Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, characterization and weight percent effect on humidity sensing properties of Polypyrrole/AlCeO3 (PPy/ACO) nanocomposites

Abstract Polypyrrole (PPy)/aluminum cerium oxide (ACO) nanocomposites with different weight percentages of the ACO nanoparticles in the matrix of PPy have been synthesized successfully. The addition of fillers in the conducting polymer makes significant changes in their electrical, chemical, mechanical and gas sensing properties. The exact amount of filler is one of the essential parameters to get the desired properties in the host polymer. So, the optimization of the percent weight of filler in the host conducting polymer is very much crucial. The structural and morphological studies were done by XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TEM. These experimental studies reveal that nanoparticles of Aluminum cerium oxide are dispersed uniformly in the PPy chains. The humidity sensing properties for different weight percent of nanocomposites were studied by using impedance analyzer in the frequency range from 100 Hz to 5 MHz and at relative humidity (% RH) variation from 30% RH to 90% RH. The graphs of impedance versus frequency for all nanocomposites showed a slightly linear dependence at all the frequencies over the entire humidity range. The complex impedance (cole-cole) graphs and the corresponding equivalent circuits were studied to understand the conduction phenomenon in nanocomposites. The conduction in pure PPy shows the contribution from grain and grain boundaries while all the nanocomposites show contribution only from grains. The lower weight percent nanocomposites exhibit better response compared to higher weight percent.
Research on cross‐cultural leadership and management in construction: a review and directions for future research

A great volume of cross‐cultural research has been undertaken during the past two decades. Although the interaction among participants and organizations from different cultures is one of the most complex issues evident on large construction projects, there is not much cross‐cultural research in the context of the construction industry. An overview of cross‐cultural research in the social sciences and management studies is presented and some of the recent conceptual and methodological advances are highlighted. Studies on cross‐cultural research in construction are then summarized. A number of conceptual and methodological issues are highlighted that deserve more attention in future research in construction. Among these is the need for a more interdisciplinary and interactionist perspective to unearth the complexity of cross‐cultural issues. Research in construction should move beyond the conventional models to try more challenging approaches. This calls for the development of comprehensive research frameworks which can derive benefits from the methodologies being applied, and advances being made in cross‐cultural research.
The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy (review)

ferent national styles of natural philosophy, pointing out that while the leading instrument makers in England were respected members of the scientific community, Nollet in France was a showman who succeeded by clothing his science in theatricality. Anthony Turner traces Nollet’s transformation from an artisan to a savant, noting that it was facilitated in large part by his membership in the Societé des Arts. Jean-François Gauvin analyzes Nollet’s correspondence with two natural philosophers, ÉtienneFrançois Dutour and Jean Jallabert, on the exciting new subject of electricity. Susan Sheets-Pyenson discusses the role of women in the scientific culture of France in the eighteenth century. Lewis Pyenson treats the role of ideology and ethics in the science of Nollet and of Franklin. And Jacques Dubois examines the collection of Nollet-type instruments put together in Dijon in the late eighteenth century, of which the instruments in the Stewart Museum form the largest extant part.
Product feature and functionality driven integrated framework for product commercialization in presence of qualitative consumer reviews

The purpose of this research is to aid manufacturers operating in multiple market segments (characterised by a number of product variants) to formulate and synchronise their product commercialisation strategy. Product commercialisation is primarily characterised by upgrading/launching product features aimed at meeting customer’s preferences, while at the same time, enabling the enterprise to achieve its major commercial objectives. Firstly, by employing the semi-automated crowd sourcing-based approach and considering qualitative customer evaluations, customer-preferred product features have been identified and their relative weights determined. Thereafter, a detailed mixed integer quadratic programming formulation has been evolved taking into account pertinent commercial objectives of the enterprise and engineering-level constraints of the product. The developed formulation has been solved using the Branch and Cut method of commercial solver, LINGO. Detailed sensitivity analysis has been carried out, followed by populating key managerial insights. The proposed framework has been illustrated using a real-life case example of operator cabin used in heavy construction equipment industry. Our focus has been on development and illustration of devised framework; hence, the superiority of results has not been claimed. Better results may be obtained using other heuristics/algorithms.
Uncovering the network evolution mechanism by link prediction

