Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pieux de compactage du bois dans le cadre d'une modernisation sismique pour un pont ferroviaire de plus de 110 ans

A 100-year-old railway bridge constructed across the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada has performed remarkably well and is currently in service. The bridge is located close to the Cascadia Subduction Zoneone of the most seismically active areas in the world. The bridge piers within the river and south riverbank are supported on grout filled timber caissons and timber piles founded in Fraser River Sand. Ground response, liquefaction and seismic deformation analyses were performed to assess the seismic performance of the bridge and to develop a retrofit scheme. During the design earthquake, the sand will liquefy and the liquefaction induced displacements will cause significant damage to the river piers. The selected retrofit is to support the superstructure with deep, large diameter piles. In addition, Ground Improvement (GI) would be implemented to densify the soil surrounding the piles and mitigate the effect of liquefaction induced displacements. Timber compaction piles were selected due to the owners' requirement for unimpeded rail traffic during GI, protection of the environment and control of construction induced movements. Following a successful timber compaction pile trial area, production piling was carried out. This paper focuses on the key challenges faced in the design, planning and construction of the GI seismic retrofit. RÉSUMÉ: Un pont ferroviaire de plus de 100 ans construit sur le fleuve Fraser en Colombie-Britannique Canada, est aujourd’hui en état remarquablement et toujours en service. Le pont est situé près de la zone de subduction « Cascadia » l'une des zones sismiques les plus actives dans le monde. Les piliers du pont du côté de la rivière et de la rive sud sont soutenus par des caissons en bois remplis de coulis et des pieux de bois fondés dans le sable du fleuve Fraser. Pendant un séisme de conception, le sable se liquéfiera et les déplacements induits par la liquéfaction causeraient des dommages importants aux quais du fleuve. Des analyses de la réponse au sol, de la liquéfaction et de la déformation sismique ont été effectuées afin d'évaluer les performances sismiques du pont et d'élaborer un plan de modernisation. La modernisation choisie est de soutenir la superstructure avec des pieux de grand diamètre. En outre, l'amélioration du sol (GI) serait mise en œuvre pour densifier le sol entourant les pieux et atténuer l'effet des déplacements induits par la liquéfaction. Les pieux de compactage du bois ont été sélectionnés en raison de l'exigence des propriétaires pour ne pas affecter le trafic ferroviaire durant l’amélioration du sol, la protection de l'environnement et le contrôle des mouvements induits par la construction. À la suite d'une zone d'essai réussie de la pile de compactage du bois, des empilages de production ont été effectués. Le présent document met l'accent sur les principaux défis rencontrés lors de la conception, la planification et la construction de la modernisation sismique de l’amélioration du sol.
A Large-scale Study on the Risks of the HTML5 WebAPI for Mobile Sensor-based Attacks

Smartphone sensors can be leveraged by malicious apps for a plethora of different attacks, which can also be deployed by malicious websites through the HTML5 WebAPI. In this paper we provide a comprehensive evaluation of the multifaceted threat that mobile web browsing poses to users, by conducting a large-scale study of mobile-specific HTML5 WebAPI calls used in the wild. We build a novel testing infrastructure consisting of actual smartphones on top of a dynamic Android app analysis framework, allowing us to conduct an end-to-end exploration. Our study reveals the extent to which websites are actively leveraging the WebAPI for collecting sensor data, with 2.89% of websites accessing at least one mobile sensor. To provide a comprehensive assessment of the potential risks of this emerging practice, we create a taxonomy of sensor-based attacks from prior studies, and present an in-depth analysis by framing our collected data within that taxonomy. We find that 1.63% of websites could carry out at least one of those attacks. Our findings emphasize the need for a standardized policy across browsers and the ability for users to control what sensor data each website can access.
Co-planar-waveguide fed Circularly Polarized Antenna for Wireless WLAN/LTE Applications

ABSTRACT A circularly polarized monopole antenna fed by coplanar waveguide is presented in this research. The antenna operates in wireless local area network and worldwide interoperability for microwave access bands. Circular polarization (CP) is achieved by using inverted L-shaped strips on both sides of a simple monopole and introducing asymmetries in the ground plane. The measured impedance bandwidth from 1.77 to 5.35 GHz while axial ratio bandwidth from 2.04 to 3.85 GHz are achieved. The proposed antenna has a gain of 0.6–2.8 dBi within the circular polarization band.
Genetic Contributors to Hereditary Cancer Predispositions: Do We Have Enough Information?

