Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF MODELING ASSUMPTIONS ON EVOLUTION OF QUEUES IN A SINGLE CORRIDOR

A qualitative description is presented of queuing patterns under an idealized scenario analogous to the evolution of traffic congestion during the morning peak hour in a long corridor leading to a single destination. The simplicity of the scenario allows the results to be verified independently by hand. Initially the corridor is assumed to consist of a single freeway. Traffic is generated at the freeway's many on-ramps during a short period and then is assumed to subside. Capacity limitations create queues on the ramps and the freeway, whose evolution is then described. A special case with just a few parameters is analyzed in detail. The solution obtained under the assumptions of the hydrodynamic theory of traffic flow (which explicitly recognizes vehicle storage limitations on the freeway) is shown to be drastically different from the solution obtained using "point queue" models, which ignore these limitations. Because the latter models are currently a favored approach in the dynamic traffic assignment literature, results of this study illustrate the need for reevaluating the conditions under which current theories may be applicable. The effect that a slower parallel arterial would have on the system's traffic is also discussed. It was found that a route choice mechanism in which drivers do not anticipate the system's evolution leads to unreasonable traffic patterns--that is, patterns that would not be expected in reality. The anticipation phenomenon must thus be incorporated into any realistic model of dynamic network flows, which unfortunately, increases the difficulty of developing detailed control strategies.
Institutional Diagnosis and Remedies of Government Procurement System in South Korea: In Search of Effective Governance

This paper diagnoses and prescribes the institutional arrangements of government procurement system in South Korea through the transaction costs approach. The current South Korean institutional arrangements of government procurement system are weak in solving the transaction problems. The crucial remedies can be identified from governing the centralized Supply Administration of ROK (SAROK: Jodalchung) and its related-institutional arrangements. What is to be done about the problems the current Korean government procurement system confronts with? The basic principle is to increase dramatically the freedom (decentralization) of individual user agencies to use their judgment in the procurement process and to enhance the open and fair competition. In search of effective governance, this paper emphasizes the need to establish the governance culture to pursue effective government procurement system as follows: more delegation to user agencies, more independence and rational procedures to SAROK and user agencies, deregulation of legislative intervention, and professionalism of purchasing manpower.
Influence of control logic on variation of indoor thermal environment for residential buildings

This study proposes an advanced thermal control method that employs artificial neural network (ANN) models for predictive and adaptive thermal control. Two predictive and adaptive control logic approaches were proposed to simultaneously control indoor temperature and humidity as well as predicted mean vote (PMV) in a residential building. Their thermal performance was analysed and compared with that of non-ANN-based counterparts to evaluate architectural variables such as envelope insulation and building orientation. A numerical computer simulation method was used for the tests after demonstration of its validity based on comparison with results of field measurement. Analysis results revealed that the proposed predictive and adaptive control methods conditioned the indoor temperature, humidity and PMV effectively. The periods during which each thermal factor was in a comfortable range increased, and overshoots and undershoots out of the targeted comfortable ranges were reduced when using the ANN model. The results demonstrate the functionality of the proposed method for variation in architectural variables and that the ANN model has the potential to be successfully applied to building thermal controls.
AUTOALERT: AUTOMATED ACOUSTIC DETECTION OF INCIDENTS

This Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) project included the design and preliminary evaluation, as well as feasibility demonstration, of AutoAlert, an acoustic traffic sensor system that applies new signal processing algorithms to passive acoustic data to advance the state of practical acoustic incident detection techniques. These techniques, originally developed for national defense applications, will perform reliable, automatic, nearly instantaneous, all-weather incident detection under highly variable traffic conditions. Effective operation of urban high-capacity Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) requires speedy detection of incidents at chokepoints, such as tunnels, bridges and other aerial structures, and dense urban arterials. AutoAlert overcomes shortcomings of loop and video detectors, such as their inability to distinguish between incidents and congestion, and the need for a human-in-the-loop for video detection. The AutoAlert processor "hears" an incident before congestion builds, and can be used either as an independent detector, or its outputs can be combined (data fusion) with other detector outputs for joint improved decisions and incident verification. AutoAlert algorithms will provide a new level of incident detection timeliness and reliability (low false alarms) by applying sophisticated statistical models: Hidden Markov Models and Canonical Variates Analysis. These are used to analyze both short-term and time-varying signals that characterize incidents.
Removal of azithromycin from aqueous bulk solution using water/ethanol/transcutol/capryol-90 green nanoemulsion

