Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Integrated Computational Welding Mechanics With Direct-Search Optimization for Mitigation of Distortion in an Aluminum Bar Using Side Heating

Using a computational weld mechanics (CWM) frame-work for exploring a design space, a recent direct-search algorithm from Kolda, Lewis and Torczon is modiﬁed to use a least-square approximation to improve the method of following a path to the minimum in the algorithm. To compare the original and modiﬁed algorithms, a CWM optimization problem on a 152 (cid:2) 1220 (cid:2) 12.5mm bar of Aluminum 5052-H32 to minimize the weld distortion mitigated by a side heating technique is solved. The CWM optimization problem is to ﬁnd the best point in the space of side heater design parameters: power, heated area, longitudinal and transverse distance from the weld such that the ﬁnal distortion is as low as possible (minimized). This CWM optimization problem is constrained to keep the stress level generated by the side heaters, in the elastic region to avoid adding an additional permanent plastic strain to the bar. The number of iterations, size of design of experiments (DOE) matrix required and CPU time to ﬁnd the minimum for the two algorithms are compared. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4025406]
Mechanical properties of reclaimed asphalt pavement — natural aggregate blends for granular base

An experimental study investigated the California bearing ratio (CBR), shear strength, stiffness, and cyclic creep properties of crushed, reclaimed asphalt concrete pavement (RAP) — natural aggregate blends for granular base and subbase. The CBR was found to depend on the properties of the constituent materials and the compactive effort used to prepare the specimens. It was concluded that the CBR test may not be appropriate for evaluating the suitability of blended material for granular base construction. Based on the triaxial tests, it was observed that the addition of RAP to natural aggregate (Ontario Granular A) reduces the shear strength slightly and tends to increase the accumulated strain (deformation) that develops due to repetitive loading. The influence of RAP on the mechanical properties, including ‘elastic’ modulus, was sensitive to specimen preparation and preconditioning. For certain combinations of RAP and Granular A, the mechanical properties were similar to those of Granular A. The key to .
Tolerance and the labor supply of cohabiting gays and lesbians

Abstract Tolerance of sexual minorities is presumed to matter, but its effects are under-studied. Because tolerance can affect both experiences at work and division of labor in the household, we study the relationship between tolerance and the time cohabiting gay men and lesbian women spend in paid work across the United States. In the average state, the increase in tolerance between 2003 and 2015 is associated with an increase in paid work of about 1 week per year among cohabiting gay men. Though not robustly statistically significant, the increase in tolerance is associated with a decrease in paid work among cohabiting lesbian women relative to heterosexual women.
CONCESSIONAIRE SELECTION: METHODS AND CRITERIA

Various innovative public private partnerships (PPPs) have been explored in worldwide infrastructure development in which BOT (build-operate-transfer) is the underlying concept. Selection of the right concessionaire, which is critical to the success of such BOT-type PPPs, depends on the quality of identifying and defining suitable project-specific criteria and the quality of formulating an efficient tender evaluation methodology. A systematic research approach (including literature review, case studies, interview/correspondence, and a structured questionnaire survey) has been adopted to draw experience and learn lessons from international PPP practices and to unearth and refine experiential and expert knowledge from worldwide experts and practitioners. Tender evaluation criteria and methods currently used in diverse types of PPP projects in both developed and developing countries are identified, compared, analyzed, and then generalized.
Evaluation of Left ventricular systolic function by Myocardial Deformation Imaging in Hypertensive patients with Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Background and Aims: Hypertension being one of the commonest non communicable diseases is major risk factor leading to premature death.1 With development of, the left ventricular strain imaging technique by echocardiography the consequences of hypertension may be identified and intervene earlier. The aim of study was to show abnormalities in cardiac function in the form of left ventricular strain imaging in hypertensive patients with preserved Ejection fraction. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, comparative and observational study done in Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre and National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital Kathmandu which included hypertensive patients with baseline examination including a medical history, clinical examination and a standardized trans thoracic echocardiography and strain imaging examination and the findings were compared among age and sex frequency matched 82 healthy adults in 1 : 2 ratio. The independent paired t test was used for the comparative statistical analysis. Results: We enrolled 240 patients in this study, 158 were hypertensive (mean age 48.5 ±6.1 years with 50.6 % female) and 82 healthy control (mean age 45.62 ±6.3 years with 51.2% female). There was no significant difference in conventional echocardiographic parameters between two groups except for left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness that was highest in hypertensive group (p value of <0.001). The hypertensive population has lower mean global longitudinal strain (GLS) value of -18.6% ± 2.06 SD compared to the healthy control population with mean of -19.5% ± 1.1 SD (p value of <0.001). Conclusion: Hypertensive patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction have subclinical left ventricular dysfunction revealed by GLS imaging technique.
Innovative seismic design of a post-tensioned concrete masonry house

