Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental Investigation of the Shear Resistance of Steel Frames with Precast Concrete Infill Panels

At the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven a research program on composite construction is underway aiming at the development of design rules for steel frames with discretely connected precast concrete infill panels subject to in-plane horizontal loading. This paper presents experimental and finite element results of an investigation into their lateral stiffness and strength. A discrete connection between steel frame and concrete panel consist of one or two achor bars welded to a partially cast-in steel plate which is fastened with two bolts to a gusset plate welded to a frame member. The bolts in the connection are loaded in shear only. Two variations on this type of connection were tested experimentally. To avoid brittle failure, the connections are designed for a failure mechanism consisting of ovalisation in the bolt holes due to bearing of the bolts. Experimental pull-out and shear tests on individual frame-panel connections were performed to establish their stiffness and failure load. Two full scale experiments were done on one-storey one-bay 3 by 3m infilled frame structures which were horizontally loaded at the top. With the known characteristics of the frame-panel connections from the experiments on individual connections, finite element analyses were performed on the infilled frame structures taking non-linear behaviour of the structural components into account. The finite element model yields good results for the lateral stiffness and lower and upper bounds for strength.
A Review for Recommender System Models and Deep Learning

-In the big data and data Science age, the advancement in technology accelerated the need to make a choice from a huge amount of various alternatives and this vast amount of online data is a time consuming and very tedious task. Recommendation systems (RS) are an enormous solution to solve information overload problem. Recommendation systems have caught the attention of researchers and companies recently. It can handle data with a huge amount and help the user to make a decision. In this paper we introduce an overview for the traditional recommendation systems models, the recommendation systems advantages and shortcoming, the recommendation systems challenges,
Nuclear Thermal Rocket/Vehicle Design Options for Future NASA Missions to the Moon and Mars

The nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) provides a unique propulsion capability to planners/designers of future human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars. In addition to its high specific impulse (approximately 850-1000 s) and engine thrust-to-weight ratio (approximately 3-10), the NTR can also be configured as a 'dual mode' system capable of generating electrical power for spacecraft environmental systems, communications, and enhanced stage operations (e.g., refrigeration for long-term liquid hydrogen storage). At present the Nuclear Propulsion Office (NPO) is examining a variety of mission applications for the NTR ranging from an expendable, single-burn, trans-lunar injection (TLI) stage for NASA's First Lunar Outpost (FLO) mission to all propulsive, multiburn, NTR-powered spacecraft supporting a 'split cargo-piloted sprint' Mars mission architecture. Each application results in a particular set of requirements in areas such as the number of engines and their respective thrust levels, restart capability, fuel operating temperature and lifetime, cryofluid storage, and stage size. Two solid core NTR concepts are examined -- one based on NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application) derivative reactor (NDR) technology, and a second concept which utilizes a ternary carbide 'twisted ribbon' fuel form developed by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The NDR and CIS concepts have an established technology database involving significant nuclear testing at or near representative operating conditions. Integrated systems and mission studies indicate that clusters of two to four 15 to 25 klbf NDR or CIS engines are sufficient for most of the lunar and Mars mission scenarios currently under consideration. This paper provides descriptions and performance characteristics for the NDR and CIS concepts, summarizes NASA's First Lunar Outpost and Mars mission scenarios, and describes characteristics for representative cargo and piloted vehicles compatible with a reference 240 t-class heavy lift launch vehicle (HLLV) and smaller 120 t HLLV option. Attractive performance characteristics and high-leverage technologies associated with both the engine and stage are identified, and supporting parametric sensitivity data is provided. The potential for commonality of engine and stage components to satisfy a broad range of lunar and Mars missions is also discussed.
Hydraulic architecture of seedlings and adults of Rhizophora mangle L. in fringe and scrub mangrove

Background: Mangrove plant species have distinctive anatomical and physiological responses to cope with a wide range of salinities and inundations. These strategies pertain a safe and efficient water use and transport, essential for survival. Questions: How are the anatomical and physiological attributes of the hydraulic architecture of seedlings and adults of Rhizophora mangle? what are the changes in hydraulic architecture of seedlings and adults of R. mangle in contrasting microenvironments? Studied species: Rhizophora mangle L. (Rhizophoraceae). Study site and dates: Scrub and fringe mangroves in Ria Celestún Biosphere Reserve, during the rainy season of 2013 (July to October). Methods: Hydraulic conductivity and leaf water potential, as well as xylem vessel density, length, transversal and radial diameter, and area were measured for seedlings and adults from both sites. The prevailing environmental conditions (soil water potential, salinity, photon flux density, air temperature and relative humidity) were also characterized. Results: A safer hydraulic conduction system, with narrow and more grouped vessels, was observed in seedlings than in adults of R. mangle in both sites. Adult individuals from the scrub mangrove, in the hyper saline microenvironment, had a safer hydraulic conduction system than adults in the fringe mangrove. Conclusions: The seedling stage of R. mangle showed a safer hydraulic system than adults in both types of mangroves. However, over time this hydraulic conduction system could become more efficient or remain safe depending on the microenvironment in which individuals are growing.
‘Bad parents’, deportable subjects: borders and deportability in the everyday lives of undocumented families in Belgium

