Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental Investigation To Study the Influence of Handle Diameter on Low‐Frequency, Hand–Arm Vertical Vibration

Handle vibration from equipment or machines influences musculoskeletal activity as well as comfort in handling the same. New technology can be worse than no technology if it was not developed correctly as ergonomic research has clearly demonstrated the relationship between injury risk and poorly designed hand tools. Clinical and epidemiological studies have shown that operators of handheld power tools are prone to develop various vibration‐induced disorders of the hand and arm, which are collectively referred to as “hand–arm vibration syndrome. '' The vibration direction has a great influence on the transmitted vibration. The present study focuses the effects of low‐frequency vertical vibration on hand to shoulder from handles of different size. The electrodynamic exciter is used for simulating vibration to a vertical handles of four different diameters. PULSE LabShop software is used for evaluating the magnitude of vibration in different frequency bands. The vibration characteristic data were acquired in the yh axis at the wrist, elbow, and shoulder for bent arm and extended arm postures with vibration excitation of 4.5 m/s2. Transmissibility characteristics are computed to determine the influence of handle diameter in yh vibration transmitted to the hand–arm system. The magnitude of vibration transmitted within the hand, elbow, and shoulder was observed to be dependent on the handle size; larger handles cause higher vibration transmissibility. The results also show that the human hand–arm system in an extended arm posture amplifies the vibration transmitted than bent arm in a small difference. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Early registration for antenatal care was associated with improved birth outcomes in a low-income community in Harare

Background : The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends early registration, regular and consistent attendance of antenatal care (ANC) sessions for all pregnant women. Specifically, if ANC services promote evidence-based practices this improves pregnancy outcomes and reduce maternal mortality. Yet there are worrying gaps in knowledge of antenatal care services in Zimbabwe. Objectives: To determine the relationship between early registration and frequency of ANC visits on birth weight, birth length, head circumference, Apgar score, birth complications, delivery mode, preterm birth and duration of labour among women aged 15-49 from Hatcliffe Polyclinic, Harare. Methods: This was a health facility based analytical cross-sectional study. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was entered and analysed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics, and associations between dependent and independent variables were determined using Pearson’s Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. Ethical approval was granted from the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ/B/1438). Results: A total of 75 mother child pairs were interviewed. Most (77.3%) had more than four ANC visits. Only 36% registered early (during first trimester). Most of the children had normal birth weight ≥2500g (80.3%), birth length ≥47cm, (76%), head circumference ≥33cm (80%), and Apgar score ≥7 (96%). A positive association was observed between number of ANC visits and birth weight [Odds ratio (OR) 7.6; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.6, 36.4 (p=0.013)], birth length [OR 6.1; 95%CI 1.8, 20.1 (p=0.010)], and head circumference [OR 4.3; 95% CI 1.3, 14.8 (p=0.013)]. Positive associations were also observed between timing of registration and birth weight [OR 1.2; 95% 1.05, 1.36 (p=0.045)], birth length [OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.03, 0.76 (p=0.012)]. Conclusions: In this study increased frequency and early registration for ANC visits had a positive relationship with birth weight, birth length and head circumference. These findings show the need for improving the uptake of ANC services, early registration for ANC in the first trimester and adoption of community wide strategies to ensure that pregnant women attend all recommended visits for improved birth outcomes in this and related settings.
Use of the kurtosis statistic in the frequency domain as an aid in detecting random signals

Power spectral density estimation is often employed as a method for signal detection. For signals which occur randomly, a frequency domain kurtosis estimate supplements the power spectral density estimate and, in some cases, can be employed to detect their presence. This has been verified from experiments with real data of randomly occurring signals. In order to better understand the detection of randomly occurring signals, sinusoidal and narrow-band Gaussian signals are considered, which when modeled to represent a fading or multipath environment, are received as non-Ganssian in terms of a frequency domain kurtosis estimate. Several fading and muitipath propagation probability density distributions of practical interest are considered, including Rayleigh and log-normal. The model is generalized to handle transient and frequency modulated signals by taking into account the probability of the signal being in a specific frequency range over the total data interval. It is shown that this model produces kurtosis values consistent with real data measurements. The ability of the power spectral density estimate and the frequency domain kurtosis estimate to detect randomly occurring signals, generated from the model, is compared using the deflection criterion. It is shown, for the cases considered, that over a large range of conditions, the power spectral density estimate is a better statistic based on the deflection criterion. However, there is a small range of conditions over which it appears that the frequency domain kurtosis estimate has an advantage. The real data that initiated this analytical investigation are also presented.
Exergoeconomic Analysis of an Advanced Zero Emission Plant

