Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Making the Most of an Existing System through Access Management at Major Arterial Intersections

The intersections of major arterials are designed to facilitate the conflicting movements of numerous vehicles in a manner that is both safe and efficient. Accesses located within the functional area of major arterial intersections complicate intersection activity because additional conflicts arise from ingressing and egressing movements at the accesses. This research analyzed the impact of accesses on crashes within the functional area of major arterials. The effects of access spacing within functional areas and access setback from intersections were addressed. The functional areas of 144 signalized major arterial intersections across the state of Utah were examined. A database was developed and contained the frequency, type, and severity of functional area crashes as well as the intersection and roadway characteristics within the functional area. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine the influence of accesses on crashes within the functional area of intersections. The statistical analyses showed that the existence of accesses within the functional area was correlated with increased crashes and crash severity costs. In particular, an increase in commercial access density was associated with increases in crash totals, crash rates, and rear-end crashes in intersection functional areas. The analyses also showed that study intersections meeting Utah Department of Transportation corner clearance standards exhibited fewer right-angle crashes and lower crash severity costs. Adherence to such standards improves safety and increases efficiency of the transportation network and thus aids jurisdictions throughout the nation in making the most of the existing infrastructure.
Towards a Sensitive Measure of Situation Awareness in Adaptively Automated Systems

The objective of this research was to assess the effectiveness of the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) as an indicator of automation state changes in adaptive automation (AA) of a complex, dynamic control task. An air traffic control (ATC)-related simulation was developed to present automation of four different information processing (IP) functions, including information acquisition, information analysis, decision making, and action implementation, as well as to simulate a completely manual control condition. Eight participants operated the ATC simulation under the five conditions. SAGAT data revealed only a general effect of automated versus manual control, but no significant effects of the modes of AA on SA. These results suggested that SAGAT was not a sensitive measure in the ATC-related task. Consequently, a modified SAGAT measure is proposed with relevance weighting of environmental stimuli to promote sensitivity and reliability of measurement of SA in the target domain.
High-speed optical studies of long spark (Istra, Russia) and triggered lightning (Camp Blanding, Florida): initial results

Experimental results on classical long spark development optically studied in July-August, 2002 at the High Voltage Research Center (HVRC), Istra, Russia have been presented. Main goal of these studies was to test universal streak and framing cameras K004M and K008 developed by the BIFO Company, Russia for the University of Florida, USA to be used at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT) at Camp Blanding, Florida. Both cameras were tested at the conditions (solid angles, spatial and time resolution, sensitivity etc.) being like as much as possible to those expected in actual triggered-lightning experiments at Camp Blanding. Basic results on testing have been found to give hope well enough for the triggered-lightning research. Additionally to the testing, some features of long spark development in different stages have been studied using up to three devices operated synchronously. In combination with two cameras pointed out above, an old analog image converter streak camera of FER14-type (designed in 1980 by the VNIIOFI, Moscow as requested by the All-Union Electrotechnical Institute, Istra) instrumented with a novel CCD readout system SU04-type (designed by the BIFO Company) was being used. This combined system FER14+SU04 has been found to operate well enough too. Some experimental results with pictures presented expand available data and current knowledge on electrical discharge in large air gaps.
State transition stochastic model for predicting off to on cooling schedule in dwellings as implemented using a multilayered artificial neural network

Our previous study (Tanimoto, J. and Hagishima, A. 2005. State transition probability for the Markov model dealing with on/off cooling schedule in dwellings. Energy and Buildings, 37, 181–187) proposed a set of state transition probabilities for the Markov chain dealing with the on/off cooling schedule in dwellings. The probability of turning on an air conditioner was defined in the form of a sigmoid function by the indoor globe temperature. Obviously, a real stochastic event of shifting from the off to on state is affected by not only indoor thermal quality parameters but also by other complex factors, such as the presence of family members, time of the day and whether it is a weekday or holiday. In this article, we report an alternate model, based on a multilayered artificial neural network (MANN), for predicting the off to on cooling schedule. We gathered field measurement data on family dwellings during the summer of 2008 by deploying hygrothermometers with recording functions to measure the room temperature and the globe and blowout air temperature of the air conditioner. The MANN used has nine nodes in both its input and hidden layers and a single node in its output layer, which implies that the state is either shifting from off to on (1) or not (0). The information provided to the input layer nodes includes the time of the day, whether it is a weekday or holiday, the probability of the presence of inhabitants and the predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) people. PPD, derived from PMV theory, is applied as a representative parameter of the indoor thermal quality, in place of the globe temperature, since it accounts for various influences. The field measurement datasets were divided into two parts: teaching data and data for validation. A model trained by the teaching data was confirmed to reproduce the state transition characteristic of the validation period, which seems complex and is determined by the behaviour of various inhabitants. The performance of the model in reproducing this behaviour is improved over that of the previous model derived from the Markov chain.
Design of a Wind Turbine Rotor for Maximum Aerodynamic Efficiency

