Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Avoiding Fracture Failure of a Crusher Disk in a Lamp Re- cycling Machine

The crusher disk in lamp recovery device used for crushing aluminum end caps is breaking while crushing for unknown reasons. Therefore it is important for design engineers to be able to find out the possibilities of fracture failure and also provide prevention methods for it during design proposals. The scope of this thesis is to find out the reason for failure, solution and prevention methods of the crusher disk in a lamp recovery device. Hence the experiment will include theoretical modeling followed by experimental work. Theory of essential work, experimental and finite element methods using ABAQUS, INVENTOR were used for analysis. Dynamic simulation in Autodesk Inventor was performed to find the startup force. A finite element analysis in ABAQUS was made in order to show stress concentration on the disk. It provides effective method for experimentation. During experimentation it is found that the failure occurs due to improper design. It was Re-designed to prevent the problem.
Long Term Impacts of California's Graduated Licensing Law of 1998

With fatal and injury crash data from California's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), this study used standard regression analysis as well as the Bai-Perron stochastic multiple structural break model to determine the effect of the law on teen-age passengers and crash rates of 16 year-old drivers. The authors found that in the four and one-half years following implementation of the new law, crashes caused by 16 year-old drivers decreased by 11% and the average number of teen-age passengers carried by 16 year-olds decreased by approximately 31%. The combination of these two decreases resulted in the saving of 29 lives and the prevention of 2,632 injuries.
A dual‐band single‐layer circularly polarized reflectarray composed by elements having variable rotation angles

A dual‐band single‐layer circularly polarized reflectarray composed by elements with variable rotation angles is presented in this article. Orthogonal dipole elements etched on the substrate are designed to operate at 10 and 13.5 GHz, respectively. By introduction of element rotation technique, the proposed reflectarray has a good isolation between the two operating bands and obtains excellent performance of circular polarization compared with the conventional design. All the simulated and measured results demonstrate the advantages of the proposed reflectarray. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 25:39–47, 2015.
Numerical prediction of turbulent oscillating flow and associated heat transfer

A crucial point for further development of engines is the optimization of its heat exchangers which operate under oscillatory flow conditions. It has been found that the most important thermodynamic uncertainties in the Stirling engine designs for space power are in the heat transfer between gas and metal in all engine components and in the pressure drop across the heat exchanger components. So far, performance codes cannot predict the power output of a Stirling engine reasonably enough if used for a wide variety of engines. Thus, there is a strong need for better performance codes. However, a performance code is not concerned with the details of the flow. This information must be provided externally. While analytical relationships exist for laminar oscillating flow, there has been hardly any information about transitional and turbulent oscillating flow, which could be introduced into the performance codes. In 1986, a survey by Seume and Simon revealed that most Stirling engine heat exchangers operate in the transitional and turbulent regime. Consequently, research has since focused on the unresolved issue of transitional and turbulent oscillating flow and heat transfer. Since 1988, the University of Minnesota oscillating flow facility has obtained experimental data about transitional and turbulent oscillating flow. However, since the experiments in this field are extremely difficult, lengthy, and expensive, it is advantageous to numerically simulate the flow and heat transfer accurately from first principles. Work done at the University of Minnesota on the development of such a numerical simulation is summarized.
Lensfree Optical Tomography for High-Throughput 3D Imaging on a Chip

Author(s): ISIKMAN, SERHAN OMER | Advisor(s): OZCAN, AYDOGAN | Abstract: Light microscopes provide us with the key to observe objects that are orders of magnitude smaller than what the unaided eye can see. Therefore, microscopy has been the cornerstone of science and medicine for centuries. Recently, optical microscopy has seen a growing interest in developing three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques that enable sectional imaging of biological specimen. These imaging techniques, however, are generally quite complex, bulky and expensive in addition to having a limited field-of-view due to the need for lens-based optical magnification.In this thesis, I demonstrate lensfree optical tomography (LOT) as a new 3D imaging modality that offers high-throughput imaging in a compact and simple architecture. This technique is fundamentally based on lensfree on-chip microscopy, where computation is used to replace bulky components of traditional imaging devices to reduce size, cost and complexity while at the same time significantly enlarging the imaging field-of-view. In LOT, in-line holograms of objects at different illumination angles are recorded using a digital sensor-array, which enables computing pixel super-resolved tomographic images of the specimen. LOT offers l350nm lateral resolution and ~2 μm axial resolution over large imaging volumes of e.g., 15-100 mm3, and can be assembled in lightweight and compact architectures. The imaging performance of LOT is quantified using spherical microparticles as well as using biological specimen such as C. elegans worms and H. Nana eggs.To demonstrate that LOT could be useful for imaging applications in resource-limited settings, I also devised a field-portable, USB-powered compact and lightweight tomographic microscope that only weighs ~110 grams. This portable device can fit in a volume of 96 mm x 89 mm x 40 mm. In addition, to demonstrate the integration of LOT in microfluidic platforms and lab-on-a-chip systems, I also introduce an optofluidic tomography platform. In this system, the sample is delivered to the tomographic imager through a microfluidic chamber, which is mounted on the sensor chip. Tomographic data acquisition is performed while the objects are electrokinetically driven through the chamber.Probing a large volume at micrometer-scale 3D spatial resolution, LOT could provide a powerful imaging tool for high-throughput imaging applications in e.g., cell and developmental biology, as well as for future lab-on-chip platforms.
Performance Assessment of Oversized Culverts to Accommodate Fish Passage

