Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Petrophysical Characterization of Gas Reservoir Rock Samples using High Resolution Micro-CT Images

Petrophysical analysis of reservoir rocks constitutes an integral part of hydrocarbon exploration and production. Properties such as porosity and permeability greatly influence decision making in all phases of planning and execution of oil and gas activities. Furthermore, the industry and academia are equally interested in the in-depth investigation of pore network properties of porous rock in order to advance studies on flow and solid-fluid phase interaction. Typically, petrophysical analysis is conducted through ‘analog’ testing of rock samples using equipment that derive the aforementioned properties through direct physical interaction. Such methods share limitations derived from a non-integrated, non-standardized overall methodology, manifesting as variable error of measurements. The present thesis proposes a digital image based petrophysical analysis method that aims to mitigate such limitations through detailed monitoring. Through the application of an integrated scan-to-measurements process, 3D X-Ray images of five core plugs originating from a Dutch gas offshore field are thoroughly analyzed. Petrophysical properties such as porosity and permeability are quantified, but the methodology also assesses and quantifies pore network features such as grains, pores and pore throats. All steps of this process are thoroughly described, along with - where applicable - alternate relevant approaches. The results of this image based petrophysical analysis are compared to measurements obtained through the use of conventional core analysis methods, as well as relevant literature. The outcome of this comparison illustrates the strengths and areas of improvement of the proposed methodology. Conclusively, the reasoning for transitioning from ‘analog’ to image based petrophysical analysis is validated, and a future outlook is also presented.
STANISLAV MUHAMETSIN A LANGUAGE-INDEPENDENT AGENT ARCHITECTURE

TAMPERE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Master’s Degree Programme in Information Technology MUHAMETSIN, STANISLAV: A Language-Independent Agent Architecture Master of Science Thesis, 49 pages, 7 Appendix pages October 2011 Major: Software Science Examiners: Professor Tapio Elomaa and assistant professor Jari Peltonen
Design and Implementation of a PTX Emulation Library

Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore observed in 1965 that transistor density, the number of transistors that could be placed in an integrated circuit per square inch, increased exponentially, doubling roughly every two years. This would be later known as Moore's Law, correctly predicting the trend that governed computing hardware manufacturing for the late 20th century. For many decades, software developers have enjoyed a steady application performance increase due to continuous hardware improvements as described by Moore's Law, as well as computer architecture improvements. Currently, however, the memory wall, which refers to the increasing speed di erence between the CPU and memory, and the instruction-level parallelism wall (ILP wall ), which refers to the inability to nd more operations in an application which can be performed simultaneously due to data dependency, have been reached. Application performance no longer bene ts from continuous processor frequency increases as it had before. Furthermore, other issues such as wire delays and static and dynamic power density prevent signi cant processor frequency increases
The effect of knee joint angle on the coactivation of prepubertal boys and adult males

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of knee joint angle on the maximum moment and activation level of the knee extensors and flexors for untrained pre-pubertal boys (n=25; age 9.8±1.1) and adult males (n=25; age 29.6±5.0). Three maximal isometric voluntary knee extensions and flexions were performed at 3 different joint angles (5%, 50% and 95% of the maximal range of knee flexion), while the integrated averaged electromyographic (iaEMG) activity of the vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), and long head of biceps femoris (BF) muscles were recorded. The results indicated that absolute and relative torque was higher in adults compared to children. Agonist activity was not affected in both groups by joint angles. Antagonist activity was higher in extreme angles in both groups and higher in children in all selected joint angle. These findings suggest that the joint angles caused a deficit in neuromuscular performance of children and it could be attributed to their higher antagonist activity.
Extending European energy efficiency standards to include material use: an analysis

ABSTRACT Existing international emissions reduction policies are not sufficient to meet the internationally agreed objective of limiting average global temperature rise to ‘well below’ two degrees, resulting in an emissions gap. Materials – such as aluminium, cement, paper, plastics and steel – act as a carrier of industrial energy that allows, through trade, the transfer of embodied emissions between sectors and countries. However, the use of materials has been overshadowed by policies focusing on energy efficiency improvements and deployment of a low carbon energy supply. This article argues that policies based on material and product demand can support domestic climate change mitigation and reduce the emissions gap, yet there is little obvious integration between climate and material efficiency policies. The article investigates current ‘emissions flows’ through the EU economy and how much of these are captured and excluded from existing EU climate policies. We analyse the potential increase in emissions coverage that would be achieved by extending EU directives that currently target the energy use of products (cars, buildings and appliances) in operation, to include the emissions required to produce the goods (i.e. embodied emissions). The analysis shows that a greater integration of material efficiency strategies within climate change mitigation policy could significantly increase the emissions coverage of existing product policies. Key policy insights Consumption is a key driver of emissions and demand reduction is an important policy option in reducing emissions, at least in the short-term, to reduce the risks of a longer-term reliance on technology breakthroughs and while the EU carbon price remains low. Emissions embodied in material-intensive manufactured products consumed in the EU represent the equivalent of over 40% of EU production emissions, offering significant scope for emissions reductions along product supply chains. Consumption measures that target the use of materials and products offer complementary mitigation options to low carbon energy supply technologies alongside costs savings. Existing EU policies addressing the energy efficiency of products can be used to scale up material efficiency measures.
The Impact of Government Investment on Private Investment in Iran (1971-2005)