The design of a three-bladed wind turbine rotor is described, where the main focus has been highest possible mechanical power coefficient, CP, at a single operational condition. Structural, as well as off-design, issues are not considered, leading to a purely theoretical design for investigating maximum aerodynamic efficiency. The rotor is designed assuming constant induction for most of the blade span, but near the tip region, a constant load is assumed instead. The rotor design is obtained using an actuator disc model, and is subsequently verified using both a free-wake lifting line method and a full three-dimensional Navier–Stokes solver. Excellent agreement is obtained using the three models. Global CP reaches a value of slightly above 0.51, while global thrust coefficient CT is 0.87. The local power coefficient Cp increases to slightly above the Betz limit on the inner part of the rotor; the local thrust coefficient Ct increases to a value above 1.1. This agrees well with the theory of de Vries, which states that including the effect of the low pressure behind the centre of the rotor stemming from the increased rotation, both Cp and Ct will increase towards the root. Towards the tip, both Cp and Ct decrease due to tip corrections as well as drag. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Issues and opportunities regarding replanning and rescheduling frequencies

Research in the various planning and scheduling literatures has reached contradictory conclusions about the impact of frequently replanning and rescheduling material flows in response to updated supply and demand information. Furthermore, empirical research shows that companies that frequently reschedule perform better, despite some theoretical research that has discouraged high frequencies. Resolving these issues has great theoretical and practical importance, especially with the increasing prevalence of technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID) that provide more timely information for replanning and rescheduling systems. Insights from supply chain, internal planning (e.g. master production scheduling and material requirements planning), and shop floor scheduling research streams are synthesised to show that model attributes typical to each research stream may play a significant role in the differing conclusions about ideal frequencies. Future research is suggested to help clarify the ideal use and overall value of timely information, narrow the research-practice gap, and resolve discrepancies between the different research streams.
Influence of the skew angle on the hydroelastic behaviour of a composite marine propeller

This paper discusses the influence of the skew angle on the hydroelastic behaviour of a composite marine propeller. Recently, propellers have been made of composite materials because of their useful acoustic properties and because they are lightweight. However, the flexibility of composites causes much deflection in comparison with conventional materials and a change in the hydroelastic performances of propellers. In this research, the hydroelastic behaviour of a propeller is analysed for various skew angles using the prepared software code, namely the boundary element method–finite element method hydroelastic code, in which the hybrid boundary element method–finite element method is used. The hydrodynamic load acting on the propeller is determined by the boundary element method, and the deformed propeller is then obtained by the finite element method. The iterations between the boundary element method and the finite element method are repeated until the deflection and hydrodynamic characteristics (the thrust, the torque and the efficiency) of the propeller converged. The numerical results indicate that the skew angle affects the performance of the propeller and the stress field. As the skew angle increases, the maximum deflection of the blade increases; however, the thrust coefficient and the torque coefficient decrease.
Flexure Mode Piezoelectric Transducers

Although flexurally responsive piezoelectric elements have been utilized for a few decades, interest in their utility remains high. This is a result of the ability of such structures to generate high output from sources of low mechanical impedance, or, conversely, to develop large displacement at low levels of electrical excitation. Typically a bending response is obtained from a sandwichlike structure of two properly oriented piezoelectric expander plates in which case the unit is referred to as a bender Bimorph. However, other approaches to benders include the Unimorph, the Multimorph, and other specially treated single plate elements. Numerous applications utilizing bender elements exist. To aid in meeting the variety of requirements presented by these applications, the supplier has available to him many options. These variables include choice of materials, geometry, and electrode configurations. In terms of volume of usage, the phonograph cartridge remains the number one application. However, many other electroacoustical devices are made possible by the availability of the Bimorph or its modified alternates Some of these are indicated. In addition, the utility of the equivalent circuit and its constants are described.
Esso Energy Award Lecture, 1982 Coordinating traffic signals to reduce fuel consumption