Exergy-based methods are reliable means for the comparison and the evaluation of the operation of energy conversion systems. In this paper, the Advanced Zero Emission Plant, a plant that performs combustion in a nitrogen-free environment (oxy-fuel combustion) is presented, compared to a reference plant (without CO2 capture) and evaluated based on an exergoeconomic analysis. A variation of the oxy-fuel plant with a lower CO2 capture percentage (85%) is also presented in order to (1) evaluate the influence of CO2 capture on a plant’s overall performance and cost, and (2) enable the comparison with other conventional methods, such as post-combustion with chemical absorption that also performs CO2 capture with lower effectiveness. When compared to the reference case, the oxy-fuel plants achieve a minimal decrease in exergetic efficiency, essentially due to their more efficient combustion processes. Cost calculations reveal that the membrane used for the oxygen production in the oxy-fuel plants is their main expenditure. Nonetheless, the cost of electricity and the cost of CO2 avoided for these plants are calculated to be competitive with chemical absorption.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
VIPMET: New Real-Time Data Filtering–Based Automatic Agricultural Weather Station

AbstractAgricultural weather stations are normally utilized to register weather variables (e.g., temperature, relative air humidity, solar radiation and wind speed). These data can be used to estimate daily and hourly reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo), which can provide important information for water resources optimization in irrigation scheduling. However, data captured by actual agricultural weather stations are not filtered, which may lead to a bad estimation of the parameters and consequently a deficient water management, endangering the horticultural crops. This paper presents the validation and filtering process for automagic agricultural weather stations (VIPMET), a new station that is endowed with a real-time data filtering process to ensure validation of the acquired data. In addition, the station can be remotely controlled for automatic data collection and management tasks through a 3G mobile router. A comparison between data registered by the station and data supplied by the nearest Murc.
An axisymmetric computational fluid dynamics approach to the analysis of the working process of a solar stirling engine.

The use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models significantly extends the capabilities for the detailed analysis of the complex heat transfer and gas dynamic processes that occur in the internal gas circuit of a Stirling engine by more accurately predicting the engine's performance. This accurate data on operational characteristics of the engine can then contribute to more precise calculations of the dimensions of a parabolic concentrator in a dish/Stirling engine installation. In this paper a successful axisymmetric CFD simulation of a solar "V"-type Stirling engine is described for the first time. The standard - turbulence model, with a moving mesh to reflect the reciprocating motion of the pistons, has been employed for the analysis of the engine's working process. The gas temperature and pressure distributions and velocity fields in the internal gas circuit of the machine have been obtained and the pressure-volume diagrams have been calculated. Comparison of the numerical results produced from the axisymmetric CFD simulation of the engine's working process with those computed with the use of second-order mathematical analysis shows that there are considerable differences. In particular, analysis of the data obtained indicates that the gas temperature in the compression space depends on the location in the cylinder for the given moment in the cycle and it may differ substantially from being harmonic in time.
Electrostatically driven display device using evanescent coupling between sheet waveguide and multicantilevers

In this study, a new display device based on physical contact and evanescent coupling is developed. The device consists of a glass substrate as a waveguide and electrostatically-driven multi-cantilevers on a silicon substrate. The incident light guided into the waveguide is transferred into the cantilevers due to the physical contact and the evanescent coupling between the waveguide and the multi-cantilevers when a voltage is applied. By the contact, the switched light is emitted from the side-edge of the contacted multi-cantilevers. The widely emitted output-light is realized by the integration of the cantilevers and the simplified structure. Therefore, the device is expected as the display application. The device is fabricated using MEMS process and bonding process. From the experimental results, a contrast of 0.9 is obtained at 170V, and the stable drive is attained up to 1KhZ. As a result, the usefulness of the device structure is confirmed.
Detailed modelling of the lumbar spine for trauma applications: preliminary results

Spinal trauma resulting from motor vehicle accidents, sports and military injuries and falls are a major cause of long-term disability inducing major socio-economic consequences. In the last decade, many mathematical models of the lumbar spine were used as surrogate experiments to provide significant knowledge on biomechanics of spinal trauma (Gilbertson et al. 1995, Yang et al. 2006). Unfortunately, very few of these models present the ability to thoroughly investigate the complex injury mechanisms and kinematics involved in spinal trauma, mostly due to geometrical, material and loading oversimplifications. This study aims to create an advanced finite element model (FEM) of the lumbar spine for trauma applications.
SUNFLOWER: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROAD SAFETY IN SWEDEN, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND THE NETHERLANDS