Post-tensioned concrete masonry walls provide improved seismic performance, but have had limited application in seismic regions because of a lack of research pertaining to their in-plane response. Following focused research over recent years, a consortium of product suppliers has collaborated with the University of Auckland to construct New Zealand’s first post-tensioned concrete masonry house. A feature of this innovative design was that all incorporated products were commercially available, with no proprietary products being specifically developed for the prestressed masonry system used. Consequently, it is hoped that this house will be a showcase, and provide exposure for the technology in New Zealand and elsewhere. This paper provides a brief review of previous post-tensioned concrete masonry research applications, then discusses post-tensioning details and their application to house design and construction.
Control of sound radiation from a plate into an acoustic cavity using active constrained layer damping

The sound radiation from a vibrating flat plate coupled with an acoustic cavity is controlled using a single patch of active constrained layer damping (ACLD), active control (AC) and passive constrained layer damping (PCLD) treatments. Dynamic and acoustic finite element models are developed to study the fundamental phenomena governing the coupling between the dynamics of the ACLD and AC/PCLD treated plates and the acoustic cavities. The models are used to compute the frequencies, mode shapes and sound radiation for different damping configurations and control gains. The damping characteristics of the ACLD/plate system are compared with those of plates with AC/PCLD treatments. Such comparisons are essential in quantifying the individual contribution of the active and passive components to the overall damping characteristics, when each operates separately and when both are combined to interact in unison as in the ACLD treatments. The predictions of the models are validated experimentally using a square aluminum plate, whose sides are 29.8 cm and thickness is 0.04 cm, mounted on a 29.8 cm × 29.8 cm × 75 cm cavity. The plate is treated with an ACLD treatment bonded to one side and an AC treatment placed on the other side. The ACLD treatment consists of a visco-elastic damping layer which is sandwiched between the base plate and piezo-electric constraining layer. The piezo-electric constraining layer acts as an actuator that actively controls the shear deformation of the visco-elastic core according to the plate response. The ACLD patch acts as a conventional PCLD treatment when the control gain is set to zero. The effect of using a derivative control action, to control the ACLD and AC treatments, on the performance of the plate/cavity system is presented. The results obtained demonstrate the potential of the ACLD treatments in developing high damping ratios with low control voltages as compared to the AC/PCLD treatments. The developed models provide invaluable means for predicting the control of sound radiation from plates coupled to acoustic cavities, using ACLD and AC/PCLD treatments.
Briefing: stakeholder perspectives of buried utility mapping

The ‘mapping the underworld’ initiative was established in 2004 to help develop tools to locate, position and record every buried utility without the need for excavation. The ‘mapping the underworld: multi-sensor device’ project received funding from the UK government in 2008. The project commenced in January 2009 and held its launch seminar and workshop in February 2009. The launch event was attended by delegates from a wide cross-section of the utility sector. This paper describes the outcome of the interactive workshops and subsequent discussions with industry partners with the aim of providing a collective stakeholders' view of the challenges of implementing new surveying and mapping technologies and the associated research needs.
Risk stratification for relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma integrating pretransplant Deauville score and residual metabolic tumor volume

Pretransplant Deauville score (DS) is an imaging biomarker used for risk stratification in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). However, the prognostic value of residual metabolic tumor volume (rMTV) in patients with DS 4–5 has been less well characterized. We retrospectively assessed 106 patients with relapsed/refractory cHL who underwent autologous stem cell transplantation. Pretransplant DS was determined as 1–3 (59%) and 4–5 (41%), with a markedly inferior event‐free survival (EFS) in patients with DS 4–5 (hazard ratio [HR], 3.14; p = .002). High rMTV41% (rMTVhigh, ≥4.4 cm3) predicted significantly poorer EFS in patients with DS 4–5 (HR, 3.70; p = .014). In a multivariable analysis, we identified two independent factors predicting treatment failure: pretransplant DS combined with rMTV41% and disease status (primary refractory vs. relapsed). These two factors allow to stratify patients into three groups with divergent 2‐year EFS: 89% for low‐risk (51%; relapsed disease and either pretransplant DS 1–3 or DS 4–5/rMTVlow; HR 1), 65% for intermediate‐risk (28%; refractory disease and either DS 1–3 or DS 4–5/rMTVlow; HR 3.26), and 45% for high‐risk (21%; DS 4–5/rMTVhigh irrespective of disease status; HR 7.61) groups. Pretransplant DS/rMTV41% combination and disease status predict the risk of post‐transplant treatment failure and will guide risk‐stratified approaches in relapsed/refractory cHL.
Cost Comparison of Conventional Gray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Infrastructure versus a Green/Gray Combination