ABSTRACT While research has addressed the multiplication of borders inside and across the nation-state and the threat of deportation in the lives of undocumented migrants, little analysis has been dedicated to the particularities of families’ experiences. Based on participatory ethnographic research, this article examines how undocumented families experience and contest exclusionary bordering practices that interfere in the privacy of their family lives in Belgium. I argue that, in order to naturalise and legitimize these families’ ‘deportability’, the state mobilises normative logics about parenthood and childhood that construct undocumented parents as ‘bad parents’, while designating their children as ‘innocent’ and ‘at risk’. Going against these dominant logics, the undocumented parents at the heart of this ethnography contest and reshape the terms upon which the state constructs their ‘deportability’ by reconfirming their role as ‘good’ parents and, instead, problematise repressive migration policies that push them into marginality and misappropriate the notion of ‘the best interests of the child’. In the conclusion, I demonstrate how these insights open new avenues for understanding more broadly the dynamics between the family and contemporary migration regimes.
DESIGN OF A CLOSE-UP STEREO VISION BASED SHEET METAL INSPECTION SYSTEM

This paper describes the design and implementation of a close-up stereo computer vision based sheet metal strain and geometry inspection system. A square grid pattern is first applied to the part using either electrochemical etching or screen printing. The part is formed, and measured using a two camera sensor that can be attached to a CMM or FARO arm. Image processing is used to extract the corners of the deformed grid for either three dimensional reconstruction, or for strain analysis. Graphical results are conveniently displayed using HOOPS. Sample measurements using both steel and aluminum test domes indicate an achievable accuracy comparable to other systems.
The concatenation scheme MLC-STBC combining MLC and STBC over Rayleigh fading channels

The concatenation scheme MLC-STBC combining multilevel codes (MLC) and space-time block codes (STBC) is proposed over Rayleigh fading channels. Through performance analysis and computer simulation, the asymptotic behavior of the new system is provided, which is proportional to the product of the space diversity and the minimum Hamming distance of the component codes. The simulation results show that, with the same bandwidth efficiency, the concatenation scheme has better power efficiency than the MLC system. Considering the fact that multistage decoding (MSD) and parallel decoding on levels (PDL) have a little difference in the system performance, the concatenation scheme MLC-STBC with PDL decoding method (MLC-STBC/PDL) achieves better trade-off between performance and complexity.
Effect of Exogenous Application of Glycinebetaine on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Under Heavy Metal Stres

Various strategies may be used to induce enhanced protection against heavy metal stress. Foliar application of GB is an effective approach for imparting tolerance among plants against heavy metals and other abiotic stresses. It scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS), promotes osmotic adjustment, stabilizes proteins and protects membrane integrity in plants under adverse conditions. In a pot experiment, GB was exogenously applied at 0, 50 and 100 mMconc to wheat plants. Based on data, it is suggested that GB spray increased morphological parameters such as shoot and root length, biomass, photosynthetic pigments and Na , K ion ++ contents. Thus, it is stated that exogenous GB application is an applicable approach to deal effectively with heavy metal toxicity in wheat.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation modulates cortical–subcortical connectivity in sensorimotor network

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) holds the ability to modulate the connectivity within the stimulated network. However, whether and how the rTMS targeted over the primary motor cortex (M1) could affect the connectivity within the sensorimotor network (SMN) is not fully elucidated. Hence, in this study, we investigated the after‐effects of rTMS over left M1 at different frequencies on connectivity within SMN. Forty‐five healthy participants were recruited and randomly divided into three groups according to rTMS frequencies (high‐frequency [HF], 3 Hz; low‐frequency [LF], 1 Hz; and SHAM). Participants received 1‐Hz, 3‐Hz or sham stimulation and underwent two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning sessions before and after rTMS intervention. Using resting‐state functional connectivity (FC) approach, we found that high‐ and low‐frequency rTMS had opposing effects on FC within the SMN, especially for connectivity with subcortical regions (i.e., putamen, thalamus and cerebellum). Specifically, the reductions in connectivity between cortical and subcortical regions within cortico‐basal ganglia thalamo‐cortical circuits and the cognitive loop of cerebellum, and increased connectivity between cortical and subdivisions within the sensorimotor loop of cerebellum were observed after high‐frequency rTMS intervention, whereas the thalamus and cognitive cerebellum subdivisions exhibited increased connectivity, and sensorimotor cerebellum subdivisions showed decreased connectivity with stimulated target after low‐frequency stimulation. Collectively, these findings demonstrated the alterations of connectivity within SMN after rTMS intervention at different frequencies and may help to understand the mechanisms of rTMS treatment for movement disorders associated with deficits in subcortical regions such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and Tourette's syndrome.
Science reading and self-regulated learning: Evidence from eye movements of middle-school readers

