Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Failure Mechanics of Functional Nanostructures in Advanced Technologies

Title of Document: FAILURE MECHANICS OF FUNCTIONAL NANOSTRUCTURES IN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES Zheng Jia, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014 Directed By: Associate Professor Teng Li, Department of Mechanical Engineering The past decade has seen a surge of interest in developing novel functional nanostructures to enable advanced technologies, such as flexible electronics and high performance lithium-ion batteries. Examples of such functional nanostructures include organic/inorganic multi-layer thin films in flexible electronics and nano-sized silicon/tin-based anodes in lithium/sodium ion batteries. Widespread implementation of these advanced technologies with novel functional nanostructures in the future will broadly impact human’s daily life. However, grand challenges for developing robust novel functional nanostructures still exist. During operating cycles, these functional nanostructures undergo large deformation and high stresses, which may cause fracture and pulverization of the nanostructures, thereby leading to degradation and mechanical failure of the flexible devices or battery cells. Therefore, enhancing mechanical durability of the novel functional nanostructures in a mechanically demanding environment remains a significant challenge to the nanostructure design. This dissertation aims to shed lights on capturing the characteristics of the failure mechanisms of some novel functional nanostructures by theoretical and computational mechanics approach, The novel functional nanostructures investigated in my thesis includes inorganic/organic multilayer nanostructures, polyimide-supported brittle ITO films, substrate-supported ductile metal films and nanobead/nanowall/nanowire/nanoparticle electrodes in high-performance batteries. More importantly, we also explore possible solutions to effectively enhance the mechanical durability of these functional nanostructures. Failure Mechanics of Functional Nanostructures in Advanced Technologies
Imputing Parking Usage on Sparsely Monitored Areas Within Amsterdam Through the Application of Machine Learning

Effective parking policy is essential for cities to reduce the demand their road networks experience and to combat their carbon footprints. Existing research in the application of machine learning to understand parking behavior assumes that cities have prohibitively expensive stationary parking sensors installed, while no research has yet attempted to use machine learning to impute for parking behavior using mobile probe data of sparsely monitored areas. To this end, this paper shows that it is indeed feasible to impute parking pressure (occupation as a percentage). Gradient boosted trees were found to perform the best with an R2 score of 0.20 and root mean squared error (RMSE) score of 0.087. This paper also found that three unique parking occupancy patterns exist in Amsterdam and that this information, in combination with neighborhood characteristics, has an impact on imputation under certain conditions.
Monitoring of Strength Development in Portland Cement Concrete With High Fly-Ash Content at the FAA’s National Airport Pavement Test Facility

Construction Cycle 2 (CC2) at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF) included construction of three concrete test items MRC, MRG, and MRS on three different support conditions (crushed-stone subbase, slab on grade, and econocrete stabilized subbase). All three test items were constructed on a CBR 7-8 subgrade. The existing econocrete subbase (P-306) from CC1 test item MRS was used for CC2 MRS. Concrete was placed in the test items using a concrete pump into fully formed 15 ft. (4.57 m) by 15 ft. (4.57 m) slabs. Test results are presented and discussed in this paper. Test results include concrete placement details (slump, air content, concrete temperature), compressive strengths, flexural strengths, elastic modulus from free-free resonance tests on concrete beams and cylinders, portable seismic pavement analyzer (PSPA) tests, and strength results from sawed beams and cored cylinders taken from untrafficked test slabs. Concrete specimens included both laboratory cured and field cured specimens. PSPA tests were performed on the test item slabs at the age of one day and on regular intervals after that, coinciding with the laboratory testing of beams and cylinders. The test results showed good correlation between elastic modulus (from free-free resonance and PSPA tests) and strength values (compressive and flexural strengths) and demonstrated the application potential of a testing device such as PSPA for assessing the early-age strength of concrete.
DEVELOPMENT OF A CANDLE FILTER FAILURE SAFEGUARD DEVICE