Genomics medicine and molecular genetics are experiencing a surge of interest as well as a push for a more prominent role in mainstream medicine. This, coupled with the advancement of next-generation sequencing, along with a national, if not global, steering of funding to support the advancement and development of genetics is suggesting that we are entering a new age of medicine. As this push begins to gain some momentum, the impact of genomics medicine on clinical utility and the influence of supporting data on genes that make their way from research to diagnostic medicine are worth reviewing.
Statement of Ethics

1. Copying from another’s paper, any means of communication with another during an examination, giving aid to or receiving aid from another during an examination; 2. Using any material during an examination that is unauthorized by the proctor; 3. Taking or attempting to take an examination for another student or allowing another student to take or attempt to take an examination for oneself. 4. Using, obtaining, or attempting to obtain by any means the whole or any part of an unadministered examination.
The helix experiment: differential localized dispersal and recruitment patterns in Great Barrier Reef corals

In a large-scale oceanographic study, we attempted to determine whether reefs of the central Great Barrier Reef are primarily self-seeded with respect to corals. Twenty-four moorings were deployed for 7 months around the small, relatively isolated Helix Reef (diam = 800 m). Settling plates were placed on moorings 15-l 8 m below the surface. Moorings were placed 0,0.3, 0.6, 1.2, 2.5, and 5.0 km from the reefs perimeter. Water movements were recorded concurrently via current meters and tide gauges. Most larvae settled on or within 300 m of the reec settlement was generally lower in pocilloporids than acroporids. Most spat in the far field (acroporids) were derived from corals utilizing externally fertilized eggs with an obligate planktonic larval development period of 24-72 h, implying higher effective dispersal capabilities. Densities of settling pocilloporids (obligate brooders), however, were highest directly on the reef. Postsettlement mortality of recruits decreased significantly with distance from the reef. Coral spat were concentrated in two areas where water residence times were high and flushing rates were low. Highly localized circulation patterns appear to retain larvae near the reef. Effective larval dispersal in corals seems to be a small-scale phenomenon, although measurable far-field dispersal indicates sufficient gene flow between reefal populations to prevent allopatric speciation. The distance over which reproductive propagules disperse and the probability of their successful colonization of a given hab
Ontogenetic Changes in the Skull of the Carboniferous Tetrapod Greererpeton burkemorani Romer, 1969

A partial growth series, representing a 4.4-fold increase in the linear dimensions of the skull of Greererpeton burkemorani Romer, 1969, reveals that allometric changes are limited to: (1) an increase in the area of some circumorbital bones (primarily the lacrimal, jugal, and postorbital); (2) a small increase in the width of the skull table across the tabulars; (3) a decrease in the length and an increase in the width of the braincase relative to skull length; and (4) an anteromesial shift in the stapedial foot plate relative to its distal flattened plate. The position of the orbits does not appear to shift posteriorly over the growth interval studied. As the proportions of the braincase change relative to the remainder of the skull during ontogeny, so too do the proportions of the stapes for it to maintain its role as one of the principle supports for the back of the braincase.
Synthesis and spectroscopic studies of methoxy-substituted phenylthienylnicotinamidines

Abstract Five thienylnicotinamidine derivatives 5a–e were prepared from their corresponding nicotinonitriles 3a–e on treatment with lithium trimethylsilylamide [LiN(TMS)2] followed by hydrolysis using ethanolic/HCl (gas). The nicotinonitriles 3a–e were prepared via Suzuki coupling reaction of bromothienyl derivative 1 with the appropriate phenylboronic acids 2a–e. The DFT calculation was used to optimize the geometric structure of the newly synthesized nicotinamidines. The comparison of DFT/B3LYP calculated spectral data (1H-NMR and 13C-NMR) with the experimental data showed acceptable agreement. Mass fragmentation patterns of 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl, 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl, and 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl thienylnicotinamidine derivatives were investigated. Graphical Abstract
Regulation crash-test: applying serious games to policy design

Abstract Successful policy solutions rely on policy addressees responding in certain ways. Policy designers need an analytical method that allows them to anticipate impact of a new intervention, while taking into account bounded rationality of policy actors and sociopolitical complexity. The article proposes using serious games at the stage of policy formulation to test the architecture of a new regulation in a safe environment. It provides a blueprint for using games in policy design, consisting of conceptual framework, design procedure, and techniques for strengthening game validity. The application is illustrated with an example of a draft regulation on rural transport in Poland. The case study points out three advantages of game method: (1) revealing mechanisms triggered by the architecture of regulation, meaning actors’ initial assumptions, decisions, and feedback loops created by actors’ responses, (2) demonstrating the consequences of mechanisms over time, that in real life would occur with a long delay, and (3) creating a risk-free environment where policy actors can verify their assumptions and experiment with ways of interpreting and responding to new regulation. The article concludes that serious games are a promising method for anticipating impact of complex policy regulation.
Displacement-Based Framework for Simplified Seismic Loss Assessment