Evolutionary models are widely used to analyze the underlying mechanism of network evolution. However, judging the performances of different models is not easy because there are too many statistical features that should be taken into consideration. Actually, the aim of link prediction is estimating the likelihood of the existence of links, which is also what an evolving model wants to show. Therefore, link prediction is expected to provide a fair platform to better quantitatively compare different models. We firstly introduce the framework of proximity-based link prediction, and then discuss how to use link prediction to compare evolutionary models. Finally, we take the Chinese city airline network as an example to show the effectiveness of our method. When we use single factors (structural factor, geographical factor and some external factors like population and economic level) to predict missing links, the common-neighbor-based index gives the highest accuracy, which suggests that the evolution of the Chinese city airline network is mainly affected by structural factors. Furthermore, the hybrid method of common neighbors and the tertiary industry provides a much better prediction than any single algorithm or other hybrid methods, in accordance with our previous works on partial correlation and causal analysis. Our work provides a new perspective and analysis tool for the studying of network evolution.
The effects of non-uniform nanoscale deflections on capacitance in RF MEMS parallel-plate variable capacitors

This paper analyzes in detail the effect of nanoscale non-uniform deflections, caused by the residual stress phenomenon and/or applied actuation dc voltages, on the capacitance in RF MEMS parallel-plate variable capacitors in an effort to determine the severity of this effect on the ideal parallel-plate capacitance expression normally used. Closed-form capacitance expressions and integrals are given for second order, fourth order, elliptic paraboloidal and hyperbolic paraboloidal models of the bending behavior of the top plate caused by the residual stress and/or actuation. The theoretical analysis is then verified using the finite-element modeling method and results from both analyses exhibit excellent agreement. The equations obtained are then applied to a fabricated chip and other fabricated capacitors in the literature. It was found that anticipating the capacitance using the ideal parallel-plate formula can deviate from the capacitance incorporating the deflections by as much as 80%. The presented equations better anticipate the real capacitance of actual fabricated chips and can take into account deflections in the top plate even if they were in the order of a few nanometers.
Influence of Terrain on Modern Tactical Combat: Trust-based Recommender System

In Army Services, there are a number of valuable decisions that have to be taken for mission accomplishment. These decisions are very important and the choice of a weapon may be able to alter the outcome of a battle decisively. Among several such decisions one is to decide which weapons to deploy/assign over a given terrain. Recommender systems are intelligent applications to assist users in a decision-making process where they want to choose one item amongst a potentially overwhelming set of alternative products or services. This paper proposes the design of recommender system that automates the process of finding the appropriate type of weapon(s) that can be deployed over a terrain having certain characteristics. The user agent seeks recommendations, which are in the form of intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS), from trustworthy peers and produces aggregated order of recommendations taking degree of trust on recommenders into consideration. Trust on recommender is also updated based on importance of recommendation given to the user. A prototype of the trust-based recommender system for modern tactical combat system has been designed and developed through which the user can get the recommendation to use a specific kind of weapon or a set of weapons that would be best-suited in a given type of terrain. Defence Science Journal, 2010, 60(4), pp.405-411 , DOI:http://dx.doi. org/10.14429/dsj.60. 498
All-optical noise reduction capability of interferometric wavelength converters

Improvement of BER owing to nonlinear transformation of input noise distribution by all-optical interferometric wavelength converters (IWCs) is investigated. It is demonstrated experimentally that a 5 dB penalty arising from EDFA-induced noise can be reduced to 1 dB by employing IWCs. Measured noise distributions for the input and the converted output signals are given.
Evaluation of In Situ Moisture Content at Long-Term Pavement Performance Seasonal Monitoring Program Sites