The full-flow mechanical safeguard device (FFMSGD) has been developed under contract to the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to address problems with the reliability of ceramic candle filter elements installed on high-temperature, high-pressure (HTHP) Hot Gas Cleanup (HGCU) filters. Although systems candle filters are expected to perform satisfactorily when in good operating condition, the failure of even a single filter element can increase the filter system outlet dust loading enough to potentially damage gas turbine blades, contaminate other downstream processes, and limit the availability of the power system. Filter failure safeguard devices that are installed on each individual candle filter element are envisioned as a guarantee of a candle filter system's ability to withstand some number of element failures and continue operation without these negative consequences. The intention of the FFMSGD is to provide this guarantee without incurring any significant pressure drop penalty or constraining the filter system's reverse-pulse cleaning procedures. The FFMSGD provides a clear flow path for filtered and reverse-flow cleaning gases when its filter element is intact, and activates to provide a positive mechanical seal against gas flow in either direction when its filter element breaks or fails. This activation is induced by the increase in the flow rate of gas through the device in event of filter failure. The FFMSGD is designed to be easily removed and reconditioned when the filter system is taken off line for routine maintenance. This report is intended to be issued with a companion appendix. As instructed in Section J.12 of Contract No. DE-AC26-99FT40678, all the restricted, proprietary, and patentable information (not yet disclosed through the patent application process) related to the FFMSGD and its evaluation under this contract has been included only in the appendix. This Final Report, which is available to the public, contains background information and general descriptions of the operating principles of the FFMSGD. This report also describes the results of various evaluations of the device at room temperature and in HTHP environments. This Final Report also includes discussions of commercialization issues. For clarity and completeness, all of the information contained in this Final Report has also been included in the appendix.
The evaluation of economic forecasts

The evaluation of economic forecasts is a substantial and important aspect of economic research, and a considerable part of such evaluation is performed by comparing competing forecasts. This thesis focuses on the development of statistical procedures in order that reliable comparison of contending forecasts can be made. The study considers three issues in particular. The first two issues are closely related and concern testing the companion null hypotheses of equal forecast accuracy and forecast encompassing. The established equal accuracy and encompassing tests are found to display problematic behaviour in certain situations, and new modified tests are proposed to overcome these shortcomings. Analysis of the tests results in a recommendation for employing one of the newly proposed tests for each of the respective hypotheses. The recommended tests follow parallel formulations and have a number of attractive features, notably robustness to likely forecast error properties of contemporaneous correlation, autocorrelation, non-normality and autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity, reliable behaviour in finite samples, and good power performance. The third issue examines the ranking of rival forecasts according to a pre-determined evaluation criterion. A recently proposed summary criterion for multi-step-ahead forecasts, comprising a single measure for all model representations and all forecast horizons of interest, is analysed, and a more reliable alternative proposed. This summary criterion approach is compared to the more conventional method of ranking forecasts at a specific horizon for a particular model representation, and the related issue of forecast encompassing for linear combinations of forecasts is discussed. This thesis therefore develops robust well-behaved tests for equal forecast accuracy and forecast encompassing, and advances techniques for ranking competing multi-step forecasts, providing improved, more reliable procedures for conducting economic forecast evaluation.
EEG-Based Neonatal Sleep Stage Classification Using Ensemble Learning

: Sleep stage classification can provide important information regarding neonatal brain development and maturation. Visual annotation, using polysomnography (PSG), is considered as a gold standard for neonatal sleep stage classification. However, visual annotation is time consuming and needs professional neurologists. For this reason, an internet of things and ensemble-based automatic sleep stage classification has been proposed in this study. 12 EEG features, from 9 bipolar channels, were used to train and test the base classifiers including convolutional neural network, support vector machine, and multilayer perceptron. Bagging and stacking ensembles are then used to combine the outputs for final classification. The proposed algorithm can reach a mean kappa of 0.73 and 0.66 for 2-stage and 3-stage (wake, active sleep, and quiet sleep) classification, respectively. The proposed network works as a semi-real time application because a smoothing filter is used to hold the sleep stage for 3 min. The high-performance parameters and its ability to work in semi real-time makes it a promising candidate for use in hospitalized newborn infants.
The Effect of Technostress on Emotional Exhaustion and Coping Strategies

Technostress at a workplace is a negative consequence of not being able to adapt adequately to technology rapid advancement. It may cause psychological disturbance to the employees and lead to many disturbing effects such as job dissatisfaction, job isolation and emotional exhaustion. While past studies have examined the causal direction of technostress to employees’ behavior, this study explores the relationship between technostress and emotional exhaustion and coping strategy, measured as proactive and reactive coping among office personnel. A survey was conducted among 140 employees from various organizations, who were selected based on convenience sampling. The data was analysed using SmartPLS for both measurement and structural model. The results suggest there are significant relationships between technostress and emotional exhaustion, between technostress and reactive coping, and between emotional exhaustion and both proactive and reactive coping strategy. The relationship between technostress and proactive coping was found to be not significant. The findings suggest even though technostress leads to emotional exhaustion, how employees cope the mental challenge require further investigations. The study is significance as a pathway to look for adequate strategies and creating awareness on the potential emotional burdens caused by technostress.
SQUID: A Scalable System for Querying, Updating and Indexing Dynamic Graph Databases