The literature on the impact of government investment gives inconsistent results on whether it complements or crowds out private investment. Applying a standard investment model for Iran during 1973 to 2005, the empirical model is based on a flexible accelerator investment model, which is used in an important study of Blejer and Khan in 1984 for developing countries. The model suggests that private sector investment depends on government investment, GDP, availability of bank credit, economic freedom and microeconomic uncertainty. A simple univariate model of GARCH (1,1) is specified to obtain uncertainty measures. This study finds that government investment complements private investment. The results also indicate that private investment is constrained by the availability of bank credit. Economic freedom index has a positive and significant impact on private investment and microeconomic uncertainty has a negative impact on private investment.
Implementation of a bang-bang strategy for PV system connected to the grid

This paper presents a bang-bang strategy for PV system connected to the grid. A string PV system coupled to a single stage inverter is described. The inverter presented in this paper utilizes higher order DC filtering and is made of a single stage topology utilizing PI regulators to control the Maximum Power Point (MPP). Additional PI regulators are employed to minimize the Total Harmonic Distorsion (THD) to the minimum. The inverter designed meets all relevant standards requirements.
High-Dimensional Data Clustering using Hubness Based Clustering Algorithms

Clustering is an unsupervised process of grouping elements together, so that elements assigned to each clusters are more similar to each other than to the other data points. Clustering becomes difficult due to increasing sparsity of such data as well as the increasing difficulty in distinguishing distances between data points. Also, most data of interest today in data-mining applications is complex and is usually represented by many different features.Traditional approaches for clustering in low dimensional data can also be used for clustering high dimensional data by observing a lower dimensional feature subspace. But the performance of standard machine learning algorithms becomes degraded while handling high dimensional data. The number of data points are required to represent any distribution grows exponentially with number of dimensions which leads to bad density estimate for higher dimensional data. The difficulties in dealing with high dimensional data are considered to be an aspect of the curse of dimensionality. In this existing system the value of k or the range of k is neither directly nor indirectly specified by the users.The proposed method describes a novel perspective on the problem of clustering high-dimensional data and also for specifying k value by using Visual Access Tendency (VAT). Instead of attempting to avoid the curse of dimensionality by observing a lower dimensional feature subspace, the proposed method embrace the dimensionality by high-dimensional phenomena. Hubness, the number of times a data point appears among the k nearest neighbors of other data points in a data set, can be successfully exploited in clustering. Hubness score can be used as a good measure of point centrality within a high-dimensional data cluster by using hubness based clustering algorithms. In addition to that the proposed methodology uses VAT to find the number of clusters the high dimensional data with more accuracy in the automated manner. The experimental tests conducted were proves that the proposed methodology provides better result than the existing approaches in terms of more accuracy and improved time consumption The quality of clusters is measured in terms of silhouette index and the results obtained would be promising
Asymmetric information and third-party intervention in civil wars

I study a two-period model of conflict with two combatants and a third party who is an ally of one of the combatants. The third party is fully informed about the type of her ally but not about the type of her ally’s enemy. In a signaling game, I find that if the third party is unable to give a sufficiently high assistance to her ally, then there exists a unique separating equilibrium in which the third party’s expected intervention causes her ally’s enemy to exert more effort than in the absence of third-party intervention; this worsens the conflict.
An explanation for size-dependent reproductive allocation in Plantago major

This study examined whether variation in reproductive allocation with size could be explained by differences in the trade-off between reproduction and growth. Seeds from 42 half-sibling families were collected from sites differing in mowing frequency and availability of light, nutrients, and water. Six seedlings from each family were grown in controlled environments and photoperiod manipulations were used to control reproduction. Mass of vegetative and reproductive plants of the same family were compared to assess the trade-off between reproduction and growth. Families collected from habitats with a tall canopy were larger and experienced a greater decrease in growth with reproduction than families from habitats where mowing maintained a short canopy. Reproductive output showed no relationship with size, while reproductive allocation (capsule mass to vegetative mass) decreased with size. This decrease may be a direct consequence of the increase in reproductive cost with size. The increase in cost can be p.
Melhorando a Colaboração em um Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem Usando um Agente Pedagógico Animado 3D