AbstractThis paper outlines a life-cycle cost analysis comparing a green (rain gardens) and gray (tunnels) infrastructure combination to a gray-only option to control combined sewer overflow in the Turkey Creek Combined Sewer Overflow Basin in Kansas City, MO. The area of this basin is 2,248 ha (5,554 acres). A set of spreadsheets was developed upon which this life-cycle cost analysis is based. The spreadsheets allow the user to vary the length and/or the diameter of the tunnels. The spreadsheets calculate the additional number of rain gardens needed to handle a given amount of stormwater when the tunnel sizes are reduced. The difference in life-cycle costs between the green/gray and gray-only alternatives is calculated. For a range of options for the number of rain gardens, the green/gray combined alternative is more cost-effective than the gray-only option. The potential present worth of the cost savings for the 50-year expected lifespan of both the gray and green infrastructure could reach as much as $.
Reliability of Wood Joist Floor Systems with Creep

Light-frame wood floors are constructed from a number of parallel flexural members (joists), which provide the primary structural support. Sheathing material is attached across the top edges of these joists to form the floor surface. Because the joists are connected in this manner, load sharing occurs, which enhances the performance of the system as a whole. Current design procedures focus on the behavior of single members with only limited provisions account for the improved performance of systems. In this study, the reliability of wood joist floors is investigated considering both strength and serviceability limit states. The objective of the system reliability analyses is to determine appropriate system factors for use in single member load and resistance factor design checking equations. These factors are included to account for the beneficial effects associated with systems of parallel members. This study considers factors such as lumber species and grade, floor size, and the effects of creep deformations. A stochastic viscoelastic stress-strain relationship is used to model the time-dependent behavior of wood, the stochastic pulse process models are used to account for the temporal variability of the loads. Cumulative damage analysis using two common damage accumulation models is used to account for the time-dependent strength of wood flexural members.
Invasive infections due to Magnusiomyces capitatus: case report and review of its prevalence in China

ABSTRACT Magnusiomyces capitatus is an emerging opportunistic yeast, thus far mainly reported from the Western world where fungemia is the most frequent presentation in immunocompromised patients with high mortality. We described a rare case of Magnusiomyces capitatus infection from our hospital in China and reviewed six further cases published to date in Chinese literature. It is noted that half more of the cases (4/7) presented with fungemia in younger, immunosuppressed patients, whereas the remaining cases were with pneumonia in elderly, immunocompetent patients. All seven Chinese cases had favourable outcome with antifungal therapy. Based on the limited in vitro and clinical data, a combination of amphotericin B either with 5-fluorocytosine or voriconazole for fungemia in immunocompromised patients, and although fluconazole is not recommended as first-line therapy in the guideline, in our study, fluconazole alone or with 5-fluorocytosine for local pulmonary infection in immunocompetent patients is effective with good outcome.
Foraging Behavior of Apis mellifera Linn. Visiting Some Plant Flowers in Aljabal Alakhder Region –Libya

The study aimed to investigate the effects of nectar secretion and climate conditions on the number of honeybee workers foraging on flowers of three different plant species. Nectar samples were taken at different hours of the day. Handling and traveling time of each bee per flower were recorded. The results showed a significant difference during daylight hours on nectar volume (P>0.05). The highest amount of nectar was recorded at 10 am on a Prunus domestica flower plant (0.5± 0.2) and the lowest on a Pyrus communis flower plant at 8:00 am with (0.0132 ± 0.008). Also, the highest recorded handling time was on a Malus domestica flower plant at 10 am with (6.1± 1.7 Sec). And while there was an absence of mean handling time at 4:00 pm on the P. communis flower plant, The results showed that the highest traveling time recorded was on a M. domestica flower plant at 12 am with (2.2 ± 0.1 Sec) compared with the P. communis flower plant that recorded the lowest traveling time at 4:00 pm with (0.1± 0.1 Sec). Furthermore, the results revealed that the preference of Apis mellifera was the M. domestica flower plant. The findings showed a significance (P>0.05) between the effects of climate conditions on the number of bees during visits, while also revealing that there was a relationship between high temperatures and an increase in the number of visiting bees. Meanwhile, the number of visits decreased during the hours of observation with lower humidity.
Are Cell Phone Samples Needed for Studies of Walking Activity?