Abstract This study investigated that whether and how the mechanisms of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy may underlie explicit behaviors of repeated studying and testing by an eye-tracking method. Sixty-three seventh-grade students read an illustrated science article and completed a reading test. Then they were asked to reread and retest. Our data indicated that skilled readers were more capable of using multiple representations during science reading: they allocated more attention to decoding diagrams and making references between the text and diagrams than less-skilled readers in the first study-test cycle. Further, skilled readers also demonstrate stronger self-regulatory attempts across study-test cycles, given a sharper decrease on eye-tracking indicators regarding diagrams. However, both groups had similar reading patterns regarding text across cycles. Seventh graders tend to apply self-regulatory processes aimed at memorizing more textual components but not for enhancing comprehension, and it suggests that seventh-grade readers’ SRL strategy might be still developing.
Improving Multiphoton Microscopy by Combining Spherical Aberration Patterns and Variable Axicons

Multiphoton (MP) microscopy is a well-established method for the non-invasive imaging of biological tissues. However, its optical sectioning capabilities are reduced due to specimen-induced aberrations. Both the manipulation of spherical aberration (SA) and the use of axicons have been reported to be useful techniques to bypass this limitation. We propose the combination of SA patterns and variable axicons to further improve the quality of MP microscopy images. This approach provides enhanced images at different depth locations whose quality is better than those corresponding to the use of SA or axicons separately. Thus, the procedure proposed herein facilitates the visualization of details and increases the depth observable at high resolution.
Autonomous Mobile Robot Platform for On-the-Road Navigation

This paper presents a mechatronic development of a new mobile robot platform for autonomous on-the-road navigation. It uses sensor fusion involving the camera, laser range finder (LRF) and odometry to guide and find the free collision path during navigation. The embedded controller system has been deliberately developed to integrate the mechanical parts with the electronics and software algorithms. Microsoft Visual C# and MATLAB are linked together to perform the road recognition calculation via the proposed algorithms. The main processing program in C# is later extended to MATLAB environment for image, signal processing and calculation based on data from the LRF and camera. The linking between C# and MATLAB is done using COM automation server and the data in the client C# program passes it to MATLAB and vice versa.
Non-linear behaviour of LEMP excited power lines terminated on surge-arresters

The transient analysis of non-linearly loaded power lines is carried out. The line is excited by indirect lightning and the analysis is performed in the time domain, where the line is represented as an equivalent dynamic m-port and the effects of the lightning excitation are taken into account through equivalent independent sources. The analysis has been carried our taking into account the effects of the finite ground conductivity. Furthermore, an accurate model has been used for the non-linear surge-arresters, to take into account dynamic effects.
Information Integration and Information Storage in Retinotopic and Non-Retinotopic Sensory Memory

The first stage of the Atkinson–Shiffrin model of human memory is a sensory memory (SM). The visual component of the SM was shown to operate within a retinotopic reference frame. However, a retinotopic SM (rSM) is unable to account for vision under natural viewing conditions because, for example, motion information needs to be analyzed across space and time. For this reason, the SM store of the Atkinson–Shiffrin model has been extended to include a non-retinotopic component (nrSM). In this paper, we analyze findings from two experimental paradigms and show drastically different properties of rSM and nrSM. We show that nrSM involves complex processes such as motion-based reference frames and Gestalt grouping, which establish object identities across space and time. We also describe a quantitative model for nrSM and show drastic differences between the spatio-temporal properties of rSM and nrSM. Since the reference-frame of the latter is non-retinotopic and motion-stream based, we suggest that the spatiotemporal properties of the nrSM are in accordance with the spatiotemporal properties of the motion system. Overall, these findings indicate that, unlike the traditional rSM, which is a relatively passive store, nrSM exhibits sophisticated processing properties to manage the complexities of ecological perception.
Acute Physiological Responses to Moderate-Intensity Continuous, High-Intensity Interval, and Variable-Intensity Intermittent Exercise

