Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
U–Pb geochronology, REE and trace element geochemistry of zircon from El Fereyid monzogranite, south Eastern Desert, Egypt

The monzogranite of El Fereyid is one of the rare metal – rich granites, where zircon is one of the ore minerals. Thus, studying zircon here is of vital importance. Most of the studied zircon grains are metamict and thus the loss of radiogenic Pb is detected for them. Nevertheless, our study allowed us to obtain the U – Pb (SHRIMP – II) age of magmatic crystallization for the El Fereyid monzogranite: 626 ± 13 Ma. These data allowed the cor-rection of earlier determined age (K – Ar system in biotite) for the El Fereyid massif. Zircon grains of El Fereyid monzogranite demonstrate heterogeneous structure in CL images, they are rich in rare earth elements (REE, concentration 3000 – 22500 ppm), trace elements (U: 2000 – 14800 ppm, Th: 300 – 2500 ppm), and has low Th/U ratios (average 0.18). Most zircon grains exhibit multiple internal oscillatory zoning in CL images, indicating a typical magmatic origin. The core of zircon grain has a dark tone on CL imaging and magmatic – type REE spectra. Zircon cores are enriched in REEs, U, Th, and Y, thus recording that the magma was rich in incompatible elements. Light CL rims of zircon grains are depleted, relative to the cores in most of the trace elements, except for P, Ca, and Ti. REE spectra in rims show similar patterns that are more often demonstrated by hydrothermal zircon grains. This explains their crystallization in the late – magmatic stage when magma was rich in ﬂ uids but depleted in most of the trace elements.
Campfires in Cyberspace: Primordial Metaphors for Learning in the 21st Century.

Editor’s Note : The second invited paper for 2004 comes from David Thornburg, a futurist and philosopher whose insights have guided corporations and governments for over a quarter of a century. Dr. Thornburg draws attention to the importance of storytelling to communicate concepts and culture, not only to our contemporaries, but to the next generation, His use of analogy and metaphors to clarify the role of various communication processes and environments brings us to realize that, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, the answers we seek were always visible, but not necessarily understood – at least not until explained to us!
Head Injury and Parkinson Disease: Updated Evidence from Meta-Analysis Studies

Background Published studies on head injury and Parkinson's risk(PD) were inconsistent. We performed a meta-analysis study to explore the association.Methods We retrieved articles published in English from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and ScienceDirect between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2019. The pooled effect of head injury and PD risk was calculated by a random effect model.Results In the meta-analysis, there were 21 studies, including 214763 individuals and 39209 PD patients. The pooled OR estimates(ORs) showed an increased risk of PD was correlated with head injury(OR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.29–1.66). Considering the unconscious state, head injury with LOC showed significant association with PD(OR = 1.49, 95%CI 1.28–1.74). However, head injury without LOC had no significant association with PD (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.29–1.12). Sensitivity analysis showed that, when any one study was excluded, the results did not change significantly.Conclusions Our research shows that head injury was associated with PD risk.This study provides a basis and reference for further study on head injury and PD.
Effectiveness of information technology infrastructure library process implementations by information technology departments within united states organizations

This research study examined whether the overall effectiveness of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) could be predicted by measuring multiple independent variables. The primary variables studied included the number of ITIL process modules adopted and the overall ITIL "maturity level. " An online survey was used to collect data from participating volunteers within the United States, and then analyzed to reveal any significant findings. The research showed a statistically significant positive relationship between overall maturity level and effectiveness, however the ability to predict effectiveness based upon the number of process modules adopted was inconclusive. Additionally, differences in module adoption from either the Service Support or Service Delivery process blocks were considered. The results suggested that process module adoption from the Service Support block has a somewhat stronger relationship to overall effectiveness than adoption from the Service Delivery block, though this finding should be viewed cautiously. Sample size and survey instrument limitations restricted the interpretation of the results.
Prognostic Value of a Bone Marrow Scan Before and During Treatment of Bone Metastases With Radium-223-dichloride in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer

Background: Due to the risks of hematological side effects resp. clinical aggravation, not all patients with metastasized castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and bone metastases should undergo all six cycles of radium-223-dichloride therapy. A parameter helping us to assess the chances of successful therapy management as well as the risk of hematological side effects is needed. The aim of this study is to analyze “Bone Marrow Scintigraphy” (BMS) as a prognostic factor. Methods: 106 patients were included in our single-center study. 93 patients underwent BMS with 492-667 MBq Tc-99m Scintimun® prior to therapy. The “Uptake Ratio” (UR) was calculated by positioning “regions of interest” (ROI) around the sacroiliac region, the sternum and the background areas. We calculated an UR threshold value by means of a “Receiver-Operating-Characteristics” (ROC) curve. The UR and the “Bone Scan Index” (BSI), which is automatically gained by bone scintigraphy, were related and compared to other measured parameters (lab parameters, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)). Statistics software IBM® SPSS® Statistics (Version 24.0) was employed to identify prognostic factors by univariate und multivariate analyzes.Results: The sacroiliac area-to-background technique proved helpful in combination with the calculated threshold UR=8 for quantitative assessment of a BMS. Radium-223-dichloride treatment showed significantly lower hematological toxicity at UR>8 (p=0.001). More precisely subdivided, there was a significant effect on to the number of erythrocytes (p=0.018), leucocytes (p=0.030) und neutrophil granulocytes (p=0.031). Significant prognostic factors influencing the “Overall survival” (OS) were the bone marrow (BM) distribution pattern (p=0.039) and the calculated UR (p=0.027). Conclusion: An UR value of 8 can be used for an approximation in prognostic assessment of risks and chances of this therapy. A combination of a qualitative and a quantitative evaluation of pre-therapeutic BMS could help to minimize therapy drop-outs and an avoidable exposure to radium-223-dichloride-therapy as well as other potential radio-nuclide therapies.
Spherically stratified microwave lenses

These Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne EPFL, n° 1065 (1992)Laboratoire d'electromagnetisme et acoustique Reference doi:10.5075/epfl-thesis-1065Print copy in library catalog Record created on 2005-03-16, modified on 2016-08-08
A practical method for friction compensation in rapid point-to-point motion

Rapid point-to-point motion of a servo mechanism has obvious industrial applications. Due to their low cost, simplicity, application flexibility, and position stability, rolling element bearings are often a good choice for servos used in such processes. As industrial processes begin to require nanometer tolerances, settling time of a servo after a step motion has significant impact on process throughput. For most servo problems, linear systems theory works well to describe and predict servo response. However, on the sub-micrometer length scale, friction causes the servo to become a highly nonlinear system. Thus, a linear representation of the system that works well to describe and predict system performance on a larger length scale, does not work for sub-micrometer displacements. This leads to servo settling times that are much longer than would be predicted by linear systems theory. While methods of friction compensation, such as feedforward and friction observers, have been investigated in other efforts, they may not be entirely appropriate for the point-to-point motion problem. Further, the apparent frictional parameters of the servo mechanism appear to change in a way that is not easily quantifiable. Analysis of previous methods of friction compensation is often based on the assumption of perfect model matching and the unavoidable error between the actual friction process and the modeled friction process can have large negative impact on the efficacy of these previous methods. Thus, this work aims to design a friction compensation method that realistically considers uncertainty in the friction process and performs robustly with one simple parameterization of the algorithm.
C

We study the conversion of fast magnetoacoustic waves to Alfvén waves by means of 2.5D numerical simulations in a sunspot-like magnetic configuration. A fast, essentially acoustic, wave of a given frequency and wave number is generated below the surface and propagates upward through the Alfvén/acoustic equipartition layer where it splits into upgoing slow (acoustic) and fast (magnetic) waves. The fast wave quickly reflects off the steep Alfvén speed gradient, but around and above this reflection height it partially converts to Alfvén waves, depending on the local relative inclinations of the background magnetic field and the wavevector. To measure the efficiency of this conversion to Alfvén waves we calculate acoustic and magnetic energy fluxes. The particular amplitude and phase relations between the magnetic field and velocity oscillations help us to demonstrate that the waves produced are indeed Alfvén waves. We find that the conversion to Alfvén waves is particularly important for strongly inclined fields like those existing in sunspot penumbrae. Equally important is the magnetic field orientation with respect to the vertical plane of wave propagation, which we refer to as “field azimuth. ” For a field azimuth less than 90◦ the generated Alfvén waves continue upward, but above 90◦ downgoing Alfvén waves are preferentially produced. This yields negative Alfvén energy flux for azimuths between 90◦ and 180◦. Alfvén energy fluxes may be comparable to or exceed acoustic fluxes, depending upon geometry, though computational exigencies limit their magnitude in our simulations.
Environmental Sentinel Biomonitor (ESB) System Technology Assessment