The present work aimed to remove azithromycin (AZM) from contaminated aqueous system using a water/ethanol/transcutol/capryol-90 green nanoemulsion. The drug is identified as potential pharmaceutical drug for detrimental effect on flora and fauna of aquatic lives and human health. Green nanoemulsions were tailored and characterized for thermodynamic stability, globular size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, viscosity, refractive index (RI), and morphological assessment using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, nanoemulsions were investigated for percent removal efficiency and factors affecting the %RE. The results obtained from in vitro characterization parameters suggested that the developed green nanoemulsions (ANE1-ANE5) were stable, and possessing globular size ˂ 200 nm. ANE5 exhibited the lowest value of globular size (49 nm), low PDI (0.17), minimum viscosity (~ 93 cP), and optimum zeta potential (-27.8 mV). The value of %RE depended upon the content of water and capryol-90 oil of the nanoemulsion. Furthermore, the value of %RE was found to be increased with increased content of water and decreased concentration of capryol-90 in the nanoemulsions. Similarly, % RE value was increased with decreased value of globular size and decreased viscosity of nanoemulsion. There was no impact of contact time on %RE results. Thus, the maximum %RE value (96.8%) was obtained by ANE5 from the aqueous solution after 20 min of contact time with ANE5. Thus, this method could be a promising approach to remove AZM from a contaminated water and suitable alternative to conventional methods.
Innovation Capabilities : Teams’ perception of strengths and critical gaps

To be competitive, firms must constantly introduce new and better products and services. Thus itis crucial for firms to create an organization in which both incremental and radical innovationsoccur. In an organizational context, innovation capability refers to the capability to integrate thekey resources and capabilities of the organization in a way that stimulates innovation in products,services and processes. Consequently, firms must support the underlying processes and practicesthat aim at improving the innovation capability. To provide the necessary support for innovationactivities, firms must also consider the conditions of each specific team, as the support neededdepends on the situation in the respective teams.This study was performed as a Master thesis project at The Royal Institute of Technology. It isbased on an empirical study performed at a large Swedish firm during 2012. The purpose of thestudy was to investigate and map how teams within the firm perceive their innovation capability.The sample consisted of around 200 respondents in 13 different teams. The teams were from twodifferent product units, and were located in five different countries. To collect data about theteams included in the survey, a web-based survey tool was developed. In the survey, respondentsgot to choose three capabilities they perceived as strengths of the team, and three they perceivedas gaps critical to address. Complementary interviews were also held with members of thestudied teams to further discuss the survey results. By using this approach, the perceivedstrengths and critical gaps of each team was identified.The results show that at an overall level there are great similarities between the different teams,as some capabilities were perceived as top three strengths in a majority of the teams. Looking atthe critical gaps the responses were more evenly distributed, although some capabilities stillscored significantly higher than others. No major differences were found between differentproduct units or countries. One important finding was that within each team, there were greatdifferences in how the team members perceived their team’s strengths and critical gaps. Thisimplicates that the teams need to become more consistent on these issues, as an effective changework depends on a mutual understanding of the needs of the team.
Thermophotovoltaics: Basic Principles and Critical Aspects of System Design

Thermophotovoltaics is the science and technology associated with the direct generation of electricity from high temperature heat. Potential applications include combined heat and power, portable and auxiliary power, radioisotope space power, industrial waste heat recovery and concentrated solar power. This book aims at serving as an introduction to the underlying theory, overview of present day components and system arrangements, and update of the latest developments in the field. The emphasis is placed on the understanding of the critical aspects of efficient thermophotovoltaic system design. The aim is to assist researchers in the field.
The Application of Fuzzy Control Algorithm of Vehicle with Active Suspensions

In this study, a fuzzy logic control design is represented for the control of an active suspension system. A seven degrees of freedom non linear full vehicle model is established, instead of two degrees of freedom one quarter model and four degrees of freedom half body model and the road roughness intensity is modeled as a white noise stochastic process. Then a fuzzy logic controller is designed for the control of the seven degrees of freedom full vehicle model, the input variables are the suspension displacement and the output variables are the control force. The time responses of the full vehicle model are obtained, not only the vertical body acceleration, but also the roll angular acceleration and pitch angular acceleration. Finally, uncontrolled and controlled cases are compared. With the aid of software Matlab/simulink, simulation process is done. Simulation results indicate that the proposed active suspension system proves to be effective in the vibration isolation of the suspension system both in ride comfort and in stability.
Neuromuscular determinants of muscle strength and passive range of motion in men with spastic cerebral palsy

Spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) relates to a specific movement-related impairment characterised by a velocity-dependent resistance to stretch. Muscle weakness and decreased range of motion (ROM) are characteristics of the paretic limb in individuals with SCP. However, there are no data on the in vivo determinants of strength and ROM in adults with SCP. The aim of the thesis was to examine the factors associated with impaired plantarflexion, maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and joint ROM in the paretic limb of physically active men with SCP compared to the contralateral non-paretic limb and individuals without neurological impairment. Passive stiffness, myotendinous junction displacement and ROM of the paretic gastrocnemius medialis (GM) were not different from the control muscles. However, the elastic modulus of the paretic GM was two times stiffer than the control GM muscles. MVIC torque of the paretic plantarflexors was 42% and 52% less than the non-paretic (P = 0.007) and control limbs (P < 0.001), respectively. The paretic gastrocnemius ACSA was 20% smaller than the control group (P = 0.004) only. Paretic agonist activation was 36% and 39% less than the non-paretic (P < 0.001) and control groups (P < 0.001), whereas paretic antagonist coactivation was 3-fold higher compared to the non-paretic (P < 0.001) and control group (P < 0.001). Agonist muscle activation accounted for 57% of variation in paretic plantarflexion MVIC torque (P = 0.007). When accounting for GM architecture, neural properties and moment arm length, no difference in GM specific force was established. Finally when the tendon elastic properties and Young’s modulus were calculated at a standardised force, no difference was observed in tendon stiffness properties across all experimental groups. These findings suggest that in active adults with SCP, weakness is due to a reduction in muscle size and impaired muscle activation. Furthermore, in the presence of no decline in ROM there remained an alteration in the passive elastic properties of the muscle, but not the tendon.
EFFECT OF FROZEN SUPPORT AND TRIDEM AXLES ON CONCRETE PAVEMENT PERFORMANCE

A field program of strain and deflection measurements was conducted by the Construction Technology Laboratories for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The objective of the program was to evaluate the effects of frozen support, tied-concrete shoulders, and tridem-axle loading on concrete pavement performance. The effects of frozen support and tridem-axle loading are presented. Field measurements were obtained during October 1982 and February 1983 at five pavement project sites located on I-90 in Minnesota. Measurements included edge and corner deflections and edge strains. Loadings applied were a 20-kip single axle, a 34-kip tandem axle, a 42-kip tandem axle, and a 42-kip tridem axle. Theoretical analysis was also conducted by using a finite-element program. Study results indicate that pavement deflections and strains are greatly reduced during winter months when the support is forzen. Based on analysis of these results, it is concluded that the effect of axle loads applied during the winter can be considered to be only one-seventh as damaging as the same loads applied during the fall. Study results also indicate that for application to the AASHTO thickness design procedure, tridem axles can be considered as equivalent to a single axle weighing about 50 percent of the tridem axles and to tandem axles weighing about 80 percent of the tridem axles. Traffic equivalence factors are presented for tridem axles on concrete pavements.
The Effects of Physical Running on Dendritic Spines and Amyloid-beta Pathology in 3xTg-AD Male Mice

Memory loss is the key symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As successful drug treatments have not yet been identified, non-pharmaceutical interventions such as physical exercise and training have been employed to improve the memory function of people with dementia. We investigated the effect of prolonged physical running on hippocampal-dependent spatial memory and its underlying mechanisms using a well-established rodent model of AD. 3xTg-AD transgenic mice and non-transgenic mice were subjected to voluntary wheel running for 5 months (1 hour per day, 5 days per week), followed by spatial memory testing. After the behavioral testing, dendritic spines, synapses, and synaptic proteins as well as amyloid-beta (Aβ) pathology were analyzed in the dorsal hippocampi. Running improved hippocampal-dependent spatial memory in 3xTg-AD mice. This running strategy prevented both thin and mushroom-type spines on CA1 pyramidal cells in 3xTg-AD mice, whereas the effects of running in non-transgenic mice were limited to thin spines. The enormous effects of running on spines were accompanied by an increased number of synapses and upregulated expression of synaptic proteins. Notably, running downregulated the processing of amyloid precursor protein, decreasing intracellular APP expression and extracellular Aβ accumulation, and spatial memory performance correlated with levels of Aβ peptides Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42. These data suggest that prolonged running may improve memory in preclinical AD via slowing down the amyloid pathology and preventing the loss of synaptic contacts.
Multiscale study of a perfusion bioreactor for bone tissue engineering

