Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Design of Innovative Electromagnetic Linear Actuators for Marine Applications

Abstract We describe an engineering solution to manufacture electromagnetic linear actuators for moving rudders and fin stabilizers of military ships Italian Ministry of Defence, General Direction of Naval Equipments (NAVARM), Projects ISO (2012-2014) and EDDA (2015-2017). The solution defines the transition from the conceptual design of the device initially studied from an electromagnetic point of view to mechanical configurations that really work. The structural problems that have been resolved with the proposed configuration are described. In order to validate the design choices discussed we illustrate some results of the numerical simulations performed by the structural finite elements method. These results quantitatively justify the suggested mechanical solution by evaluating stresses and deformations in a virtual prototype of the structure during its functioning. The parts of the device that have been studied are the most critical because in cases of excessive deformation/stress, they can irreparably compromise the actuator operation. These parts are the pole piece-base set and the retention cages of the permanent magnets. The FEM analysis has allowed us to identify the most stressed areas of the previous elements whose shape has been appropriately designed so as to reduce the maximum stresses and deformations. Moreover, the FEM analysis helped to find the most convenient solution to join the pole pieces to the respective bases. The good results obtained by the suggested engineering solution have been experimentally confirmed by tests on a small prototype actuator purposely manufactured. Finally, a qualitative analysis of the engineering problems that have to be considered to design electromagnetic linear actuators bigger than the one already manufactured is illustrated.
Automatic Diagnosis of Distortion Type of Arabic /r/ Phoneme Using Feed Forward Neural Network

The paper is not for recognizing normal formed speech but for distorted speech via examining the ability of feed forward Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to recognize speech flaws. In this paper we take the Arabic /r/ phoneme distortion that is somewhat common among native speakers as a case study.To do this, r-Distype program is developed as a script written using Praat speech processing software tool. r-Distype program automatically develops a feed forward ANN that tests the spoken word (which includes /r/ phoneme) to detect any possible type of distortion. Multiple feed forward ANNs of different architectures have been developed and their achievements reported. Training data and testing data of the developed ANNs are sets of spoken Arabic words that contain /r/ phoneme in different positions so they cover all distortion types of Arabic /r/ phoneme. These sets of words were produced by different genders and different ages.The results obtained from developed ANNs were used to draw a conclusion about automating the detection of pronunciation problems in general.Such computerised system would be a good tool for diagnosing speech flaws and gives a great help in speech therapy. Also, the idea itself may open a new research subarea of speech recognition that is automatic speech therapy. Keywords: Distortion, Arabic /r/ phoneme, articulation disorders, Artificial Neural Network, Praat
Dynamic optical filter using Opto-VLSI technology

Reconfigurable multi-channel optical filters are presented in this paper. The operation principle of the reconfigurable filter is based on the dynamic beam steering capacity of Opto-VLSI processor in conjunction with a high dispersion free space grating. The dispersion grating separates the input signal spectrum while the Opto-VLSI processor is driven by optimised phase holograms to dynamically select the wavelengths to be coupled into the output port. Experimental results show that up to 8 bands can be synthesised, with a wavelength tuning span of 10 nm and a 3dB bandwidth less than 0.5nm.
Application of visual surveys to estimate acorn production of Brant`s oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in northern Zagros Forests of Iran

Acorn production plays a fundamental role in the organization and dynamics of oak forest ecosystems. Regarding acorn importance, visual survey methods have been used to estimate acorn production of oak species throughout the world. In this study, the mast indices of Brants oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) were determined in a section of northern Zagros forests, almost 36 ha area, near Baneh, Kurdistan province. Different types of visual surveys (Whitehead, Christisen-Kearby, Modified Graves and Koenig) were used on 120 trees which were selected using stratified random sampling method. In early September, just prior to acorn fall, each tree was investigated using visual surveys. Furthermore, for each tree, acorn density (acorns number/m2 crown area) was calculated using crown counting to calculate the best regression model in Koenig method. Based on visual estimation indices, fair acorn production of Q. brantii was observed. There was a strong (R2 = 0.73), highly significant (P < 0.001) linear relationship between the Koenig acorn counts (X) and corresponding crown counts. Furthermore, the results of this research confirmed usefulness of the quick visual survey methods to estimate the acorn crop of Q. brantii.
Application of sediment core modelling to interpreting the glacial-interglacial record of Southern Ocean silica cycling