This paper describes the architecture and operation of the 3D animated pedagogical agent TUCUMÃ, integrated to a Virtual Learning Environment, using Multi-Agent System, AIML, Affective Computing and Sentiment analysis. A partial evaluation of the project was carried out with 5 classes of the training course of a distance education school, in order to Sentiment analysis of the texts published in the forums and chats of the VLE. The results are promising, highlighting the importance of the approach. Resumo. Este artigo descreve a arquitetura e funcionamento do agente animado pedagógico 3D TUCUMÃ, integrado a um Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem, usando Sistema Multiagente, AIML, Computação Afetiva e Análise de Sentimentos. Uma avaliação parcial do projeto foi realizada com 5 turmas do curso de formação de tutores de uma escola de Educação a Distância com objetivo de analisar o sentimento dos textos publicados nos fóruns e chats do AVA. Os resultados são promissores, evidenciando a importância da abordagem.
3D numerical modelling of the re-distribution of partially molten lower crust rocks in relay zones between faults during transtension: Implications for the Sefwi terrane, SW Ghana

Abstract. High-grade tectono-metamorphic domains in the Sefwi terrane of Ghana are separated from adjacent low-grade greenstone belts by two main shear zones. The high-grade rocks are thought to have been exhumed along sinistral shear zones during the D2 ENE-WSW transtension. To better understand the role boundary conditions and the spatial relationship of faults play in the re-distribution of partially molten lower crust, ten 3D thermo-mechanical models have been constructed. The results show that the normal component of velocity boundary conditions mainly controls the exhumation of the lower crust which occurred along pre-existing faults, while the exhumation in the relay zones between faults is controlled by the ratio of extension rate to shear rate applied at the boundaries. The strike of the exhumation belt made of partially molten lower crust rocks in the relay zone is sub-orthogonal to the transtension direction. The isostatic compensation from low-density upper mantle to overlying crust (thinning) is higher under transtension than under extension. The lower crust exhumation influenced by inherited shear zones can be used to better understand the loci of the high-grade rocks in the Sefwi terrane. We suggest that the Kukuom-Juaboso domain composed of up to amphibolite-migmatite facies probably resulted from the concentration of partially molten rocks in the relay zone between the Ketesso and Kenyase shear zones during the D2 ENE-WSW transtension. The two shear zones probably underwent two main stages for growth and maturation from the D1 to D2 deformation phases. The regional exhumation of the high-grade rocks in the Sefwi terrane probably occurred within a duration of less than 5Ma.
HYBRID PIFA-PATCH ANTENNA OPTIMIZED BY EVOLUTIONARY PROGRAMMING

In this paper we study the optimization process of a novel hybrid antenna, formed by a Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA) and a coplanar patch in the same structure, and intended to be used in mobile communications and WIFI applications simultaneously. This hybrid device has been recently proposed and characterized in the literature, and it has been shown that it allows a bandwidth of 850MHz (49%) in the lower band and 630MHz (11.25%) in the upper band. In spite of these good performance results, the flne tuning of the joint PIFA-patch parameters in the hybrid antenna is a hard task, not easy to automatize. In this paper we propose the use of an Evolutionary Programming (EP) approach, an algorithm of the Evolutionary Computation family, which has been shown to be very efiective in continuous optimization problems. We use a real encoding of the antenna's parameters and the CST Microwave Studio simulator to obtain the performance of the antenna. The simulator is therefore incorporated to the EP algorithm as a part of the antenna's evaluation process. We will show that the EP is able to obtain very good sets of parameters in terms of the designer necessities, usually a larger bandwidth at the design frequencies. In this case, the bandwidth of
Performance analysis of 20 Pole 1.5 KW Three Phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator for low Speed Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

This paper gives performance analysis of a three phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) connected to a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT). Low speed wind condition (less than 5 m/s) is taken in consideration and the entire simulation is carried in Matlab/Simulink environment. The rated power for the generator is fixed at 1.5 KW and number of pole at 20. It is observed under low wind speed of6 m/s, a turbine having approximately1 mof radius and2.6 mof height develops 150 Nm mechanical torque that can generate power up to 1.5 KW. The generator is designed using modeling tool and is fabricated. The fabricated generator is tested in the laboratory with the simulation result for the error analysis. The range of error is about 5%-27% for the same output power value. The limitations and possible causes for error are presented and discussed.
"It Makes the Whole Learning Experience Better": Student Feedback on the Use of the Interactive Whiteboard in Learning Chinese at Tertiary Level