The highway safety performance of various countries within Europe differs considerably. Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are the three nations with the lowest accident levels. They are referred to in this report as the SUN countries. The goal of this study is to ascertain the underlying elements in the current programs and policies of the SUN countries, which make them particularly effective in coping with traffic safety, and thereby identity the policy improvements most likely to produce casualty reductions in both SUN countries and other European nations.
Formation Damage in Iranian Oil Fields

The fine migration and the scale formation into the porous media and the resulting production decline have long been the problem to the petroleum industry. It is also generally accepted that formation due to the particle movement and the scale formation are not thoroughly understood. In contributing to the solution of this problem, an experimentally study of calcium sulphate scale formation and the particle movement in the porous media using of packing bed with 12 different size of the glass and sand bead and the 8 core plug that gathered from the Siri oilfields. The purpose was to study the different physical and mechanical aspects of the processes leading to the formation damage caused by the movement and the entrapment of the suspended particles and the scale formation. The permeability is the key parameter among several others that control the reservoir performance. The experiments are based on the results of the permeability reduction. The interception of the permeability reduction by the interaction between the operational parameter is very complex. Therefore, several of these factors such as the temperature, the concentration, the fluid dynamic and the type of porous media are considered. The experimental results are analyzed and a new model which can predicts particle movement and the scaling tendency of the common oilfield water deposits in the water disposal wells, the water flooding systems, and in surface equipment’s and the facilities is developed. The developed of the model is based on the experimental data and the empirical correlation, which perfectly mach the Iranian oilfields condition. This model has been applied to the investigate of the potential of the scale precipitation in the Iranian oilfields, either in the onshore or the offshore fields, where the water injection is being performed for the desalting units water disposal purpose or as the method of secondary recovery or the reservoir pressure maintenance.
Influence of atmospheric stability on wind turbine power performance curves

The impact of atmospheric stability on vertical wind profiles is reviewed and the implications for power performance testing and site evaluation are investigated. Velocity, temperature, and turbulence intensity profiles are generated using the model presented by Sumner and Masson. This technique couples Monin-Obukhov similarity theory with an algebraic turbulence equation derived from the k-e turbulence model to resolve atmospheric parameters u*, L, T*, and Zo. The resulting system of nonlinear equations is solved with a Newton-Raphson algorithm. The disk-averaged wind speed u disk is then evaluated by numerically integrating the resulting velocity profile over the swept area of the rotor. Power performance and annual energy production (AEP) calculations for a Vestas Windane-34 turbine from a wind farm in Delabole, England, are carried out using both disk-averaged and hub height wind speeds. Although the power curves generated with each wind speed definition show only slight differences, there is an appreciable impact on the measured maximum turbine efficiency. Furthermore, when the Weibull parameters for the site are recalculated using u disk, the AEP prediction using the modified parameters falls by nearly 5% compared to current methods. The IEC assumption that the hub height wind speed can be considered representative tends to underestimate maximum turbine efficiency. When this assumption is further applied to energy predictions, it appears that the tendency is to overestimate the site potential.
Analytical probabilistic flood routing for urban stormwater management purposes

The main purpose of flood routing calculations conducted in urban stormwater management studies is to determine the flood frequency distribution at a downstream location knowing the upstream catchments, channel reaches, and detention ponds. As the current state of practice, the design storm approach is widely used for this purpose and for the planning and design of related stormwater management facilities. Building upon previous work, methods and procedures are proposed here so that flood routing for stormwater management purposes can be completed probabilistically using analytical equations. Results from the proposed methods and procedures are compared with design storm modeling results for a number of routing scenarios. The comparison study not only establishes the credibility of the proposed methodology, but also highlights potential problems associated with the application of the design storm approach.
An improved small‐signal equivalent circuit model for 4H‐SIC power mesfets

The frequency‐dependence of parasitic resistances (Rs and Rd) for 4H‐SiC power MESFETs is empirical modeled by adding two disperse parameters based on conventional small‐signal equivalent circuit (CSEC). And a new extraction procedure for the modified SEC parameters is also proposed. The calculated S‐parameters using the modified SEC model (MSEC) fit the measured ones very well up to 20 GHz. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 1455–1458, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23397
The Study of Ground and Embankment Treatment Techniques in Road Widening