Graph databases such as chemical databases, protein databases, and RNA motif databases, are simply a collection of graphs. Querying a graph database involves the computation of a subgraph isomorphism problem (which is NP-complete) for each graph in the database. Therefore, an index is required to filter out false positives and reduce the number of subgraph isomorphisms to compute. In this demo, we introduce SQUID, a scalable system for querying, updating and indexing dynamic graph databases, i.e., databases changing over time, and showcase it on chemical databases. The tool uses a graph coarsening-based index that is able to answer both subgraph and supergraph queries. It also allows the database to be changed with an automatic index update. Also, it displays information found in the graph database in a concise manner that is easier to understand.
Metadesign Tools: Designing the seeds for shared processes of change

This paper introduces design tools and approaches developed to invite and support higher levels of synergy in collaborative practice. The tools that are introduced through three individual cases have been used to prompt a proactive and imaginative engagement with the sustainability imperative. These individual cases challenge the very boundaries of design. The idea of ‘metadesign’ is adopted to advocate design that operates at systemic levels, that invites interdisciplinary collaborations and that seeds or sets up the conditions for emergent processes of change. The cases represent the fashion industry at mass-market level in Sweden and the UK, the design, production and export of home furnishings in Indonesia, and an (AHRC) funded interdisciplinary design project in the UK entitled ‘Benchmarking Synergy levels within Metadesign’.
Designing an H-rotor type Wind Turbine for Operation on Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station

This thesis focuses on designing the turbine, tower structure and generator for an H-rotor type wind turbine. The produced power will be used for heating of drilling equipment, stored in containers, on the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. A 23 kW wind turbine producing 5 kW on average has been designed. Moreover, the design has been tested to be mounted on top of the container storing the drilling equipment. Climatological data have been processed to describe the wind regime in useful terms. A three bladed H-rotor has been dimensioned for the mean power demand using a Conformal Mapping and Double Multiple Streamtube model. The tower structure has been tested considering strength and eigenfrequencies with simulations based on Finite Element Method and analytical calculations. An outer rotor generator has been designed using a simulation code based on Finite Element Method. The site specific constraints due to the extreme climate in Antarctica are considered throughout the design process. Installing this wind turbine would be a first step towards higher penetration of renewable energy sources on the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
Enabling a TQM structure through information technology

Organization structure has been rather ignored by TQM Gurus. It is not even clear whether a TQM organization is centralized or not. Many companies superimpose their TQM programs on their existing structures overlooking the fact that the success of any organization rests heavily on the compatibility between its strategy and its structure. The absence of a clear perspective on a TQM structure inhibits the effective use of information technology (IT) as a quality enabling factor. This paper presents the main characteristics of a TQM structure and delineates the enabling role of IT for each.
Telecoms in the Internet Age: From Boom to Bust to?

From the Publisher: The field of telecommunications experienced one of the most powerful rise in industrial success and within a short time, became one of the world's biggest economic pitfall. This book discusses this remarkable industrial collapse as well as analyzing the circumstances and conditions that contributed to the incredible rise and subsequent fall. It takes a global approach by providing compelling research on the situations of the countries who experienced this phenomenon, including, England, Germany, France, Japan and the United States.
Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 15: In Vivo, in Vitro, in Silico: Designing the Next in Medicine

Our culture is obsessed with design. Sometimes designers can fuse utility and fantasy to make the mundane appear fresh - a cosmetic repackaging of the same old thing. Because of this, medicine - grounded in the unforgiving realities of the scientific method and peer review, and of flesh, blood, and pain - can sometimes confuse 'design' with mere 'prettifying'. Design solves real problems, however. This collection of papers underwrites the importance of design for the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality community, within three different environments: in vivo, in vitro and in silico. In vivo: we design machines to explore our living bodies. Imaging devices, robots, and sensors move constantly inward, operating within smaller dimensions: system, organ, cell, DNA. In vitro: Using test tubes and Petri dishes, we isolate in vivo to better manipulate and measure biological conditions and reactions. In silico: We step out of the controlled in vitro environment and into a virtual reality. The silica mini-worlds of test tubes and Petri dishes are translated into mini-worlds contained within silicon chips. The future of medicine remains within all three environments: in vivo, in vitro, and in silico. Design is what makes these pieces fit together - the biological, the informational, the physical/material - into something new and more useful.
Creating a Winning E-Business

