optimization for municipal solid waste collection problems, a modeling and algorithmic approach case study

Increasing environmental concerns and interests in material and energy conservation have lead to increasing advancement in the management of solid waste over the past two decades. The field of modeling of waste management system, as opposed to the modeling of a particular component of the system, has been active since the late 1980s. Many modeling approaches are being utilized; including optimization, statistics, and simulation in recent years. The cost of managing residential solid waste in the United States in 1990 has been estimated to be on the order of U.S. $19.5 billion annually, with collection accounting for approximately 50% of this total (Tchobanoglous et al. 1993). In this paper, using data from one of the populated cities in Germany, MSW logistic mathematical model is presented, capable of estimating the collection and transportation costs as well as the environmental impact for Municipal solid waste.
THE NEED FOR CLOUD-BASED SIMULATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SIMULATION PRACTITIONERS

Cloud-based simulation (CBS) is one of the new grand challenges in modelling and simulation (M&S). However, the work on web-enabled M&S is not new. A case in point is web-based simulation (WBS). Given the similarities between WBS and CBS, it is important to learn from WBS. Despite advancements in WBS research, its commercial applicability and adoption by users has not grown to the desired extent. This is partly due to the strong emphasis on WBS as a technological tool instead of a socio-technological tool in which users, their needs and circumstances are considered. To understand the needs and perception from practitioners on CBS, we conducted a survey. The results show that practitioners have a good exposure to cloud applications and mobile gadgets. There also appears to be evidence of a need for CBS that provides fast response time, effective communication tools and functionalities to share, store and retrieve models.