Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stated Response Examination of Factors Influencing Commercial Movement Route Choice Behavior

AW stated response experiment was performed to examine how people in Montreal in Canada are influenced by specific route attributes in the selection of routes for commercial movements. The route attributes considered included the expected driving time, the roadway type (arterial or freeway), the magnitude of a toll and the toll collection method (if any), and the probability and associated magnitude of a possible delay. A total of 242 complete interviews were conducted in two separate surveys, one with commercial drivers and the other with trucking company operators. With multiple observations of choice behavior obtained in each interview, a total of 1885 observations of the relevant route choice behavior were obtained. Analysis of these observations indicates that all the included attributes other than toll collection type have significant effects on route choice in the situation being considered. They also indicate, among other things, that the probability of delay has a very large impact, that the sensitivity to time in delay is greater than the sensitivity to expected driving time, and that the implied value of driving time is impacted dramatically by the nature of the treatment of expected delay. Some of these results are consistent with finding in related work done by others, which is seen to add credence to the approach being used here. Some of these results are novel, with implications for other future work.
Toward directly mediated interaction in computer supported environments

The term direct interaction has been applied to mouse-based desktop interaction systems despite the indirect nature of moving an input device at one location to modify an electronic cursor at a different location. The concept of directly mediated interaction is developed to define a modality of interaction that truly incorporates the concept of directly working with electronic data. The goals of supporting pointing and manipulation interactions from outside the computer interaction space and using them for electronic data manipulation are presented. A unique environment called HI-SPACE Enhanced was created. The ideals of directly mediated interaction are used to drive the functionality of HI-SPACE Enhanced; the functionality extends well beyond the aspects of directly mediated interaction studied here. Fundamental algorithms and routines for HI-SPACE Enhanced are presented and support functionality such as finger tracking, pose recognition, object tracking, and group interaction. The innovative approaches to the creation of HI-SPACE Enhanced are evaluated to direct future research activities. The potential benefits of directly mediated interaction as an input technology are explored and compared to the functionality of a mouse, the de facto standard input technology in use today. Directly mediated interactions are shown not to depend on an electronic cursor to reference positions of interest in an electronic space. Rather, the physical pointing device, such as a hand, serves that role. This frees the user and interface developers from traditional bottlenecks in interface design such as system lag. The current state of directly mediated interaction environments is not as robust as mouse-based systems. Still, they are just as effective at target selection tasks, one of the most fundamental tasks used in computer interactions.
Extreme living donation: A single center simultaneous and sequential living liver-kidney donor experience with long-term outcomes under literature review.

Objectives Living liver and kidney donor surgeries are major surgical procedures applied to healthy people with mortality and morbidity risks not providing any direct therapeutic advantage to the donor. In this study, we aimed to share our simultaneous and sequential living liver-kidney donor experience under literature review in this worldwide rare practice. Material and Methods Between January 2007 and February 2018, a total of 1109 living donor nephrectomies and 867 living liver donor hepatectomies were performed with no mortality to living-related donors. Eight donors who were simultaneous or sequential living liver-kidney donors in this time period were retrospectively reviewed and presented with their minimum 2- year follow-up. Results Of the 8 donors, 3 of them were simultaneous and 5 of them were sequential liver-kidney donation. All of them were close relatives. Mean age was 39 (26-61) years and mean BMI was 25.7 (17.7-40). In 3 donors, right lobe, in 4 donors, left lateral sector, and in 1 donor, left lobe hepatectomy were performed. Median hospital stay was 9 (7-13) days. Two donors experienced early and late postoperative complications (Grade 3b and Grade 1). No mortality and no other long-term complication occurred. Conclusion Expansion of the donor pool by utilizing grafts from living donors is a globally-accepted proposition since it provides safety and successful outcomes. Simultaneous or sequential liver and kidney donation from the same donor seems to be a reasonable option for combined liver-kidney transplant recipients in special circumstances with acceptable outcomes.
Design, Analysis and Fabrication of Microflexural NOT Gate