Abstract : The U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research, with support from Army client organizations and funding from Army Science and Technology Objective (STO) IV.ME. 2004.03, is developing an Environmental Sentinel Biomonitor (ESB) system to provide rapid toxicity identification for a broad spectrum of chemicals in water. A critical initial phase of the STO is to test and evaluate toxicity sensor technologies (also called ESB system technologies). Because there are a number of potentially feasible technologies that could meet the goals of the ESB program, a downselect was performed to evaluate these technologies and select the most promising technologies for further development as part of an ESB system. The methodology and process to complete the downselect was developed with user representatives and technology experts. The methods and processes used produce repeatable, defensible, and justifiable investment decisions.
The End-Use Load and Consumer Assessment Program

Recently, an objective methodology to characterize air masses for a given locale was developed by Kalkstein and Corrigan (1986). This methodology was used to determine which air masses had the greatest potential for high atmospheric concentrations of sulfur dioxide. Referred to as the temporal synoptic index (TSI), this approach uses a combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis to identify days considered to be meteorologically homogenous. The PCA transforms the original set of intercorrelated meteorological variables into a new set of components that are linear combinations of the original variables. This transformation simplifies the amount of data being processed and eliminates the intercorrelations that exist among weather variables. The next step in the methodology is to apply an objective clustering scheme to the most significant of the transformed variables. This application converts the group's days into meteorologically homogeneous clusters. The work presented in this report is the result of an exploratory study of the application of the TSI approach to the analysis of commercial building energy consumption data. In this study, the hourly HVAC consumption data for four commercial buildings, monitored as part of ELCAP, were analyzed for patterns of consumption by weather day types derived from themore » TSI methodology. 3 refs., 9 figs., 5 tabs. « less
Sensitivity Calculations for a 2D, Inviscid, Supersonic Forebody Problem

Abstract : In this paper, we discuss the use of a sensitivity equation method to compute derivatives for optimization based design algorithms. The problem of designing an optimal forebody simulator is used to motivate the algorithm and to illustrate the basic ideas. Finally, we indicate how an existing CFD code can be modified to compute sensitivities and a numerical example is presented.
The image processing and database system in the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo: an integrated system for art research

In Japan, art museums have created databases for management, educational and promotional purposes, rather than for research. At the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, a group consisting of a librarian, three curators, and a systems specialist, embarked in 1984 on a four year project to assemble and test a system which, utilising machine-readable thesauri and classification systems developed in Western countries, will, it is hoped, facilitate research into Western art.
The steam engine and the computer: what makes technology revolutionary

Herbert A. Simon, the Richard King Mellon University professor of computer sciences and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, received the Nobel Prize in economic sciences in 1978, He has authored and co-authored numerous books Including Organizations, The Sciences of the Artificial, and Reason in Human Affairs. Recipient of the A.M. Turing Award in 1975 from the Association for Computing Machinery, Herbert Simon Is one of the world's leading authorities on human decision making and artificial intelligence.
DEVELOPMENT OF A FRAMEWORK FOR PARTNERING THROUGH ALIGNING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURES IN THE MALAYSIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

In line with the main awareness of partnering in solving the many issues within the global construction industry, the Malaysian government has call upon the local industry to embrace and adapt partnering practices in their project delivery. Although culture has been noted as one of the main enabler for partnering, there is lack of research in highlighting the role of culture in partnering and virtually no evidence of a partnering framework established for a multi-ethnic and racial workforce in a developing country such as Malaysia. This research aims to develop a framework for partnering that aligns organizational culture in the Malaysian construction industry. This exploratory research studies the basic concept of partnering and the influence of culture to partnering success. This research seeks to identify which partnering enablers are readily available in the Malaysian construction industry at present. Apart from that, this research also explores the current organizational culture which affects the level of engagement in partnering among private SME consultant firms in particular and the industry in general. The private SME consultant firms are highlighted in this research due to the evidence that indicates the critical role of the consultants in driving the innovations in the industry, which is also cited as one of the outputs from successful partnering. This research leans towards interpretivist epistemological standpoint with an inductive approach and employs a convergent parallel mixed methods survey design in order to answer the research questions. In this research, 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted with top and middle managers in 4 private SME consultant firms and 69 questionnaires were completed by practitioners from various segments of the Malaysian construction industry. As the design suggests, findings from a critical literature review, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires are merged to form a foundation for the development of framework in this research. This research contributes not only to expanding the knowledge in the concept of partnering but also for the implementation of partnering in the construction industry particularly in Malaysia through the framework developed. The practical implication of this thesis is to provide the construction practitioners with the method to establish, enhance and maintain a network of successful partnering relationship in Malaysia.
Results on mass composition of cosmic rays as measured with LOFAR

