Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rheological Relaxation of OSB Beams Reinforced with CFRP Composites

An experimental and analytical approach to the relaxation problem of wood-based materials—OSB (Oriented Strand Boards—pressed wood-based composite panels) beams, including beams with CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced polymer) tape composite reinforcement, is presented. It is a relevant engineering and scientific problem due to the fact that wood and wood-based materials, as well as composite reinforcements, are widely used in building constructions. Their rheological properties are very important and complicated to estimate. A 10 day long relaxation test of thick OSB beams without reinforcement and with CFRP tape was performed. A four-point bending test with five different bending levels was performed, during which the reduction of the loading force was measured. A five-parameter rheological model was used to describe the rheology of the beams. The equations of this model were calculated with the use of Laplace transform, whereas the values of the parameters were calculated based on the experimental relaxation curves. A high correlation between experimental and theoretical results was obtained. A beam reinforced with CFRP tape was treated as a system with a viscoelastic element (OSB) and an elastic element (CFRP), joined together without the possibility of slipping. The equations of the mathematical model were calculated based on the assumptions of the linear theory of viscoelasticity and the convolution integral. A good correlation between experimental and theoretical results was obtained. A significant redistribution of stresses was observed during the relaxation of the reinforced beam. The reinforced beams show a higher stiffness of approximately 63% and carry proportionally higher loads than unreinforced beams at the same deflection values.
The micro-hole- and -strip plate gas detector: experimental results

We report the performance characteristics of a new microstructure, the Micro-Hole-and-Strip Plate (MHSP), operated initially as an X-ray proportional counter. The MHSP is a combination of the features of a microstrip plate (MSP) and a gas electron multiplier (GEM) in a single microstructure. Like the GEM, the MHSP is fabricated using flexible printed circuit board technology. The MHSP provides two independent charge-amplification stages: a first stage consisting of slotted holes, operated as a GEM, and a second stage, the MSP anodes, that also function as the final charge-collection electrodes. Two obvious benefits accrue from this design: for a given total gain, the MSP anode-to-cathode voltage can be maintained well below the breakdown threshold, and the charge-amplification stages are optically isolated, in anticipation of future applications as a photosensor. Full electron transmission and total gains up to 1000 were achieved, with slotted-hole gains as high as 14. The best energy resolution achieved thus far for 5.9-keV X-rays is 23%. Measurements of gains, electron transmission, and energy resolution, as functions of biasing voltages, are reported.
Performance Evaluation of Microscopic Traffic Flow Models with Test Track Data

The performance of six microscopic traffic flow models was investigated on the basis of how well these models fit with the real-time kinematic Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements. Ten passenger cars equipped with the GPS receivers participated in the car-following experiments, conducted at a test track. The genetic algorithm-based approach is adopted to optimize the model parameters for two different cases: using speed and headway data. The optimized performance of each model is analyzed for various driving conditions introduced by the different level of disturbances to the lead vehicle's speed, which include half-wave, one-wave, two-wave, three-wave, random, and constant speed patterns. In the former case with speed data, five models performed well with the average percentile error ranging from 3.87% to 4.71% and standard deviation ranging from 1.09% to 1.64%. In the latter case with headway data, only three models performed well with the average percentile error ranging from 12.04% to 12.91% and standard deviation ranging from 4.53% to 5.13%. All models performed better in the former case than in the latter case. The interpersonal variations are significant compared with the intermodel variations and indicate individual drivers' influence on the car-following phenomena.
Online Spatial and Temporal Initialization for a Monocular Visual-Inertial-LiDAR System

Multisensor fusion of visual-inertial-LiDAR systems (VILSs) has become a research hotspot in recent years. Most VILSs require offline calibration of external parameters and hardware time synchronization to ensure successful initialization of the system. However, such requirements are not easy to achieve in practice. We propose an online initialization method for VILSs that can achieve software time synchronization (temporal) and automatically calculate external parameters (spatial) without prior knowledge of environmental information or special movements. Our approach consists of two phases: (1) novel monocular visual inertial (VI) initialization and (2) LiDAR-added (LI) online initialization. In phase 1, our method considers more complete initial states, including the time offsets, biases of the accelerometer, and translation between the inertial measurement unit (IMU) and camera. We implement faster and more robust VI initialization than VINS-MONO. In phase 2, we linearly interpolate the visual-inertial odometry (VIO) onto the same timestamps of the LiDAR and solve the LI external parameters by aligning the VIO with LiDAR odometry (LO). Our LI initialization phase is more practical due to the current lack of an online LI initialization method. Additionally, to eliminate the bundling effect of the initial state estimation in the two phases, we provide a linear solution in nominal-state space to obtain a rough starting value of the rotation extrinsic parameter first. Then, nonlinear optimization under motion constraints is introduced to obtain the full initial states in true-state space. The performance of the proposed method is verified on both a public dataset and a self-assembled handheld VILS device in real-world experiments.
Effect of whitening toothpastes containing activated charcoal, abrasive particles, or hydrogen peroxide on the color of aged microhybrid composite