Binary logic devices constructed using moving mechanical components at microscale can be useful in harsh working environments where their electronic counterparts would fail. This paper demonstrates a novel design, extensive analysis, and development method of a micromechanical NOT gate and analyzes important issues in further development of mechanical logic circuits. The proposed NOT gate uses parallelogram flexures and flexure beam hinges to realize the logic without effects of friction. Extensive finite element (FE) analysis, carried out using ANSYS, enables us to arrive at the final design dimensions. We introduce a new term “Energy Transmission Ratio (ETR)” specific to flexure mechanism-based transmission systems and further FE analysis brings out interesting property that ETR has an optimal value for given flexure geometry. This result can be useful while connecting several logic gates to develop mechanical logic circuits. A graphical procedure for analysis of such connections is outlined based on our FE results. Finally, the proposed NOT gate is fabricated with SU-8 and demonstrated working successfully.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Relating additive and subtractive processes in a teleological and modular approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to relate additive manufacturing (AM) and machining (CNC) synergistically in a modular approach in the design and manufacturing domains, to generate value for end‐users and manufacturers (a teleological system). Design/methodology/approach – The research methodology decomposes a part into modules, by employing a teleological systems theory approach paired with principles of modular design. Modules are manufactured with either additive manufacturing (fused deposition modeling, FDM) or machining (CNC). Process selection is determined by a decision‐making framework that quantifies strength and weakness comparisons of FDM and CNC machining processes, accomplished using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Findings – The developed methodology and decision‐making framework is successfully applied to the design and manufacturing of a large, complex V6 engine section sand casting pattern. This case study highlights the merits of the research.Research limitations/implications .
Application of Indirect Capacity Design Principles for Seismic Design of Steel-Plate Shear Walls

This paper presents a capacity design procedure that aims to achieve good seismic performance for steel-plate shear walls and improve the overall economy of the system. The proposed method uses indirect capacity design principles to identify the infill plates most likely to yield in the design earthquake. Linear models of the boundary columns are used to determine the column design forces. The proposed method is used for the design of two 4-story and one 8-story steel-plate shear walls. Design axial forces and moments in the boundary columns for the three different steel-plate shear walls are compared with nonlinear seismic analysis results, and the results of the proposed procedure are shown to be in good agreement with those of the nonlinear analyses. For comparison, the paper also evaluates other capacity design approaches that have been proposed in the literature.
Study and simulation on a dynamic gyroless north finder

This paper studies on the principle of a novel analytically dynamic north finder and discusses its simulation on computer. Two accelerometers are rigidly mounted on a high-speed rotating table. One is used to measure the horizontal component of Earth rate according to the Coriolis effect. The other is used to sense the base tilt motion with respect to the gravitational acceleration. Using multi-position rapid sampling and multi-period information processing techniques, the signal-to-noise ratio of the system is effectively improved, and the influence of base disturbances is largely decreased as well. Optimal estimation and smoothing approach of parameters are also imposed to complete the analytic and dynamic north finding process. The results of computer simulation indicate that the system has good immunity to noise, fast reaction and high accuracy. Also, with a low-cost accelerometer replacing costly gyro, the north finder is cost-effective. This analytically dynamic north finder is expected to be applied in many fields, especially suitable to military.
Wideband fiber‐optic delay line with dynamic delay drift compensation

A wideband and high resolution fiber delay line system based on a self‐fabricated distributed‐feedback (DFB) laser is demonstrated in this article, where the delay time drift due to temperature variance is compensated using the extensibility of the standard single‐mode fiber (SMF). The DFB laser with the amplitude bandwidth of 18 GHz and the in‐band phase variance within 60° is applied as the optical source to provide wideband microwave signal delay. The temperature‐dependence delay variance is measured up to 42.8 ps/km/°C in SMF delay line. A compensation capability of 600 ps is reached with a fiber stretcher acted on a motor‐driven 300 m SMF. The proposed system not only provides delay drift compensation for the environmental‐sensitive systems, but also a feasible solution to realize continuously tuning of delay for stable systems. The tunable range of the microwave delay could be further extended using longer stretched fiber. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:1219–1222, 2015
Performance Evaluation and Correction Functions for Automated Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Technologies

Automated counting technologies are one of the fastest growing sources of data in the non-motorized transportation field. Although automated counts make it possible to collect data for longer time periods and to document temporal variations in volumes more effectively than manual counts, all of the technologies being used are subject to systematic miscount rates that must be accounted for to generate accurate volume estimates. In this paper, accuracy and precision rates are tested for six automated pedestrian and bicycle counting technologies: passive infrared, active infrared, radio beam, pneumatic tubes, inductive loops, and piezoelectric strips. For some technologies, multiple products are tested. Counting devices were installed at 13 sites in seven cities to introduce variation in environmental (weather) conditions and volume levels, and manual validation counts were conducted based on video footage taken at each of the test sites. Correction functions are developed for each technology to increase accuracy of volume estimates. Various environmental conditions including temperature, rain, and lighting are tested in the development of the correction functions. For most technologies, a net undercount effect was observed that appears to worsen at higher volumes. Average error rates (average percentage deviation) for the tested technologies range from 0.55% for inductive loops to −17.38% for pneumatic tubes. However, after applying correction functions accuracy improves for nearly all technologies. Language: en
Nevada's Predicament Public Perceptions of Risk from the Proposed Nuclear Waste Repository