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study examined acute physiological responses to moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE), variable-intensity intermittent exercise (VIIE), and high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) protocol, matched for total work output in healthy adults (n = 8, age = 25.1 ± 6.0 yrs). Methods: Three experimental trials were completed in a random order. MICE was continuous exercise at 40% of peak work rate (WRpeak). VIIE consisted of sixteen 10-sec bursts at 120% WRpeak, sixteen 20-sec bursts at 60% WRpeak and recovery at 20% WRpeak interspersed throughout the protocol. HIIE consisted of eight intervals of 2 minutes at 70% WRpeak and 1 minute at 20% WRpeak. Oxygen consumption during work-intervals and time within moderate and vigorous-intensity zones determined the magnitude and duration of physiological stresses. Perceptual responses were measured by affective response and post-exercise enjoyment (PACES). Repeated-measure ANOVAs analyzed differences between trials. Statistical significance was established if p ≤ 0.05. Results: Oxygen consumption during work-intervals in VIIE was greater than MICE, but less than HIIE. VIIE and HIIE had similar duration within vigorous-intensity zone (11.1 ± 3.5 min vs. 13.5 ± 1.3 min); both were greater than MICE (4.9 ± 1.1 min). The time spent in the moderate-intensity zone was different between all trials (VIIE = 11.1 ± 2.0 min; MICE = 17.4 ± 5.2 min; HIIE = 4.9 ± 0.4 min). Affective responses were similar among all trials. Post-exercise enjoyment was greater in VIIE than HIIE; both were not different from MICE. Conclusion: These results suggests the VIIE paradigm could be a viable alternative to HIIE and MICE protocols.
The Effect of L-Glutamine on Basal Albumen and Yolk Indices, and Albumen Amino Acids Composition

Simple Summary At present, with increased consumers’ focus on eating healthy, it is expected that egg protein content and amino acids profile are among the components of eggs that play critical roles in egg selection. Thus, this research investigated the effect dietary L-glutamine supplementation has on basal albumen and yolk indices as well as albumen protein amino acid profile. The study shows a potential role of L-glutamine supplementation for enhancing nutritional values of eggs by the decrease of albumen lipid content and the change of amino acid profile. Abstract The current study tested the hypothesis that 1.0% dietary inclusion of L-glutamine (Gln), an non-essential amino acid that influences protein synthesis, can improve internal egg quality, including amino acids profile. Thirty-week-old Bovans Brown laying hens in their middle laying period were assigned to one of the two experimental groups (12 replicate cages, 2 hens/cage) with Gln in the form of alpha-ketoglutarate (10 g/kg) or without Gln inclusion. The experimental period lasted for 30 wks, from the 31st to the 60th week of age of hens, when eggs were collected and selected egg quality indices were determined. Gln supplementation had no effect on albumen and egg yolk share, albumen and yolk basal indices and composition, including yolk cholesterol content. However, Gln decreased the lipid content of the egg albumen (p < 0.001), and influenced albumen amino acid profile, increasing content of asparagine (p < 0.05), phenylalanine (p < 0.05), proline (p < 0.001), tryptophan (p < 0.01), and tyrosine (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the study shows a potential role of Gln supplementation for enhancing nutritional values of eggs by lower lipid content and higher amino acid profile.
A Survey and Comparative Analysis of Various 3D Reconstruction Methods

In the field of Image processing, 3D reconstruction is the process of capturing the shape and appearance of real objects. An efficient 3D reconstruction algorithm generally enhances the capabilities of existing 2D or 3D face recognition process. Many algorithms for 3D reconstruction have been developed so far such as Shape from Shading (SFS), 3D morphable model and Structure from Motion (SFM). In this paper a survey of above three approaches and a comparative analysis are presented.
Thermoelectric energy harvesting using vapour chamber coolers for aerospace applications

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have shown great potentials to supply low-power sensor nodes in aerospace applications due to their relatively small size, adequate output power and reliability. TEGs convert waste heat available at aircraft locations into a usable potential difference. However, TEGs’ performance greatly depends on the use of passive cooling systems such as heatsinks to enhance their energy supply. This paper reports the first proof-of-concept use of vapour chambers coupled to traditional circular pin-fin heatsinks to enhance the output power of TEGs. Vapour chambers are compact and small capillary-driven heat spreaders that incorporate a cavity in their volume containing a working fluid to provide a high effective thermal conductivity. Numerical simulations and experimental tests revealed that the use of vapour chambers provided significant increase of the output power, with a maximum produced power of 28.2 W and a relative difference of 6.27 W against conventional energy scavenging configurations. Results demonstrate the high thermal cooling performance of vapour chambers to efficiently support thermal energy harvesting solutions designed for condition and structural health monitoring.