1. Understanding E-Business 2. Defining Your E-Business Idea 3. Creating an E-Business Plan 4. Getting Your E-Business Off the Ground 5. Operating Your E-Business 6. Marketing Your E-Business 7. Taking Advantage of Affiliate Marketing 8. Designing Your Web Site 9. Understanding Web Technologies 10. Securing Your E-Business Appendix: Creating a Web Site with Microsoft FrontPage
Information Warfare: How to Survive Cyber Attacks

From the Book: Preface This book provides a new look at information warfare strategies and how they could impact the operations and economic viability of private companies. The historical focus on information warfare has been from a military perspective. Although the military perspective toward information warfare has merit, it is based on a traditional perception of warfare as strategies and tactics that are designed to achieve military goals or protect military capabilities and the infrastructure of a militaryindustrial complex. I have gone beyond the traditional military view and presents a multidisciplinary analysis of information warfare that encompasses economics, politics, social behavior, and international relations and how these forces will influence the initiation and response to information warfare attacks. This book presents a new approach to analyzing information warfare strategies and provides an in-depth look at the potential impact of ten different types of information warfare. This book also examines tactics that will be employed during information warfare attacks and how private companies and government agencies can prepare to respond to attacks. In addition, the emergence of the information warrior is examined and how these warriors may impact national security and international political relationships. Finally, this book presents an analysis of how governments can better prepare for the potential of information warfare and evaluates the skill sets and personalities that will be required to police cyberspace in the future.
The Hinge Factor: How Chance and Stupidity Have Changed History

From the wooden horse of Troy to the Gulf War, military history has been as much marked by chance and error, as by gallantry and heroism. Many conflicts have been decided by the caprice of weather, bad intelligence, heroism where it wasn't expected, or individual incompetence. In military terms, the incident which can swing a battle from victory to defeat in a moment is known as the Hinge Factor. The Hinge Factor vividly describes battles which demonstrate this phenomenon - including the circumstances behind the loss of the Holy Cross, through to the attack of African war bees in 1914, to Star-War weaponry described in the Gulf War. This enthralling book demystifies the general belief that battles are always won due to the brilliance of a general and will both inform and entertain a wide audience.
TWENTY-YEAR STUDY OF ASPHALT RUBBER PAVEMENTS IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA

The details of asphalt rubber application on city streets pioneered by the city of Phoenix, Arizona, since the mid-1960s are outlined. Problems encountered in the early use of this material are noted. Various guidelines and specifications developed by the city for the successful use of asphalt rubber are summarized. Viscosity of asphalt cement with and without an asphalt rubber seal was determined, and the importance of these results on the aging phenomenon are discussed. Many of the city's original streets with asphalt rubber application were not evaluated because they have been reconstructed. The remaining streets were inspected, and the pavement conditions for each were observed. Detailed observations of all the street pavements are summarized, and the important findings from this 20-year historical survey of asphalt rubber pavements are discussed. Conclusions on the use and advantages of asphalt rubber as a maintenance treatment for the city's streets are noted. In spite of the advantages and good engineering characteristics of asphalt rubber chip seal, there was mounting public opposition to its continued use because loose chips caused damage to cars. The city therefore developed a special asphalt rubber hot mix. This alternative surface treatment has proven to be as effective and reliable as asphalt rubber chip seals. Details of the design of this mix and its advantages are discussed in depth.
Calibration of the NASA Glenn 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (1996 and 1997 Tests)

There were several physical and operational changes made to the NASA Glenn Research Center 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel during the period of 1992 through 1996. Following each of these changes, a facility calibration was conducted to provide the required information to support the research test programs. Due to several factors (facility research test schedule, facility downtime and continued facility upgrades), a full test section calibration was not conducted until 1996. This calibration test incorporated all test section configurations and covered the existing operating range of the facility. However, near the end of that test entry, two of the vortex generators mounted on the compressor exit tailcone failed causing minor damage to the honeycomb flow straightener. The vortex generators were removed from the facility and calibration testing was terminated. A follow-up test entry was conducted in 1997 in order to fully calibrate the facility without the effects of the vortex generators and to provide a complete calibration of the newly expanded low speed operating range. During the 1997 tunnel entry, all planned test points required for a complete test section calibration were obtained. This data set included detailed in-plane and axial flow field distributions for use in quantifying the test section flow quality.