The widespread use of interactive whiteboards (IWB) in primary and secondary schools has been well documented, yet there is to date only limited attention to use in tertiary institutions. Macquarie University has installed this technology in many of its teaching spaces in the past few years. This paper reports a case study undertaken in the university’s undergraduate Chinese beginner course, which began to use IWB learning activities in 2009. Our study was undertaken to obtain students’ perceptions of the IWB pedagogy in Chinese language acquisition in general and in particular, of the effectiveness of IWB in the retention of Chinese characters. To many students whose first language is non-logographic, the recognition and retention of characters are the most difficult tasks in learning Chinese. Our findings indicate that the IWB’s affordance to create a variety of visual activities has impacted, most saliently, the retention of characters and syntactical elements. Students also report that the IWB has enhanced the learning experience, reflected in increased motivation and engagement through interaction with this technology. The tertiary students reveal particular learning priorities, in appreciating interaction, intellectual demand and participation, as components of effective learning. The feedback process itself proved to be useful in facilitating critical awareness in both teacher and students, of teaching strategies and learning respectively.
Improving power systems operation through multiobjective optimal location of optimal unified power flow controller

This paper presents a multiobjective optimization methodology to find the optimal location for an optimal unified power flow controller (OUPFC) device. Moreover, the installation cost function of the OUPFC device is developed. The objective functions are the total fuel cost, power losses, and system loadability with and without the minimum cost of the OUPFC installation. The \varepsilon-constraint approach is implemented for the multiobjective mathematical programming formulation. The proposed algorithm is implemented in the IEEE 30- and 118-bus test systems. The solution procedure uses nonlinear programming to optimally locate the OUPFC incorporated in an optimal power flow problem considering these objective functions and improves the operation of the power system. The optimization problem is modeled in the general algebraic modeling system software using a MINOS solver. Furthermore, the results obtained by the OUPFC are compared to those of the phase shifting transformer (PST) and unified power flow controller (UPFC) devices. The performance and applicability of the OUPFC is highlighted compared to the PST and UPFC from an analytical and technical point of view.
Long-Term Effects of Firm Size on Life Insurer Mortgage Investment

In this paper the reoccurring question of whether the life insurance industry's largest insurers possess and benefit from unique mortgage investment opportunities is examined. A portfolio adjustment model is presented which incorporates mortgage commitment behavior. Using this model and data for 15 insurers, speed of adjustment parameters are estimated for each insurer. The speed of adjustment, which is utilized as a measure of mortgage lending efficiency, is found to be invariant with respect to insurer size. This evidence suggests that the likelihood of significant aggregation bias in previous econometric work on life insurer mortgage investment is quite low. Amidst the vast and growing literature on bank and nonbank demand for financial assets, only a few studies have pursued questions concerning individual firm investment behavior. This preoccupation with aggregate analysis is surprising to the extent that the framework for financial modeling, first introduced by Meigs [23], DeLeeuw [12], and Goldfield [14], evolved from the fixed capital investment literature where models of aggregate behavior generally follow from investigations of how individual economic units behave.1 To assume incorrectly that firms behave in much the same way will not, in accordance with the doctrine of positive economics, invalidate the theory underlying the model. To assume incorrectly homogeneous behavior among firms may, however, lead to specifications bias and inconsistent estimates of model parameters. In this paper, the empirical question of homogeneous firm behavior is examined for life insurer mortgage lending activity. The purpose of the investigation is to consider the reoccurring question of whether certain "very large" [26, p. 559, n. 15] or "super large" [8, p. 269] life insurers possess and benefit from unique mortgage investment opportunities among firms in the industry. The examination is conducted using a partial adjustment model which specifically incorporates determinants of forward commitment behavior in the adjustment from desired to actual mortgage stocks. The empirical analysis uses annual data from 15 insurers over the period 1951 through
Development of validated liquid chromatographic method for estimation of levocetirizine from pharmaceutical dosage forms

A simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the determination levocetirizine has been developed. The chromatographic system consisted of a Water 2695 binary gradient pump, Water 2487 dual wavelength absorbance detector, and Empower 2 software. Separation was achieved on the XTerra symmetry C18 column at room temperature. The sample was introduced through an injector valve with a 20 µL sample loop. The results obtained showed a good agreement with the declared content. Recovery values of levocetirizine in tablets were from 99.57-100.48 %. The proposed method is rapid, accurate and selective; it may be used for the quantitative analysis of levocetirizine from raw materials, in bulk drugs and other dosage formulations.