ABSTRACT Loss assessment methodologies have been introduced to assess the seismic performance of buildings using more meaningful metrics like direct monetary losses. Different approaches exist, each with varying degrees of complexity and requiring different levels of detail, regarding structural behaviour characterisation or damage and loss estimation, for example. With these developments, loss assessment is increasingly becoming a more commonplace instrument in the seismic evaluation and retrofitting of existing buildings. Despite these developments, there is arguably still a need to provide practising engineers with simplified tools with which to conduct building-specific loss assessment. Displacement-based methodologies have been developed over the past number of years with a particular focus on design. The extension of this approach to loss assessment via displacement-based assessment (DBA) is the subject of this article, where a general framework for its implementation to different structural typologies is outlined and illustrated. This forms a general overview of a recently-concluded 5-year research project on the topic in Italy, where different research groups from various universities focused on specific building typologies as part of a coordinated effort to develop DBA for simplified loss assessment. An overview of the DBA method employed is presented here in addition to an overall description of the results of each working group. A summary of the developments for each typology examined is presented along with an illustration of the potential benefits of different retrofitting techniques in reducing monetary losses, whose details are found in the different typology-specific contributions to the special issue in which this paper is presented. To conclude, a comparative implementation of these simplified methodologies is described for three school buildings in Italy.
Targeted Random Projection for Prediction From High-Dimensional Features

Abstract We consider the problem of computationally efficient prediction with high dimensional and highly correlated predictors when accurate variable selection is effectively impossible. Direct application of penalization or Bayesian methods implemented with Markov chain Monte Carlo can be computationally daunting and unstable. A common solution is first stage dimension reduction through screening or projecting the design matrix to a lower dimensional hyper-plane. Screening is highly sensitive to threshold choice, while projections often have poor performance in very high-dimensions. We propose targeted random projection (TARP) to combine positive aspects of both strategies. TARP uses screening to order the inclusion probabilities of the features in the projection matrix used for dimension reduction, leading to data-informed sparsity. We provide theoretical support for a Bayesian predictive algorithm based on TARP, including statistical and computational complexity guarantees. Examples for simulated and real data applications illustrate gains relative to a variety of competitors. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Variable Structure-Based Synchronous Generator Excitation Controller for Power Systems

In this paper, an excitation controller is designed by the variable structure control theory to improve the transient stability of a single machine infinite bus system. The pole assignment techniques are employed for determining the switching hyper plane. The computer simulation and an experiment in a scaled power system show that the designed controller can provide effective damping torque and improve the dynamic performance for the power system.
Speed of Catch-up and Digital Divide: Convergence Analysis of Mobile Cellular, Internet, and Fixed Broadband for 44 African Countries

ABSTRACT This study examines the dynamics of the digital divide between middle- and low-income groups of 44 African countries in the context of three technologies – mobile cellular, Internet, and fixed broadband – from 2000 to 2015. At the macro level, the relative digital divide has been narrowing at the annual rates from 11.3% to 0.72%, while the absolute digital divide has been widening at the annual rates from 31.33% to 17.11%. At the microlevel, convergence analysis indicates that a catch-up process has taken place in both income groups, with the low-income group displaying a faster catch-up speed in all three technologies. Combining the findings from the macro and the microlevel of the analysis revealed a positive relationship between the increasing rates of the absolute digital divide and the annual rate of catch-up by the low-income group. The faster is the increasing rate of the absolute digital divide, the faster the speed of catch-up by the low-income group of countries becomes. Several policy implications from these findings are discussed.
Feedforward control for underactuated bipedal walking on compliant continuous steps with varying height

This study develops a feedforward control strategy based on the motion state of center-of-mass (CoM) of a robot for underactuated biped robot stable walking on compliant continuous steps with a known varying height. First, considering ground deformation, a compliant contact model is employed to characterize foot-ground interaction, and a robot–step coupling dynamic model of sagittal and lateral planes are established through decoupling modelling. Second, based on the gait characteristics of human variable-step walking, a feedforward control strategy based on the motion state of CoM is proposed. Varying height step is equivalent to varying slope, an equivalent slope angle and a desired step length can be calculated for each step according to their height. Underactuated bipedal walking control is decoupled into sagittal and lateral master-slave control. The velocity of robot CoM is considered as a system output. It is controlled through the displacement of CoM in a single walking cycle, and thus walking is stabilized. By the proposed method, the walking system is modelled as a polynomial with definite number of degrees and the controlled input is derived through a simple inverse operation on it. Its effectiveness is validated through simulations in an environment with a step varying height of less than 0.032 m. Simulation results show that the proposed method can improve the tracking performance of robot CoM velocity on varying height steps, as compared to a hybrid zero dynamic (HZD)-based controller.
Proceedings of the 21 st Annual Conference of the European Association for Machine Translation 28 – 30 May 2018