Abstract. Sediments from the Southern Ocean reveal a meridional divide in biogeochemical cycling response to the glacial-interglacial cycles of the late Neogene. South of the present-day position of the Antarctic Polar Front in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, biogenic opal is generally much more abundant in sediments during interglacials compared to glacials. To the north, an anti-phased relationship is observed, with maximum opal abundance instead occurring during glacials. This antagonistic response of sedimentary properties provides an important model validation target for testing hypotheses of glacial-interglacial change against, particularly for understanding the causes of the concurrent variability in atmospheric CO2. Here, I illustrate a time-dependent modelling approach to helping understand climates of the past by means of the mechanistic simulation of marine sediment core records. I find that a close match between model-predicted and observed down-core changes in sedimentary opal content can be achieved when changes in seasonal sea-ice extent are imposed, whereas the predicted sedimentary response to iron fertilization on its own is not consistent with sedimentary observations. The results of this sediment record model-data comparison supports previous inferences that the changing cryosphere is the primary driver of the striking features exhibited by the paleoceanographic record of this region.
REGCM3 SIMULATIONS NESTED IN THE HADLEY CENTER MODEL OVER SOUTH AMERICA: THE PRESENT DAY CLIMATE

The use of atmospheric or coupled atmospheric-ocean global models to investigate the actual and future climate has increasing in the last years. However, the results obtained from these models present lack of regional details due the coarse resolutions that they are integrated. For example, at regional scale precipitation and air temperature can be strongly influenced by topography, different landuse type or proximity to the sea. This problem can be addressed trough of the dynamical downscaling technique by using regional climate models (Giorgi and Mearns 1991, 1999). The use of fine horizontal resolution in these models permit to resolve in greater details the physiographic features that controls the local influence over regional climate. However, for utilize RCM to future scenarios is important to know as one determined RCM represents the actual climate.
Hugvie: Communication Device for Encouraging Good Relationship through theAct of Hugging

In this paper, we introduce a communication device which encourages users to establish a good relationship with others. We designed the device so that it allows users to virtually hug the person in the remote site through the medium. In this paper, we report that when a participant talks to his communication partner during their rest encounter while hugging the communication medium, he mistakenly feels as if they are establishing a good relationship and that he is being loved rather than just being liked. From this result, we discuss Active Co-Presence, a new method to enhance co-presence of people in remote through active behavior
Convex optimization of charging infrastructure design and component sizing of a plug-in series HEV powertrain

With the topic of plug-in HEV city buses, this paper studies the highly coupled optimization problem of finding the most cost efficient compromise between investing in onboard electric powertrain components and installing a charging infrastructure along the bus line. The paper describes how convex optimization can be used to find the optimal battery sizing for a series HEV with fixed engine and generator unit and a fixed charging infrastructure along the bus line. The novelty of the proposed optimization approach is that both the battery sizing and the energy management strategy are optimized simultaneously by solving a convex problem. In the optimization approach the power haracteristics of the engine-generator unit are approximated by a convex, second order polynomial, and the convex battery model assumes quadratic losses. The paper also presents an example for a specific bus line, showing the dependence between the optimal battery sizing and the number of charging stations on the bus line.
Reducing CLABSI in the NICU with IV Tubing Competency

Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a significant problem in a Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the West Coast of California. A clinical nurse leader (CNL) student joined a team consisting of the unit’s nursing manager, nursing educator, clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and CNS student. Literature review highlighted the association between the development of CLABSI and the practice of changing central line intravenous (IV) tubing. Five interviews of nurses and 15 observations of nurses performing IV tubing change revealed practice variations within six major steps of the procedure. The team revised the IV tubing change policy to improve comprehension and feasibility and then educated nurses on the changes. The team sought to eliminate variations and standardize practice by designing a competency for IV tubing change that requires all nurses to perform the procedure as an instructor observes for accuracy with every step of the new policy. Evaluation of the competency is ongoing, but follow up questions include: (1) Have all nurses successfully passed the competency? (2) Are nurses maintaining compliance with the new policy after completion of the competency? (3) Has the CLABSI rate decreased in response to the competency?
Numerical analysis of the solidification process with natural convection of the liquid phase