Congestion at traffic signals in Britain wastes between 500 and 1000 Ml of fuel every year; at least one half of this waste occurs in central urban areas. The waste can be reduced by coordinating the timings of adjacent signals but it is difficult to achieve good coordination because traffic flow patterns are complex and the effects of signal timing changes are widespread. To help solve this problem, the Transport and Road Research Laboratory has developed a computer program, called TRANSYT, that models traffic movements and optimises the signal timings to minimise delay and stops. This paper describes the principles of TRANSYT and how the method has been extended and used to predict and minimise vehicular fuel consumption in urban areas. TRANSYT calculates fixed time coordination plans that are optimised for average flow patterns, e. g. during a typical evening peak period. A new method, called SCOOT, continuously measures flows and congestion, predicts current queues and automatically adjusts the signal coordination as the traffic patterns vary. An outline is given of the principles of SCOOT and its potential uses as part of a driver information system.
Parametric Analysis of the Dynamic Response of Hot-Rolled H-Shaped Steel Beam under Lateral Impact Load

The analysis on the basic mechanical properties of hot-rolled H-shaped steel beam under lateral impact load was done by use of ABAQUS. The reliability of the FEA model was verified through comparing with the existing experiment of H-shaped steel beam subjected to lateral impact. And then, this FEA model was used to research the dynamic response of the H-shaped steel beam subjected to lateral impact. The main parameters include the impact energy, mass and impact velocity of the impact hammer. The results indicate that the finite element analysis model built in this paper could accurately simulate the process of hot-rolled H-shaped steel beam under lateral impact load and the impact energy, mass and impact velocity have different influences on the dynamic response of H-shaped steel beam.
Application of multiple assessment items optimization method to determining the repair ranking of existing reinforced concrete bridge system

Abstract The D. (Degree) E. (Extent) R. (Relevancy) evaluation method is widely used to assess the damage states of existing reinforced concrete (RC) bridges in Taiwan. The present study is first to distinguish between relevancy (Ra, a = 1.5, 2) and non‐relevancy (Ra, a= 1) for the repair ranking of the existing RC bridge system to be assessed. The multiple assessment items optimization method was mainly applied to seek the optimum repair ranking. The five existing RC bridges, i.e. Chi‐jou, Lan‐yang, Dah‐jea, Dah‐duh and Dah‐an in Taiwan are chosen as practical examples. The results show that when each bridge is judged to be non‐relevant by the system, the repair ranking predicted by the D.E. R. evaluation method is correct. Nevertheless, when the bridge system has one or more one important bridge, the repair ranking predicted by the D.E. R. evaluation method is not accurate. The proposed method may be remedied the defect of the D.E. R. evaluation method to predict the repair rankings of existing RC bridge system.
Tactical Routing Using Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Views of Terrain

When and how should 3-D views be used? We report the results of two experiments in which participants had to plan a route across terrain shown in a 3-D perspective view or in a 2-D (top-down) plan view. We used a non-stereoscopic 3-D perspective view that displayed terrain from 45 degrees above the ground plane onto a flat screen, and a 2-D plan view that displayed the same terrain as a topographic map. The task was to create a chain of antennas across the map so that consecutive antennas could “see” each other. We found that antenna placement was performed better with the 2-D plan view, but that initial planning of the antenna route was performed better with the 3-D perspective view. We introduce the concept of “orient and operate” to explain the findings.
Crash Hazard Comparison between Rural and Urban Road Segments Based on GIS and Logistic Regression Technology

Traffic safety in rural and urban areas is a serious public issue worldwide. In this paper, the weighted hazard index (WHI) was adopted to describe risk distributions in rural and urban areas. At the beginning, the WHI analysis results were shown in the GIS-based maps and the visual display of the hazardous segments was illustrated by ArcGIS software, which would help policymakers to assume more targeted improvement measures. Then logistic regression is introduced to assess the difference of incidence of total crashes and incidence of the fatal/injure crashes between urban and rural areas. Based on the estimation results of logistic regression analysis, the ADT (average daily traffic) and length of segments have more evident impact on the two risk factors, namely the incidence of total crashes and incidence of fatal/injure crashes. Furthermore, the differences between rural and urban areas are obvious in total crashes and fatal/injure crashes and more specifically they are all lower in rural areas with other attributes being fixed.
HIV and AIDS in South African construction: is age nothing but a number?