The growth in cell phone–only households represents a challenge for the collection of survey data. Cell phone–only households have distinct sociodemographic characteristics, which may result in different travel behavior. To explore those differences, as well as to investigate the impact of including a cell phone component in active transportation research, a representative sample of New Jersey households was surveyed with a random digit dial survey that included 1,200 completed interviews (800 based on a statewide landline sample, 400 from a landline over sample of Jersey City) and 311 statewide cell phone interviews, of which 80 were cell phone–only respondents. The survey explored walking behavior and perceived characteristics of the pedestrian environment. Sociodemographic characteristics, the frequency of walking, and home location characteristics were compared with chisquare tests of significance between sample pairs as well as multivariate analysis (ordered probit). Cell phone–only respondents were typically younger and poorer, with a greater proportion of renters, carless households, and minorities. It was found that cell phone–only household members walked more frequently, but this finding was because of their distinct sociodemographic characteristics, not their cell phone use per se. The implication for any analysis of rates or trends in walking (and probably other travel behavior) is that cell phone–only households must be included through a cell phone sample supplementing a landline sample. However, in the absence of a cell phone supplement, multivariate analysis of the correlates of walking may not be overly biased if sociodemographics relevant to cell phone–only respondents are collected and included in the analysis.
Characterizing the short-latency evoked response to intracortical microstimulation across a multi-electrode array

Objective. Persons with tetraplegia can use brain-machine interfaces to make visually guided reaches with robotic arms. Without somatosensory feedback, these movements will likely be slow and imprecise, like those of persons who retain movement but have lost proprioception. Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) has promise for providing artificial somatosensory feedback. ICMS that mimics naturally occurring neural activity, may allow afferent interfaces that are more informative and easier to learn than stimulation evoking unnaturalistic activity. To develop such biomimetic stimulation patterns, it is important to characterize the responses of neurons to ICMS. Approach. Using a Utah multi-electrode array, we recorded activity evoked by both single pulses and trains of ICMS at a wide range of amplitudes and frequencies in two rhesus macaques. As the electrical artifact caused by ICMS typically prevents recording for many milliseconds, we deployed a custom rapid-recovery amplifier with nonlinear gain to limit signal saturation on the stimulated electrode. Across all electrodes after stimulation, we removed the remaining slow return to baseline with acausal high-pass filtering of time-reversed recordings. Main results. After single pulses of stimulation, we recorded what was likely transsynaptically-evoked activity even on the stimulated electrode as early as ∼0.7 ms. This was immediately followed by suppressed neural activity lasting 10–150 ms. After trains, this long-lasting inhibition was replaced by increased firing rates for ∼100 ms. During long trains, the evoked response on the stimulated electrode decayed rapidly while the response was maintained on non-stimulated channels. Significance. The detailed description of the spatial and temporal response to ICMS can be used to better interpret results from experiments that probe circuit connectivity or function of cortical areas. These results can also contribute to the design of stimulation patterns to improve afferent interfaces for artificial sensory feedback.
Motivations for cell phone use by older Americans

Despite various limitations and challenges, older Americans increasingly use cellular phones. This exploratory study examined the positive reasons why community-dwelling older adults who lived in Midwestern towns located in the United States used mobile phones. Common responses generated from interviewing 18 senior cell phone users were placed on an original survey instrument given to 100 cell phone users, ages 57-97. Results showed that young old and old old users differed in terms of how and why they used their cell phones. An exploratory factor analysis identified two underlying and correlated factors measuring why older adults used cell phones: usefulness and security. Significant predictors of the level of importance assigned to a cell phone included education, the ability to drive, usefulness, security, and frequently traveling short and long distances.
Believe-in counterfactual thinking and psychological capital

Counterfactual thinking puts a negative reality and better or worse alternative outcomes in the mind simultaneously. The implicit theory of intelligence considers whether individuals believe that intelligence can be promoted by effort or not. Previous studies suggest that counterfactual thinking interacting with the implicit theory of intelligence would evoke a belief in an attainable future or a belief that a certain future could one day be reality, thereby producing positive effects. Three studies examined the hypothesis that belief in an attainable future through counterfactual thinking would predict psychological capital, which is a positive developmental state of individuals. In Study 1 (N = 62), belief in an attainable future was operationalized by introducing the implicit theory of intelligence and counterfactual thinking. Incremental theorists had higher psychological capital when engaged in counterfactual thinking than controls. In Study 2 (N = 71), belief in an attainable future was operationalized by introducing the likelihood of the antecedents and of the outcomes, which were conceptualized as how people believe in their counterfactual thinking. Belief in an attainable future predicted psychological capital even after controlling for the influence of future time perspective and present-fatalistic time perspective, two concepts that depict how individuals process time-related information. In Study 3 (N = 76), we conducted an intervention study. Participants in the experimental group were directed to construct attainable counterfactual thinking for one week. The experimental group had higher psychological capital than the control group. Across three studies, the findings consistently provided primary support for the hypothesis that belief in an attainable future would predict psychological capital.