The paper deals with numerical modeling of binary alloys solidification process with motion of the fluid in the liquid and mushy zone. The mathematical model of the phenomenon is presented. Finite Element Method is used for modeling process. The results of the numerical simulation in the 2D region are discussed. 1. Mathematical model Solidifying region is divided into three subregions (Fig. 1) with different physical properties. The liquid area L Ω is filled with moving liquid alloy, the area S Ω contains non-moving solid material and S L+ Ω is filled with mixture of liquid and solid phases. Fig. 1. Considered domain divided into liquid, mushy and solid zone Mathematical model consists of heat transport equation with convection term, momentum equation with buoyancy and Darcy’s drag term and continuity equation Please cite this article as: Ewa Wegrzyn-Skrzypczak, Tomasz Skrzypczak, Numerical analysis of the solidification process with natural convection of the liquid phase, Scientific Research of the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, 2006, Volume 5, Issue 1, pages 185-190. The website: http://www.amcm. pcz.pl/ E. Wegrzyn-Skrzypczak, T. Skrzypczak 186 ( ) ( ) i i i i * , , T , T u t T T c λ =       + ∂ ∂ (1) t u ) T T ( g u K , p 1 , u u , u ref i ij i i j i j jj i ∂ ∂ = − − − − − β δ ρ μ ρ ρ μ (2) 0 , u i i = (3) The value of the artificial heat capacity * c is calculated based on the following relation [3] ( ) ( ) ( ) [ ]      
The performance of segregate WLAN inside a noisy industrial environment

Wireless networks have invaded into every aspect of our life, from small piconets to larger networks connecting big areas together. Industrial environments are not the exception, as primitive wireless devices have been used for a long time for machinery control. On the other hand, wireless data networks such as 802.11 networks, are rapidly taking their place inside such environments replacing the typical cables. The use of a WLAN in an area like this is not at all an easy issue. Initial attempts to deploy a WLAN in a factory/industry returned poor results. This way it was proven that more steps should be taken in order to satisfactorily deploy a WLAN. Our attempt is based on this concept and we are proposing a network configuration which manages to reduce the effects of some of the common problems a WLAN has to face inside an industrial environment. Network segregation utilizing multichannel enabled nodes proves to gives adequate results when tested inside a harsh-industrialenvironment. Our designed WLAN is deployed inside a noisy industrial environment and its purpose is to transfer data from one side of the area to another as quickly as possible, with the minimum delay and failed transmissions. One the main advantage of network segregation is the multiple paths that are created. Network performance is the primary key always in accordance of the noise level and the results from our simulations satisfy our expectations.
Cross sectional study of bovine and avian tuberculosis in Bangladesh Livestock Reasearch Institute (BLRI) cattle farm

The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of bovine and avian tuberculosis in cattle by using bovine and avian PPDs at Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) Cattle Farm, Savar, Dhaka. Cattle of different breeds, ages and sexes (n=183) were tested using bovine and avian PPDs. In caudal Fold Tuberculin (CFT) test, 16 (8.74%) cases were showed positive reaction among 183 sample. The overall percentages of positive reactors to Comparative cervical tuberculin (CCT) test of bovine and avian tuberculosis were 7.10% and 1.64% respectively. An insignificant variation (P>0.05) on prevalence of bovine tuberculosis on different age group of cattle was observed. Age group >7 years showed a higher prevalence (10.91%) than those of other age groups. In CCT test, 7.55% and 4.17% positive reactors were found in female and male cattle respectively. The association between different breeds of the animal was found significant (P<0.05). The local breed showed higher prevalence (9.77%) than those of Red Chittagong and cross breed. The highest percentage (10.45%) of positive reactors in CCT test was recorded in milking cows than in dry cows (2.32%), heifer (9.52%) and calf (5.77%) were observed. Mixed infection (bovine and avian type of tuberculosis) was recorded 1.64%. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. September 2017, 3(3): 352-356
Global university rankings uncovered: introduction

University rankings have gained growing attention from university administrations and faculty members, markets, governments, mass media and the public at large, affecting nearly all aspects directly or indirectly related to academia. This Theme Section includes 12 essays from 16 authors, coming from 9 countries (i.e. Singapore, the USA, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Cyprus and Greece). These essays cover different methodological, socio-political, econom- ical and ethical 'hot issues' emerging from the dominance of rankings in the higher education sec- tor through the views and thoughts of different stakeholders (i.e. university administrators, people involved in performing the rankings, and scientists). We hope that this Theme Section and the questions it raises will further contribute to the recent debate and future of university rankings, whether they be global or regional, as well as help find the nexus between numbers (i.e. rankings) and knowledge (i.e. higher education institutions); to paraphrase Plato's quote 'a good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers'.
Life Unleaded : E ects of Early Interventions for Children Exposed to Lead