Recently the South African government introduced new legislation to regulate the construction industry and, in particular, redistribute the responsibility for construction worker safety and health to include all industry participants. Consequently, the need to maintain and promote construction workers' health and working capacity has been given an increased prominence. Considering that the highest rates of new infections are reportedly occurring on the African continent, the fight against HIV and AIDS in the workplace has become an African priority. A comparative assessment is carried out on the levels of knowledge, perceptions and beliefs, and behaviours of construction workers in South Africa relative to HIV infection and AIDS. The levels of knowledge and awareness of HIV and AIDS among construction workers younger than 40 years of age (‘younger workers’) are compared with those of workers older than 40 years (‘older workers’). A regional exploratory study commenced in August 2002. Both age cohorts of construction workers generally had acceptable levels of knowledge, perceptions and attitudes on most issues relative to the disease. However, several areas are highlighted where they had deficient knowledge and attitudes or demonstrated high levels of uncertainty. Overall, younger workers had lower levels of uncertainty and deficient knowledge. There were several areas where these were common irrespective of age. These are the areas that deserve urgent employer driven interventions.
Berufliche Interessentests - Wider die Anwendung geschlechtsspezifischer Normen

Zusammenfassung. Berufliche Interessenverfahren werden hauptsachlich im Rahmen von berufslaufbahnbezogenen Orientierungsmasnahmen eingesetzt. In diesem Zusammenhang kann es von entscheidender Bedeutung sein, ob bei der Ermittlung der individuellen Interessenschwerpunkte bzw. des Interessenprofils eines Ratsuchenden geschlechtsunabhangige (gemeinsame) oder geschlechtsspezifische Normen verwendet werden. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird der Frage nachgegangen, welche Effekte mit der Anwendung von Geschlechtsnormen verbunden sind. Dazu werden theoretische Uberlegungen zur Normierungslogik angestellt, die Standards bei prominenten deutschsprachigen Interessenverfahren analysiert und in drei Studien die Auswirkungen der unterschiedlichen Normierungsmoglichkeiten auf die Validitat von Interessentests empirisch uberpruft. Sowohl theoretische wie auch empirisch gestutzte Argumente sprechen gegen die in der deutschsprachigen Interessendiagnostik uberwiegend praktizierte Normierung nach Geschlechtern: Offensichtlich vo.
Ice pressures and behaviour at Adams Island, winter 1983/1984

As a continuation of an ongoing project, measurements of environmental conditions and ice cover responses were made around Adams Island over the winter of 1983/1984. These included current, tide, speed and direction of wind, air temperature, and thickness, temperature, and salinity of the ice. Wind profiles were measured over the ice surface; from these, drag coefficients of 0.001–0.005 were calculated. Horizontal movement rates of the ice cover varied from 20 to 300 mm/day. No direct correlation was found between ice cover movement and the wind and current measurements. In situ ice pressures measured around the island averaged 250 kPa. Key words: ice pressures, environmental forces, ice behaviour, field instrumentation.
Pollen Niche from Tetrapedia diversipes Klug (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Tetrapediini) in a Brazilian Semi-deciduous Lowland Forest

Tetrapedia diversipes Klug (Apidae) is a solitary bee with wide geographical distribution. Females of this species usually nest in pre-existing cavities and although their biology is relatively well known, studies on their trophic niche are still scarce. Thus, the present study aimed to identify the plant species used in the diet of immature T. diversipes through the analysis of residual pollen material. The nests used in the study were obtained through the use of trap nests during the period between December 2014 and October 2015, distributed in an area of coastal forest in northeastern Brazil. For the study of the trophic niche, samples of post-emergency residue (feces) from cells of offspring of males (n = 31) and females (n = 66) of T. diversipes were analyzed. In total, 29 pollen types were identified in the feeding of T. diversipes, being of the pollen types identified, only seven were not used by both sexes. Although a significant difference was found in the amplitude in the trophic niche between the sexes, there was a high overlap for Horn-Morisita index (CH = 0.989), with no significant difference being found in the frequency distribution of male and female food items (D = 0.214; p = 0.341). In this study we concluded that the diet of T. diversipes in coastal forest is polyletic, similarly to the pattern found in other studies of pollen resources in different vegetation in Brazil, with a predominance of pollen from the families Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae and Onagraceae.
Neural Computation of the MoM Matrix Elements for Planar Configurations

Summary In this paper a new artificial neural network (ANN) based model for the calculation of the method of moments (MoM) matrix elements is presented. Training sets that characterize the matrix elements are first constructed. These sets are then utilized to effectively train two radial basis function (RBF) neural networks to accurately estimate all the elements of the MoM matrix for any mesh used. The potential of the proposed approach is demonstrated in the case of a narrow microstrip line. The current distribution on the microstrip line produced by the trained RBF networks agrees very well with the exact distribution. In addition, the proposed ANN model is much faster than the conventional MoM procedure.