Time domain reflectometry (TDR) has become one of the most reliable nondestructive methods for measuring in situ soil moisture content. TDR sensors developed by the Federal Highway Administration are being used in the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Seasonal Monitoring Program (SMP) to monitor the in situ moisture content at 64 LTPP sites. The main goal of this study is to develop procedures to produce good estimates of in situ gravimetric moisture content. All the TDR traces in the LTPP information management system database that were recorded at LTPP SMP test sections were processed using the approach described in this paper. To estimate the in situ gravimetric moisture content, methods were selected to interpret TDR traces. An algorithm and a computer program, Moister, were developed to implement these TDR interpretation methods. Then the apparent length of the TDR trace and the dielectric constant of the unbound material were computed. Models were developed to relate dielectric constant with in situ volumetric moisture content. Finally, gravimetric moisture content was computed using the volumetric moisture content value and dry density of the soil. A diagnostic study of the computed gravimetric moisture content was also conducted to evaluate the reasonableness of the computed moisture content.
A simulation analysis for evaluating TFT-LCD fab capacity expansion with a distant transportation problem

Capacity planning for large-scale high-tech manufacturing processes such as semiconductor manufacturing and thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) using simulation of an entire fabrication facility (fab) requires a large computational effort and thus few studies have been in real settings. To address the needs of a realistic problem, this study aimed to develop an effective approach based on a discrete-event simulation model for evaluating the throughput, cycle time and utilisation in an integrated fab to integrate manufacturing and transportation resources. In particular, we conducted an empirical study in a real TFT-LCD fab expansion facing a difficult capacity planning problem arising from the expectation that one or more bottlenecks may shift to different sites, including the transportation system between the incumbent and the expansion fabs. Different product-mix alternatives and feeding policies are investigated to determine the best fab configuration. The results have shown practical viability of the proposed simulation technique to significantly reduce the computational effort associated with the capacity planning process and derive useful alternatives for supporting capacity expansion decisions.
Organizational Change in French Manufacturing: What Do We Learn from Firm Representatives and from Their Employees?

In this paper, we use a French matched employer-employee survey, the COI survey, conducted in 1997, to describe the general features of organizational change in manufacturing firms with more than 50 employees. In a first section, we explore the methodological issues associated with the building up of a statistical measure of organizational change, we describe the COI survey and we present the set of firm level and employee level variables that we have selected to investigate organizational change. In a second section, we present the results of two correspondence analysis, one conducted on a sample of 1462 firms from the COI survey and the other one conducted on the sample of 2049 blue collar workers affiliated to those firms. On one hand, using the firm level section of the survey, we show that all types of new organizational practices are positively correlated with one another. On the other hand, at the blue collar level, three main dimensions discriminate between jobs: the intensity of involvement in information processing and decision, the intensity of constraints weighing on the content and rhythm of work and the orientation of information and production flows: either pushed by colleagues or pulled by the market. We also find that blue collars cannot develop a high level of involvement in information processing and decisions and have at the same time their work rhythm fixed by heavy technical constraints whereas high time pressure imposed on work rhythm by the market is positively correlated with such an involvement. Finally, if we correlate firm level and worker level variables, we find that an increase in the use of 'employee involvement' and 'quality' practices by the firm is positively correlated both with a higher level of blue collars' involvement in information processing and decision and with a higher level of technical constraints, production flows being pushed by colleagues rather than pulled by the market. The mapping of firm level responses stemming from our first correspondence analysis has been used to select 4 firms in different areas of the statistical universe and belonging to the with executives from these firms and plant visit are used to check the quality of our statistical data and to better understand our descriptive results.
Digital Health Literacy and Sport-Physical Activities: The Moderating Role of Age

Background : The present study extends understanding of digital health literacy by exploring issues that clarify how and when sport-physical activities enhance digital health literacy measured by four types of health-related information searched on the Internet i.e., general health information, information on a specific injury or condition, specific information on a medical treatment or procedure and information regarding second opinion after visiting a doctor. Methods: We employ Tobit model on the large European data (N=5,318). Results: We find support for direct relation between sport-physical activities and digital health literacy. In addition, we find that the effect of sport-physical activities on digital health literacy is reversed when interacted with age. Conclusion: This evidence is consistent with the view that sport-physical activities can be considered as an important tool for digital health literacy improvement but only under certain socio-demographic characteristics.
Measuring Master Data Quality