Background: This study aimed to assess the effect of different whitening toothpastes containing activated charcoal, abrasive particles or hydrogen peroxide on the color of aged microhybrid composite. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro, experimental study, 45 composite discs (2 mm × 7 mm) were fabricated of a microhybrid composite. They underwent accelerated artificial aging for 300 h, corresponding to 1 year of clinical service. The composites were then randomly divided into five groups (n = 9). One group served as the control and underwent tooth brushing with distilled water. The remaining four groups underwent tooth brushing with Colgate Total whitening (Gt), Colgate Optic White (Go), Perfect White Black (Gp) and Bencer (Gb) toothpastes in a brushing machine The International Commission on Illumination values (Lm, am, bm) were determined using a spectrophotometer. Color change (ΔE) calculated based on this formula: ΔEm= ([ΔLm] 2 + [Δam] 2 + [Δbm] 2)½. The differences were defined by ΔE1 (after aging-baseline),ΔE2 (after brushing-after aging) and ΔE3 (after brushing-base line). ΔE1 were evaluated to ensure that color mismatch had occurred (ΔE1 > 5.5). Difference in (L, a, b) parameters after aging and after tooth brushing in each group, color parameter changes (ΔL2, Δa2, Δb2, ΔL3, Δa3, Δb3) and ΔE2 and ΔE3 were analyzed and compared using Wilcoxon test and independent sample median test at P = 0.05 level of significance. Results: The color parameter changes, ΔE3 and Δ E2 were not significantly different among the five groups (P > 0.05). In Gp and Gb charcoal a*, b*, and L* after tooth brushing (P < 0.05). In Colgate Optic group, the a* parameter significantly decreased while the L* parameter significantly increased (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that there is no significant difference in the color change of Spectrum composite following tooth brushing with different whitening toothpastes for two weeks. It should be noted that Δ E3 reached to <3.3 only in charcoal whitening toothpastes.
Systematic Risk Management Approach for Construction Projects

Risk is inherently present in all construction projects. Quite often, construction projects fail to achieve their time, quality, and budget goals. A risk model entitled construction risk management system (CRMS) is introduced to help contractors identify project risks and systematically to analyze and manage them. The CRMS model is a logical substitute for the traditional intuitive unsystematic approach currently used by most contractors. The influence diagramming technique and Monte Carlo simulation are used as tools to analyze and evaluate project risks. Alternative risk management strategies are suggested. Such strategies include: risk avoidance, risk transfer, risk retention, loss reduction, and risk prevention and insurance.
Does Influenza Vaccination during Pregnancy Have Effects on Non-Influenza Infectious Morbidity? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

The recommendation to provide inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) to pregnant women is based on observed protection against influenza-related morbidity in mother and infant. Non-live vaccines may have non-specific effects (NSEs), increasing the risk of non-targeted infections in females. We reviewed the evidence from available randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of IIV to pregnant women, to assess whether IIV may have NSEs. Four RCTs, all conducted in low- and middle-income settings, were identified. We extracted information on all-cause and infectious mortality and adverse events in women and their infants. We conducted meta-analyses providing risk ratios (RR). The meta-analysis for maternal all-cause mortality provided a RR of 1.48 (95% CI = 0.52–4.16). The estimates for miscarriage/stillbirth and infant all-cause mortality up to 6 months of age were 1.06 (0.78–1.44) and 1.11 (0.87–1.41), respectively. IIV was associated with a higher risk of non-influenza infectious adverse events, with meta-estimates of 2.01 (1.15–3.50) in women and 1.36 (1.12–1.67) in infants up to 6 months of age. Thus, following a pattern seen for other non-live vaccines, IIV was associated with a higher risk of non-influenza infectious adverse events. To ensure that scarce resources are used well, and no harm is inflicted, further RCTs are warranted.
Aerial observations of sea ice break-up by ship waves