Tissue engineering represents a promising approach for the production of bone substitutes. The use of perfusion bioreactors for the culture of bone-forming cells on a three-dimensional porous scaffold material, resolves mass transport limitations and provides physical stimuli, increasing the overall proliferation and differentiation of cells. Despite the recent and important development of bioreactors for tissue engineering, the underlying mechanisms leading to the production of bone substitutes remain poorly understood. The aim of this thesis is to gain insight on the influence of transport phenomena, on cell and tissue growth within a perfusion bioreactor. To this purpose, a combined modeling and experimental approach is followed.To start with, a rigorous theoretical framework is developed in order to study the transport properties of the bioreactor. Given the hierarchical nature of the system, the multiscale aspect of the problem must be taken into account. Based on the volume averaging theory with closure, mass and momentum transport processes are upscaled from the extracellular matrix scale, to the bioreactor scale. The effective properties of the encountered structures are evaluated, and the influence of the interscale dependencies are emphasized. The resulting macroscopic model includes non-conventional terms, which contributions are evaluated in the case of the bioreactor culture conditions.Then, cell proliferation and tissue growth are studied both, from an experimental and modeling point of view. First, fibroblast cells are cultured on glass beads in a bioreactor, perfused with culture medium at 10mL/min, for up to three weeks. A protocol combining histological techniques and image analysis allows the quantification of cell and tissue growth as a function of space and time. Second, a theoretical tissue production kinetic is introduced in the multiscale transport model previously developed. Finally, the resolution at the bioreactor scale allows to discuss the theoretical and experimental results in regard to the transport phenomena taking place in the perfusion bioreactor.
PENSIERI - An Inquiry into Sketching and Modelling in Design

When proposing ideas for design solutions, designers often make representations, for example sketches and models of different kinds. This thesis seeks to examine what designers do when interacting with different media to externalise their ideas, and the resources they have at their disposal. In two studies, students and experienced design practitioners were asked to describe their working processes. The first study made use of weekly design diaries of 11 masters students, collected during a seven-week project course. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were held with 11 practitioners regarding the process of creating their latest award winning products. They discussed what they were able to achieve and how the media and representations they used enabled them to do so. The findings of these studies highlight (i) the roles of sketching, and physical and digital modelling for ideation in individual designer’s work, and (ii) some prominent qualities of media and representations that support designers during these activities, for example the extent to which they are malleable, accurate, or fixed. By providing a taxonomy for classifying various media and design representations, these findings expand on previous conceptions about sketching and modelling. An increased understanding of how ideas emerge and are materialised in the early phases of a design process, can provide opportunities for facilitating and stimulating the act of creation.
A Semi-Coupled Model for Morphological Flow Simulation in River Bend

This paper presents a new efficient and robust numerical model for morphological flow simulation in river bends. The hydrodynamic model is developed by solving the two dimensional (2D) shallow water equations using a total variation diminishing (TVD) MacCormack predictor corrector scheme. The present TVD method is very simple and provides accurate results free from numerical oscillations near sharp gradient. The effective stresses are modeled by using a constant eddy viscosity model. The sediment transport model solves the Exner equation using a simple forward time and central space (FTCS) finite difference algorithm. The sediment transport model incorporates the helical flow and the transverse bed slope effects on the sediment direction computation. These models are coupled using the semicoupled approach. The present semicoupled model is used to replicate two popular experimental test cases of both tight and loose channel bends. The obtained results in terms of bed level variation reveal that the model can accurately simulate several features of the bed changes such as oscillations of the transverse bed profile with the formation of point bars and pools along the banks. The values obtained for three widely used statistical parameters show the applicability of the present model for this type of complex scenarios.
Road intersection identification from crowdsourced big trace data using Mask‐RCNN

Road intersection data are critical in many spatial applications and analyses. Approaches to identifying road intersections from various sensor data have been widely discussed in many existing studies, which focused on macroscopic information detection (e.g., location and size confirmation) and microscopic structure extraction (e.g., traffic rules at lane level). As the premise and basis for microscopic structure construction, the accuracy of macroscopic information has an important influence on extracting the detailed spatial structure of road intersections. In this article, we proposed applying a mask region convolutional neural network (Mask‐RCNN) framework to automatically detect the macroscopic information of road intersections from crowdsourced big trace data. There are two key points: (1) Mask‐RCNN‐based road intersection detection; and (2) result optimization and localization. Two real‐world GNSS (global navigation satellite system) trace datasets collected in Wuhan and Rome, respectively, were used to verify the applied Mask‐RCNN system. The results showed that the identification of various common types of road intersections achieved an overall precision of 97, 99, and 96%; recall of 93, 87, and 90%; and F1 score of 95, 92, and 93 in Wuhan, Shanghai, and Rome, respectively. These indices revealed a better model performance than the existing popular RCNN‐based models.