Data quality management plays a critical role in all kinds of organizations. With data being the foundation for information it is one of the most important criteria for strategic business decisions within organizations. For the assessment of a companys data quality and to monitor the effectiveness of data quality initiatives data quality has to be measured. This can be achieved by implementing a measurement system. In this research-in-progress paper, we present the results of a survey among organizations running data quality initiatives. We assessed the status quo of the implementation of data quality measurements within these companies. This study is a preliminary work of a future development of an approach to implement measurement systems.
A novel dual-frequency microwave rectifier at 2.45 and 5.8 GHz with harmonic recycling

Abstract A novel dual-frequency microwave rectifier that operates at 2.45 GHz alone, 5.8 GHz alone, or their combination has been developed in this paper. It is the first approach to microwave rectifying for a situation of the incoherent microwave power combination. We focused on the two primary components, i.e. the regulation of impedance matching and the recycling of the second harmonics. A quarter-wave short-ended microstrip line at 5.8 GHz is shunted at the input of the rectifier to enhance the impedance matching at 2.45 GHz. A microstrip line band-stop filter (BSF) and a quarter-wave short-ended microstrip line are introduced to improve the recycling of the second harmonics. The measured microwave to DC (MW-DC) conversion efficiencies are 57.5, 46.5, and 40.7% at 2.45, 5.8 GHz, and their combination, respectively, with an input microwave power at 17 dBm. It may be applied to a dual-frequency microwave power wireless transmission system.
Field-theory analysis of cross-iris coupling in circular waveguide resonators

Dual-mode circular waveguide filters employ cross-iris couplings usually designed by small-aperture approximations. This Letter presents a full-wave method, which is able to rigorously analyze irises of any shape, thickness, and size, based on a mixed finite-element method (FEM) and a mode-matching technique. The accuracy of the method has been tested by comparing measured and computed data.
Trilinear decomposition-based transmit angle and receive angle estimation for multiple-input multiple-output radar

In this study, the authors address the problem of angle estimation in a bistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar. This study links the problem to the trilinear model, and then we derive a trilinear decomposition-based angle estimation algorithm, which can obtain automatically paired 2D angle estimation. The proposed algorithm requires no spectral peak searching or pair matching, and it has better angle estimation performance than conventional algorithms such as the estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance technique (ESPRIT) algorithm and the root multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm. Simulation results illustrate performance of the proposed algorithm.
Case Studies Using Immersive Virtual Assembly in Industry

The Virtual Assembly Technology Consortium is a university/government/industry consortium that seeks to investigate the application of virtual assembly methods in mechanical system assembly processes. In this paper we report three categories of engineering case studies that have been developed by the consortium members over the past two years, describe the overall methodology, and then proceed to feature specific details of two key case studies. An engineering case study has been defined as an account of an engineering activity, event or problem containing some of the background and complexities actually encountered by an engineer, with the objective of providing a medium for learning. The objective of the case studies was to assist consortium members in demonstrating and validating the use of immersive virtual assembly technologies and tools in the simulation of factory floor manufacturing processes. What is of special significance is that instead of modeling simplified problems or perceived representative situations, the case studies were constructed from actual assembly floor projects and situations encountered at industry member sites and with considerable participation from industry engineers and manufacturing shop floor personnel. Based on the success of the case studies, the consortium members inferred that virtual assembly methods are poised to move out of the realm of special projects and test scenarios to deployment in the actual design and manufacturing cycle. However, in order to be truly accepted in industry, there are still issues to be addressed in terms of ease of use, portability of the applications, and preparation of the models for the evaluations. Thus, the case studies added a new dimension to the exploration and understanding of how this new technology could be of practical value in industry.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Analysing the Quality Gap: Reflections on Results from an Australasian Universitas 21 Libraries Standard Survey of Service Quality

In 1999 four large Australasian university libraries undertook a common client perception of service quality survey based on aspects of SERVQUAL concepts. The survey measured client perceptions of the service expectations of more than 40 items describing aspects of service provision, client perceptions of performance on these items and hence the perceived gaps in service provision. Brief conclusions are drawn on client characteristics, responses and areas in which strategies are being implemented to target particular service quality improvement priorities. The participating libraries are members of the Universitas 21 Libraries group. Since reports on orchestrated survey projects across a number of institutions are not yet common, this information may be of wider interest and may also contribute in a small way to the library service quality research agenda which aims to ‘Develop customer-based measures that complement or replace performance input and output measures’.