We present an updated analysis of the mass composition of cosmic rays in the energy range of 10 16 . 8 to 10 18 . 3 eV. It is based on measurements with the LOFAR telescope of the depth of shower maximum, X max . We review the improvements to the simulation-based reconstruction setup, as well as the selection method to obtain a minimally biased X max dataset. Results include estimates of the mean and standard deviation of the X max distribution. A statistical analysis at distribution level has been done as well, using a four-component model of light to heavy nuclei. It conﬁrms our previous results showing a signiﬁcant low-mass fraction in this energy range. The radio technique has advanced enough that multiple observatories are publishing results on X max . As the array layouts and methods vary, it is interesting to compare the approaches, in light of the observed diﬀerences in the X max results. We therefore show additional information on bias tests used in the X max reconstruction and sample selection process.
Characterisation of plosive, fricative and aspiration components in speech production

This thesis is a study of the production of human speech sounds by acoustic modelling and signal analysis. It concentrates on sounds that are not produced by voicing (although that may be present), namely plosives, fricatives and aspiration, which all contain noise generated by flow turbulence. It combines the application of advanced speech analysis techniques with acoustic flow-duct modelling of the vocal tract, and draws on dynamic magnetic resonance image (dMRI) data of the pharyngeal and oral cavities, to relate the sounds to physical shapes. Having superimposed vocal-tract outlines on three sagittal dMRI slices of an adult male subject, a simple description of the vocal tract suitable for acoustic modelling was derived through a sequence of transformations. The vocal-tract acoustics program VOAC, which relaxes many of the assumptions of conventional plane-wave models, incorporates the effects of net flow into a one-dimensional model (viz., flow separation, increase of entropy, and changes to resonances), as well as wall vibration and cylindrical wavefronts. It was used for synthesis by computing transfer functions from sound sources specified within the tract to the far field. Being generated by a variety of aero-acoustic mechanisms, unvoiced sounds are somewhat varied in nature. Through analysis that was informed by acoustic modelling, resonance and anti-resonance frequencies of ensemble-averaged plosive spectra were examined for the same subject, and their trajectories observed during release. The anti-resonance frequencies were used to compute the place of occlusion. In vowels and voiced fricatives, voicing obscures the aspiration and frication components. So, a method was devised to separate the voiced and unvoiced parts of a speech signal, the pitch-scaled harmonic filter (PSHF), which was tested extensively on synthetic signals. Based on a harmonic model of voicing, it outputs harmonic and anharmonic signals appropriate for subsequent analysis as time series or as power spectra. By applying the PSHF to sustained voiced fricatives, we found that, not only does voicing modulate the production of frication noise, but that the timing of pulsation cannot be explained by acoustic propagation alone. In addition to classical investigation of voiceless speech sounds, VOAC and the PSHF demonstrated their practical value in helping further to characterise plosion, frication and aspiration noise. For the future, we discuss developing VOAC within an articulatory synthesiser, investigating the observed flow-acoustic mechanism in a dynamic physical model of voiced frication, and applying the PSHF more widely in the field of speech research.
SPERT III REACTOR FACILITY

The Special Power Excursion Reactor Test III (Spert III) reactor is a pressurized-water nuclear-research reactor which was constructed to provide a facility for conducting reactor kinetic behavior and safety investigations. The investigations are designed to provide information for the advancement of pressurized-water and boiling-water reactor technology and safety. The facility was designed for operations up to pressures of 2500 psig and temperatures of 670 deg F and incorporates essential features typical of pressurized-water and boiling-water reactors. The engineering features of the reactor and supporting process equipment as constructed at the National Reactor Testing Station are described. (auth)
Comment on 'Statistical Modelling: the Two Cultures' by Leo Breiman

Abstract:The discussion paper "Statistical Modeling: the Two Cultures" (Statistical Science, Vol 16, 2001) by the late Leo Breiman sent shockwaves throughout the statistical community and subsequently redirected the efforts of much of the field towards machine learning, high-dimensional analysis and data mining approaches. In this discussion, we discuss some of the implications of this work in the sphere of causal inference. In particular, we define the concept of comparability, which is fundamental to the ability to draw causal inferences and reinterpret some concepts in high-dimensional data analysis from this viewpoint. One of the points we highlight in this discussion is the need to consider data-adaptive estimands for causal effects with high-dimensional confounders. We also revisit matching and develop some mathematical formalism for matching algorithms.