We describe the first experimental results in neural machine translation for Basque. As a synthetic language featuring agglutinative morphology, an extended case system, complex verbal morphology and relatively free word order, Basque presents a large number of challenging characteristics for machine translation in general, and for data-driven approaches such as attentionbased encoder-decoder models in particular. We present our results on a large range of experiments in Basque-Spanish translation, comparing several neural machine translation system variants with both rule-based and statistical machine translation systems. We demonstrate that significant gains can be obtained with a neural network approach for this challenging language pair, and describe optimal configurations in terms of word segmentation and decoding parameters, measured against test sets that feature multiple references to account for word order variability.
Unsupervised 3D Shape Reconstruction by Part Retrieval and Assembly

Representing a 3D shape with a set of primitives can aid perception of structure, improve robotic object manipulation, and enable editing, stylization, and compression of 3D shapes. Existing methods either use simple parametric primitives or learn a generative shape space of parts. Both have limitations: parametric primitives lead to coarse approximations, while learned parts offer too little control over the decomposition. We instead propose to decompose shapes using a library of 3D parts provided by the user, giving full control over the choice of parts. The library can contain parts with high-quality geometry that are suitable for a given category, resulting in meaningful decompositions with clean geometry. The type of decomposition can also be controlled through the choice of parts in the library. Our method works via a unsupervised approach that iteratively retrieves parts from the library and refines their placements. We show that this approach gives higher reconstruction accuracy and more desirable decompositions than existing approaches. Additionally, we show how the decomposition can be controlled through the part library by using different part libraries to reconstruct the same shapes.
Cross-Device Taxonomy: Survey, Opportunities and Challenges of Interactions Spanning Across Multiple Devices

Designing interfaces or applications that move beyond the bounds of a single device screen enables new ways to engage with digital content. Research addressing the opportunities and challenges of interactions with multiple devices in concert is of continued focus in HCI research. To inform the future research agenda of this field, we contribute an analysis and taxonomy of a corpus of 510 papers in the cross-device computing domain. For both new and experienced researchers in the field we provide: an overview, historic trends and unified terminology of cross-device research; discussion of major and under-explored application areas; mapping of enabling technologies; synthesis of key interaction techniques spanning across multiple devices; and review of common evaluation strategies. We close with a discussion of open issues. Our taxonomy aims to create a unified terminology and common understanding for researchers in order to facilitate and stimulate future cross-device research.
Three-phase Three-level Inverter Grid-tied PV System with Fuzzy Logic Control based MPPT

This paper presents a three phase single stage grid connected photovoltaic PV system. Maximum power transfer from the solar array to grid is ensured by using fuzzy logic (FL) based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller. The proposed MPPT technique provides fast and high performances under variable climate conditions as well as sudden variation of irradiance level. Change of measured photovoltaic power and its rate of change are the input variables of the proposed fuzzy logic controller while the change in reference current is de ned as the output variable. In order to meet the power quality required by the international standards, a Space Vector Modulation (SVM) controlled three-level T-type inverter and a series LCL filter are used. To show the effectiveness of the proposed grid-connected system, Matlab/Simulink software is used to carry out the simulation part. Obtained results show the role of each component, particularly the response of the maximum power tracking, the quality of the injected power, the unity power factor operation and the system’s efficiency.
Via Machinae 2.0: Full-Sky, Model-Agnostic Search for Stellar Streams in Gaia DR2

We present an update to Via Machinae, an automated stellar stream-finding algorithm based on the deep learning anomaly detector ANODE. Via Machinae identifies stellar streams within Gaia, using only angular positions, proper motions, and photometry, without reference to a model of the Milky Way potential for orbit integration or stellar distances. This new version, Via Machinae 2.0, includes many improvements and refinements to nearly every step of the algorithm, that altogether result in more robust and visually distinct stream candidates than our original formulation. In this work, we also provide a quantitative estimate of the false positive rate of Via Machinae 2.0 by applying it to a simulated Gaia-mock catalog based on Galaxia, a smooth model of the Milky Way that does not contain substructure or stellar streams. Finally, we perform the first full-sky search for stellar streams with Via Machinae 2.0, identifying 102 streams at high significance within the Gaia Data Release 2, of which only 10 have been previously identified. While follow-up observations for further confirmation are required, taking into account the false positive rate presented in this work, we expect approximately 90 of these stream candidates to correspond to real stellar structures.