Abstract. We provide the first in situ observations of floe size distributions (FSD) resulting from wave-induced sea ice break-up. In order to obtain such data, an unmanned aerial vehicle was deployed from the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen as it sailed in the vicinity of large ice floes in Baffin Bay and in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada. When represented as probability density functions weighted by the surface of ice floes, the FSDs exhibit a strong modal shape which confirms the preferential size hypothesis debated in the scientific community. Both FSDs are compared to a flexural rigidity length scale, which depends on ice properties, and with the wavelength scale. This comparison tends to show that the maximal distance between cracks is preferentially dictated by sea ice thickness and elasticity rather than by the wavelength. Temporal analysis of one fracture event is also done. Results show that the break-up advances almost as fast as the wave energy and that waves responsible for the break-up propagate following the mass loading dispersion relation. Moreover, our experiments show that thicker ice can attenuate wave less than thinner ice. This method thus provides key information on the wave-induced FSD, clarifies theoretical aspects from the construction of the FSD to its implementation in models and brings new knowledge regarding the temporal evolution of sea ice break-up.
The Impact of the Salary Cap in the European Rugby Super League

Salary caps are widely used in professional sports as a mechanism for improving competitive balance in a league. Some commercially important sports leagues such as soccer’s English Premier League are considering their introduction. To guide the decisions of policy-makers in such organizations, information on the effectiveness of salary caps is essential. This paper assesses the impact of the salary cap introduced in rugby league’s European Super league on the competitiveness of the league. Using three measures of competitive balance; share of championships won, the five-club concentration ratio and the Herfindahl-Hirshman index, we find tentative evidence that the salary cap did improve competitive balance after it was introduced.
Fuzzy Rule-Based System Approach to Combining Traffic Count Forecasts

Current advances in artificial intelligence are providing new opportunities for utilizing the enormous amount of data available in contemporary urban road surveillance systems. Several approaches, methodologies, and techniques have been presented for analyzing and forecasting traffic counts because such information has been identified as vital for the deployment of advanced transportation management and information systems. In this paper, a meta-analysis framework is presented for improving forecasted information of traffic counts, based on an adaptive data processing scheme. In particular, a framework for combining traffic count forecasts within a Mamdani-type fuzzy adaptive optimal control scheme is presented and analyzed. The proposed methodology treats the uncertainty pertaining to such circumstances by augmenting qualitative information of future traffic flow states (and values) with a knowledge base and a heuristic optimization routine that provides dynamic training capabilities, resulting in an efficient real-time forecasting mechanism. Results from the application of the proposed framework on data acquired from realistic signalized urban network data (of Athens, Greece) and for a diversity of locations exhibit its potential.
Métodos de avaliação da implantação da manufatura enxuta: uma revisão da literatura e classificação

Despite the extensive literature on Lean Manufacturing (LM), little effort has been made to synthetize the state-of-the-art methods used to assess LM implementation. Accordingly, this article aims to present a literature review on scientific assessment methods for LM to identify their main characteristics. Forty eight articles related to the topic published between 1996 and August 2012 were identified. These publications were then classified using the following characterization parameters: methodological approach, assessment focus, diagnostic process procedure; diagnostic assessment dynamics; and classic LM practices assessed among other complementary parameters. The main contribution of this research is to provide researchers and management professionals with a compiled account of LM assessment methods for easy identification of the most suitable method for the environment of a certain company or that which offers the best perspective on their own LM implementation status.
Traffic Flow on Freeway Upgrades

Traffic flow characteristics on freeway upgrades in Germany were analyzed, and a combination of measurements, analyses of continuous counting results, and microscopic simulations was performed. From these results a macroscopic traffic flow model for freeway upgrades based on a two-stage linear speed-density relation was developed. All relevant external influences such as degree of gradient and length of upgrade together with traffic flow parameters such as volume or proportion of heavy vehicles may be included through specific parameters. On the basis of this analysis, it was found that capacity depended solely on the degree of the gradient. Capacity was not influenced by gradient length. Velocity, however, was determined not only by the degree of the gradient but also by the length of the upgrade (up to L ≤ 4,000 m). Results were formulated to be ready for application in practice. They form, for instance, the basis of the chapter on freeways in the new German version of the U.S. Highway Capacity Manual, Handbuch für Bemessung von Straßenverkehrsanlagen.
Modular 3D In Vitro Artery-Mimicking Multichannel System for Recapitulating Vascular Stenosis and Inflammation