Now many expressways are confronted with embankment linking and widening, which cause uneven settlement and pavement cracking along the joint between the old and new roads, especially on soft ground. It is important to systematically analyze the performance of different ground and embankment treatment techniques used in road widening. A numerical model based on plane strain finite element method (FEM) is carried out to analyze the behaviors of embankment and foundation at widening. Four ground and embankment treatment techniques, including embankment reinforcement, light weight embankment, cement deep mixing pile and separating wall are compared in their effectiveness through uneven settlement, horizontal displacement, and stress condition. It has been approved that light-weight embankment has the most effectiveness among four treatments.
Quantum-Barrier-Varactor Diodes for High-Efficiency Millimetre-Wave Multipliers

A new device, the quantum-barrier-varactor diode (QBV diode), is proposed for use in multipliers for millimetre waves. Since the capacitance/voltage characteristic is symmetric, only odd harmonics are obtained. Hence there is no idler circuit to consider for the tripler and only one for the quintupler. It is shown that for triplers and quintuplers, the theoretical efficiency using QBVs is comparable or possibly larger than using Schottky varactor diodes.
Diagramming Design Research

This paper proposes a diagramming method to help conceptualize and structure design research. In addition, it shows how the method is useful in situating the design process into larger interdisciplinary bodies of knowledge. The paper begins by defining design and research with consideration of the difference between research and fact–finding. It then outlines common ways human beings come to know the world; these ways of knowing supply material to devise the proper research diagram for any particular topic. The paper then shows how research from the existing literature can be diagrammed, thus supplying students with a new analytical tool. Following this, several examples from student work in diagramming design research are outlined and analyzed. The conclusion considers how the diagramming method serves as a bridge to research nomenclature in other disciplines. Far from taking anything away from the design process, the use of the diagramming tool strengthens design itself as a form of inquiry. In short, the diagramming tool not only integrates design with research, it also promotes a more systematic interdisciplinary understanding of the design process.
Application of simulated annealing in simulation and optimization of drying process of Zea mays malt

Kinetic simulation and drying process optimization of corn malt by Simulated Annealing (SA) for estimation of temperature and time parameters in order to preserve maximum amylase activity in the obtained product are presented here. Germinated corn seeds were dried at 54-76 °C in a convective dryer, with occasional measurement of moisture content and enzymatic activity. The experimental data obtained were submitted to modeling. Simulation and optimization of the drying process were made by using the SA method, a randomized improvement algorithm, analogous to the simulated annealing process. Results showed that seeds were best dried between 3h and 5h. Among the models used in this work, the kinetic model of water diffusion into corn seeds showed the best fitting. Drying temperature and time showed a square influence on the enzymatic activity. Optimization through SA showed the best condition at 54 oC and between 5.6h and 6.4h of drying. Values of specific activity in the corn malt were found between 5.26±0.06 SKB/mg and 15.69±0,10% of remaining moisture.
Wistar and Sprague-Dawlay rats demonstrate distinct features of metabolic profile after acute myocardial infarction

Background: Wistar and Sprague-Dawley (SD) Outbred Rat can be considered the standard rodents for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, a direct comparison between Wistar and SD Rat as models of AMI has not been adequately evaluated so far. Methods: MI was constructed and cardiac functions were measured to show the success of model construction. The metabolites among Wistar, SD rats and patients with AMI were screened, respectively, and further three groups and subgroups metabolic pathway analysis was applied through MetaboAnalyst 4.0. Results: The animal MI model was constructed successfully. All the QC samples we inserted qualified, which allowed us to confirm that the analytical results were valid. After screening by three methods, there are 42 significant plasma metabolites determined in our study, which consist of 19, 18 and 23 metabolites in Wistar, SD rats and human with AMI, respectively. Therefore, to discuss the similarity of Wistar and SD rats to human, SD rats and human had two similar screened metabolic pathways, whereas Wistars rats and human had three screened metabolic pathways. Through subgroup analysis, Glycerophospholipid metabolism was only one which possessed metabolic pathway difference and did not affected by age and time, whereas Sphingolipid metabolism increased only in AMI when compared to SHAM group. Conclusions: Sphingolipid metabolism in SD rats is not suggested to be substitute for human metabolic research and the effect of Wistar rats on metabonomic is better than that of SD rats because their metabolic pathways are relatively closer to human’s real world.