Lead (Pb) pollution is a pervasive threat to childhood health and development since it is associated with substantial cognitive and behavioral impairments. This paper estimates the long-term e ects of early-life public health interventions triggered by test results that show an elevated blood lead level (EBLL). We measure the long-term impact of the standard response recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for lead-poisoned children using linked administrative data from Charlotte, North Carolina. Individuals with two consecutive tests over a speci c blood lead level (BLL) threshold are assigned an intervention whereas individuals with an initial test over the threshold and a subsequent test just under the threshold are not. We compare later-life education and behavior outcomes between these two groups. The standard intervention for two elevated tests includes a combination of the following treatments: provision of information to parents on ways to reduce household exposure, environmental investigation, referral to lead remediation services, nutritional assessment, medical evaluation, and referral to public assistance programs. Using detailed administrative data on lead test results, schooling, and criminal history records, we nd that intervention reduces adolescent antisocial behavior and increases academic achievement. The magnitudes of our estimates suggest that the education and behavioral de cits previously associated with early-life lead exposure can largely be reversed by intervention. ∗stephen.billings@uncc.edu, Department of Economics, University of North Carolina-Charlotte †kevin.schnepel@sydney.edu. au, School of Economics, The University of Sydney Acknowledgements: We thank Alan Barreca, Prashant Bharadwaj, David Card, Deborah Cobb-Clark, Susan Dynarski, Nathaniel Hendren, Jason Lindo, John Lynch, Bhash Mazumder, Mike Mueller-Smith, Trevor O’Grady, Heather Royer, Lisa Schulkind, and Barbara Wolfe for helpful comments/discussions as well as seminar participants at the 2014 Labour and Econometrics Workshop at the University of Otago, the 2015 IZA 7th Annual Meeting on the Economics of Risky Behaviors , 2015 Society of Labor Economics Meetings (upcoming) and the 2015 NBER SI Economics of Crime Group (upcoming). We would also like to thank Tena Ward and Ed Norman with the North Carolina Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program; Julia Rush
Uncertainties in the global temperature change caused by carbon release from permafrost thawing

Under climate change thawing permafrost will cause old carbon which is currently frozen and inert to become vulnerable to decomposition and release into the climate system. This paper develops a simple framework for estimating the impact of this permafrost carbon release on the global mean temperature (P-GMT). The analysis is based on simulations made with the Hadley Centre climate model (HadGEM2-ES) for a range of representative CO 2 concentration pathways. Results using the high concentration pathway (RCP 8.5) suggest that by 2100 the annual methane (CH 4 ) emission rate is 2–59 Tg CH 4 yr −1 and 50–270 Pg C has been released as CO 2 with an associated P-GMT of 0.08–0.36 °C (all 5th–95th percentile ranges). P-GMT is considerably lower – between 0.02 and 0.11 °C – for the low concentration pathway (RCP2.6). The uncertainty in climate model scenario causes about 50% of the spread in P-GMT by the end of the 21st century. The distribution of soil carbon, in particular how it varies with depth, contributes to about half of the remaining spread, with quality of soil carbon and decomposition processes contributing a further quarter each. These latter uncertainties could be reduced through additional observations. Over the next 20–30 yr, whilst scenario uncertainty is small, improving our knowledge of the quality of soil carbon will contribute significantly to reducing the spread in the, albeit relatively small, P-GMT.
The Role of Ionic Liquids in Protein Folding/Unfolding Studies

Ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged as novel solvent medium for several biotechnological processes in vitro . The use of ILs starts from protein extraction to catalysis to folding/ unfolding studies. ILs are becoming the most favorite non-aqueous medium for protein studies due to their unique ionic combinations (cation + anion) and tunable physical properties. In this context, several research results have been published that use of pure or aqueous IL solutions as stabilizer for proteins. Hence, herein, in this chapter, we present a collection of research work that focuses on the importance of ILs (and their mixture) in protein stabilities. In addition, we have also reviewed the unique properties of ILs as counteracting solvents for cold-induced denaturation and also their refolding properties. This report will definitely generate a new understanding for the ILs, their importance and applicability in protein folding studies.