Inflammation and the immune response in atherosclerosis are complex processes involving local hemodynamics, the interaction of dysfunctional cells, and various pathological environments. Here, a modular multichannel system that mimics the human artery to demonstrate stenosis and inflammation and to study physical and chemical effects on biomimetic artery models is presented. Smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells were cocultured in the wrinkled surface in vivo-like circular channels to recapitulate the artery. An artery-mimicking multichannel module comprised four channels for the fabrication of coculture models and assigned various conditions for analysis to each model simultaneously. The manipulation became reproducible and stable through modularization, and each module could be replaced according to analytical purposes. A chamber module for culture was replaced with a microfluidic concentration gradient generator (CGG) module to achieve the cellular state of inflamed lesions by providing tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, in addition to the stenosis structure by tuning the channel geometry. Different TNF-α doses were administered in each channel by the CGG module to create functional inflammation models under various conditions. Through the tunable channel geometry and the microfluidic interfacing, this system has the potential to be used for further comprehensive research on vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and thrombosis.
EVALUATION OF QUALITY AND IMPACT OF UNTREATED WASTEWATER FOR IRRIGATION

Wastewater generated from industries is widely reused for irrigation in agricultural fields. The purpose of this study was to examine the wastewater generated from textile industries and study the impact of the wastewater irrigation on crops. The microbial load, physico-chemical characteristics and the heavy metals in wastewater was found to be on higher side and predominant presence of iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr) poised a major concern. Pesticide residues were found to exceed the quality goal of 0.1ug/L. On examining the vegetables produced by the plants, Lagenaria siceraria and Abelmoschus esculentus confirmed accumulation of heavy metal, pesticide residue and microbial contamination, indicating a possibility of recycling the toxicants and microbes through the wastewater. Overall assessment indicated a potential risk of heavy metal, microorganisms and pesticides on agriculture and human health.
Risk analysis of damaged ships – a data-driven Bayesian approach

An accident occurring at sea, though a rare event, has a huge impact both on the economy and the environment. A better and safer shipping practice always demands new ways to improve marine traffic and this essentially requires learning from past experience/faults. In this regard, probabilistic analysis of accidents and associated consequences can play a very important role in making a better and safer maritime transport system. Bayesian networks represent a class of probabilistic models based on statistics, decision theory and graph theory. This paper introduces the use of data-driven Bayesian modelling in risk analysis and makes a comparison with the different data-driven Bayesian methods available. The data for this study are based on the Lloyds database of accidents from 1997 to 2009. Important influential variables from this database are grouped and a Bayesian network that shows the relationship between the corresponding variables is constructed which in turn provides an insight into probabilistic dependencies existing among the variables in the database and the underlying reasons for these accidents.
Tandem Propeller Concept of Submarine Propulsion and Control

Under U. S. Navy sponsorship, analytical and experimental studies of a new means of propulsion and control of undersea vehicles, the tandem propeller system (TPS), have been performed. The utilization of a pair of large hub-to-tip diameter ratio propellers with collective and cyclical pitch blade control for developing independent six-degree-of-freedom vehicle motion is discussed. It is shown that the nonlinear transverse force characteristics of the propeller require formulation of a specialized control system in order to take advantage of this capability at low forward speed. Results of a free-running model test program are presented to illustrate the performance of a tandem propeller vehicle with the selected mode of control. It is concluded that the concept is feasible and that it provides a means for obtaining marked improvement in the low speed maneuverability of underwater craft.
Feasibility of platelet marker analysis in ischemic stroke patients and their association with one-year outcome. A pilot project within a subsample of the Stroke Induced Cardiac Failure in Mice and Men (SICFAIL) cohort study

Abstract Patients with ischemic stroke (IS) are at increased risk of mortality and recurrent cerebro- or cardiovascular events. Determining prognosis after IS remains challenging but blood-based biomarkers might provide additional prognostic information. As platelets are crucially involved in the pathophysiology of vascular diseases, platelet surface proteins (PSP) are promising candidates as prognostic markers in the hyperacute stage. In this pilot study, feasibility of PSP analysis by flow cytometry (HMGB1, CD84, CXCR4, CXCR7, CD62p with and without ADP-stimulation, CD41, CD61, CD40, GPVI) was investigated in 99 (median 66 years, 67.5% male) acute IS patients admitted to Stroke Unit within a substudy of the Stroke-Induced Cardiac FAILure in mice and men (SICFAIL) cohort study. Association between PSP expression and unfavorable one-year outcome (cerebro- or cardiovascular event, all-cause mortality and care dependency defined as Barthel Index <60) was explored. PSP measurements were feasible. Several process- (e.g. temperatures, processing times) and patient-related factors (e.g. prestroke ischemic events, surgery, blood pressure, antiplatelet therapy) were identified to be potentially associated with PSP expression. Elevated CD40 levels above study population’s median were associated with unfavorable outcome. Standardized conditions during blood draw and processing within the hyperacute stroke unit setting are required and patient-related characteristics must be considered for valid measurements of PSP. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00011615).