After fifteen years of vigorous national debate about a possible site for storing high-level radioactive waste from commercial power plants in the United States, the US Congress on 22 December 1987 amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 and authorized the Department of Energy (DOE) to determine whether Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is a geologically sound and technically feasible site. If this site passes a set of prescribed technical criteria, a repository will be constructed 2000 feet below ground in which nuclear waste shipped in casks from power plants all over the United States will be permanently stored. The state of Nevada is currently attempting to disqualify the Yucca Mountain site on the grounds that the storage of nuclear wastes at the site and the transportation of waste to Nevada pose unacceptable risks to the state`s population. There is also concern that the addition of a repository to an area that already houses a nuclear weapons testing site may create an image of Nevada as a nuclear wasteland. Elected officials appear to be skeptical of the merits of the siting process and are concerned that the repository could stigmatize Nevada, thus affecting economic activity. These concerns provide a rational formore » investigating public attitudes toward the siting of a high-level nuclear waste repository in Nevada or elsewhere. In order to address this issue, we conducted two telephone surveys; a national sample of 1201 US households and a sample of 1001 residents of Nevada. These surveys are part of a larger study commissioned by the Nuclear Waste Project Office in the state of Nevada to determine the potential socioeconomic effects of the construction there of a high-level waste repository. « less
Simulation of Tripod Gaits for a Hexapod Underwater Walking Machine

Abstract : This thesis develops the mathematical relationships necessary to implement alternating tripod gaits on the hexapod underwater walking machine, AquaRobot. Analysis of documentation and application of Denavit-Hartenberg kinematic modeling techniques determine the fundamental vehicle parameters. Smooth leg motion models following elliptical and cycloidal trajectories are devised. Gait planning algorithms, using the elliptical smooth leg motion model, are developed for both discrete and continuous body motion. Statically stable, alternating tripod gait simulations are implemented in the C + + programming language. A stick figure graphics display allows examination and testing of the gait algorithms prior to incorporation in follow-on 3D graphics simulations or in real-time operation. Robotics, Walking Machines, Kinematics, AquaRobot.
Application of complementary split‐ring resonators to the design of compact narrow band‐pass structures in microstrip technology

In this paper, a compact and narrowband microstrip band‐pass structure based on complementary split‐ring resonators (CSRRs) etched in the back metal level (ground plane) is presented. Specifically, the structure is a two‐stage CSRR‐based device, where a series gap is etched in the output CSRR stage and two shunt stubs are added in the input cell. By these means we obtain a narrow and quite symmetric band‐pass structure. A prototype device with 2% fractional bandwidth has been designed and fabricated for operation at the S‐band. The dimensions of the device are as small as 14.6 × 11 mm, while high‐frequency selectivity is achieved at both band edges due to the presence of two transmission zeros. To demonstrate the possibility to control the bandwidth over a narrow band, a wider (10% bandwidth) filter has been also designed and fabricated. These structures can be of interest for application in narrow band‐pass filters where miniaturization and compatibility with planar technologies are key issues. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 46: 508–512, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21031
"How Does Hearing Impairment Affect Motor Performance?"

when stationary, while dynamic balance is maintaining equilibrium when moving. Eyes, ears, physical conditioning, and proprioception are used to help sustain balance [8] and hearing impairment can impede balance and motor function [9,10]. The purpose of this study is to determine if hearing impairment significantly affects balance appraisal tests. ABSTRACT Purpose: Determine if hearing impairment impedes static and dynamic balance. Design: Three hundred subjects, 194 normal hearing (30.2 + 13.8 Yrs) and 106 (30.1 + 14.7 Yrs) hearing-impaired subjects, were administered a battery of 5 balance tests, 3 static and 2 dynamic tests. Analysis: Mann-Whitney non-parametric and one-way ANOVA parametric tests were used to analyze the balance results comparisons between the two groups. Results: Non-parametric Mann-Whitney results indicated significant superior static balance of the normal hearing group in both the dominant and non-dominant leg of the one-leg and stork static balance tests compared to the hearing-impaired group.
Cost of Quality Evaluation in Mass-Housing Projects in Developing Countries

AbstractIn the construction industry, one of the most important concerns of organizations is how to achieve a balance between the desired level of quality and the expenses associated with it. The evaluating of the cost of quality (COQ) can help achieve this balance. This study surveys quality-related activities and costs in mass-housing projects in Iran by conducting 77 structured interviews on 60 mass-housing projects. The survey uses the prevention-appraisal-failure (P-A-F) model, which is the most widely used model for determining and classifying COQ, as the main framework. This research first specifies the most common quality-related activities and components of quality costs. It also develops a model for evaluating the total COQ of the studied projects by fitting third-order polynomial trend lines to the compiled data. Then, the research evaluates potential cost savings as a possible result of quality-management approach to the optimum level of COQ on the basis of the developed model. This study cont.
Effect of steady and transient wind shear on the wake structure and performance of a horizontal axis wind turbine rotor

This paper presents an investigation of the effect of steady and transient free-stream wind shear on the wake structure and performance characteristics of a horizontal axis wind turbine rotor. A new three-dimensional unsteady vortex-panel method potential flow solver based on a free-vortex wake methodology, AeroSIM+, is used for this purpose. The code is validated using the experimental data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiments. The effects of vortex core model, core size, expansion, and filament stretching on torque and thrust predictions are investigated. Three-different wind shear cases, i.e., uniform inflow (no wind shear), steady vertical wind shear that uses a power law velocity profile (Normal Wind Profile, NWP) and transient Extreme Wind Shear (EWS), are investigated. The results show that the existence of wind shear can create a very complex wake structure with substantial asymmetries, streamwise vorticity generation, and non-periodicities downstream of the turbine rotor. In addition, the blades are subjected to asymmetrical surface pressure variations that in turn result in high amplitude fluctuations in power and thrust levels generated by the turbine. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Comparison of the Streamline Throughflow and Streamline Curvature Methods for Axial Turbomachinery

The axial flow turbomachinery throughtlow equation states that radial gradients of rothalpy, entropy and moment of momentum affect the conservation of tangential vorticity. The streamline throughflow method (STEM) transforms this equation, expressed in terms of stream function in a radial-axial co-ordinate system, to an equation for streamline radial position in a stream function-axial co-ordinate system. The paper assesses the accuracy and efficiency of the STFM relative to the streamline curvature method (SCM) by comparing streamline positions and velocity profiles to analytical results. Test cases include flow through a single actuator disc, flow through twin actuator discs using a coarse computational grid, compressible flows through an almost choked nozzle, through single and twin actuator discs, and swirling flow using sloped stations. Results from the STFM and SCM agreed about equally well with analytical solutions for the same number of streamlines. The STEM, however, was much more tolerant of distorted computational grids and used an order of magnitude less computer time to converge. The test cases show that the STFM is suitable for annuli with large variations in hub and tip radius, for highly swirling and compressible flow, and is more robust and converges faster than the SCM. To demonstrate the practical applicability of the STEM a multistage compressor was simulated and STEM results compared with experiment
The Detection of Signals in Impulsive Noise Modeled as a Mixture Process

A first-order mixture noise density is considered as a model for impulsive noise channels. It consists of a mixture of a small variance, probably Gaussian, background noise pdf and a large variance impulsive pdf. Optimal nonlinear detector structures for known discretetime signals in such noise are derived. Their large-sample performance compared to that of a linear detector is studied using asymptotic relative efficiency.
Schedule nervousness in a manufacturing system: a case study

Schedule nervousness has received significant attention from the academics for almost three decades. However, the majority of published works on schedule nervousness have relied upon experimental results as a basis for making conclusions and there appears to be very little field-based evidence presented in the relevant literature. This paper presents a case study of schedule nervousness based on field observations in a shoe manufacturing company in Indonesia. A model to quantify nervousness is also presented. This study provides an insight that schedule nervousness is an important issue in practice and efforts to quantify nervousness, as well as to understand how it occurred, are necessary in order to reduce nervousness.
Exploring the Association between Sleep Quality and Heart Rate Variability among Female Nurses

The quality of nurses’ work has a direct effect on patient health, and poor sleep has been positively associated with nurses’ medical errors. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between quality of sleep and heart rate variability (HRV) among female nurses. A descriptive cross-sectional correlational study design was used in January 2014 to study female nurses (n = 393) employed in a medical center in Taiwan. Data were obtained from several questionnaires. HRV was analyzed with five-minute recordings of heart rate signals obtained using a Heart Rater SA-3000P. Approximately 96% of the participants self-reported a poor quality of sleep. Compared to non-shift nurses, significant decreases were found in total power (TP) and low-frequency HRV among shift-work nurses. However, negative correlations were found between sleep quality and HRV, including total power, low frequency, and the low frequency/high frequency ratio (r = −0.425, p < 0.05; r = −0.269, −0.266, p < 0.05). In a stepwise multiple regression analysis, 23.1% of variance in quality of sleep can be explained by TP and heart rate. The sleep quality of female nurses was poor and this affected their autonomic nervous system, which can contribute unfavorable consequences for their health.