In Minnesota there is not a standard culvert design used at road crossings to improve aquatic organism or fish passage. The design process for fish passage in Minnesota is currently based on the knowledge and experience of local county, state and Department of Natural Resources personnel. The design methodology attempts to maintain the natural stream dimensions, pattern and profile through the culvert crossing. If designed properly aquatic organisms and fish that can make it upstream to the culvert should be able to pass through the culvert. This research was conducted to better understand the hydraulic conditions related to the practice of recessing culverts and other fish passage design elements over a range of landscapes in Minnesota. The design elements analyzed included bankfull width, slope, channel materials, side barrels and recessed culverts. Nineteen culvert sites were surveyed around the state. The main criterion used to evaluate performance of the culverts was the presence or absence of adequate sediment in the recessed culvert barrel. Six of the fourteen sites with recessed barrels had no sediment accumulation. A likely reason that these culverts lack sediment was increased velocities due to improper sizing relative to bankfull channel width and the accumulation of sediment in the side barrels. Wider Rosgen “C” type channels also correlated with performance issues related to culvert design.
The Chernobyl Problem

When the infamous accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant occurred in April 1986—a catastrophe that involved an explosion that blew off the top of one of the plant’s four operating reactors and ignited the reactor’s core—the resulting clean-up efforts focused on stabilizing the situation more than making sure that the shelter erected to stabilize the site was structurally sound. In 1996 a European team of experts analyzed the results of previous studies and concluded that the shelter needed immediate attention. The shelter’s poor condition was a result of localized damage, overloading, large displacements, and deviations from the relevant construction codes during its construction. A collapse with dangerous consequence was seen as probable within a short time period. One solution is an arch confinement that would enclose the shelter and the plant’s northern cascade wall and turbine hall. It would comprise an 80-m high arch cover having a span 260 m, along with western and eastern walls and foundations. The arch would consist of several segments, each a steel structure consisting of two internal and four external arches interconnected by tubular elements. The arch cover would rest on northern and southern foundations, each a cast-in-place slab of reinforced concrete supported by short piles.
Cubature Kalman Filter based Localization and Mapping

Abstract Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is the process of simultaneously building a map and localizing in it, and can be used for autonomous navigation. SLAM deals with estimation of vehicle states and landmarks. Most SLAM algorithms are based on extended Kalman filters (EKFs). However, the use of EKF for SLAM is not the best choice, as it works only for ‘mild’ nonlinear environments owing to the assumption of first order Taylor series approximations of process and observation models. A few researchers has also proposed the use of other estimation techniques like particle filters, unscented Kalman filters (UKFs), etc for SLAM. In this paper, we propose the use of a cubature Kalman filter (CKF) for the estimation of the SLAM augmented state vector. The proposed SLAM is derivative less SLAM. A comparison of CKF SLAM and UKF SLAM is given through numerical simulations.
Topics in Demand Response for Energy Management in Smart Grid

Future electricity grids will enable greater and more sophisticated demand side participation, which refers to the inclusion of mechanisms that enable dynamic modification of electricity demand into the operations of the electricity market, known as Demand Response (DR). The underlying information-flow infrastructures provided by the emerging smart grid enhance the interactions between customers and the market, by which DR will improve electricity grids in several aspects, e.g., by reducing peak demand and reducing need for expensive peaker plants, or by enabling demand to follow supply such as those from volatile renewable resources, etc. Many types of appliances provide flexibilities in power usage which can be viewed as demand response resources, and how to exploit such flexibilities to achieve the benefits offered by DR is a central challenge. In this dissertation, we design algorithms and architectures to bridge the gap between scheduling appliances and the benefits that DR can bring to electricity grid by utilizing the smart grid’s underlying information infrastructure. First, we focus on demand response within the consumer premise, where an energy management controller (EMC) schedules appliance operation on behalf of customers to save energy cost. We propose an optimization-based control scheme for the EMC in the building that integrates both the operational flexible appliances such as clothes washer/dryer, dish washer and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), but also the thermostatically controlled appliances such as HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems together with the thermal mass of the building. Model predictive control is employed to account for uncertainty in electricity prices and weather information. Under time-varying pricing, scheduling appliances smartly using our scheme can incur notable energy cost saving for customers. As
The plasma formation stage in magnetic compression/magnetized target fusion (MAGO/MTF)

In early 1992, emerging governmental policy in the US and Russia began to encourage ``lab-to-lab`` interactions between the All- Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics (VNIIEF) and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). As nuclear weapons stockpiles and design activities were being reduced, highly qualified scientists become for fundamental scientific research of interest to both nations. VNIIEF and LANL found a common interest in the technology and applications of magnetic flux compression, the technique for converting the chemical energy released by high-explosives into intense electrical pulses and intensely concentrated magnetic energy. Motivated originally to evaluate any possible defense applications of flux compression technology, the two teams worked independently for many years, essentially unaware of the others` accomplishments. But, an early US publication stimulated Soviet work, and the Soviets followed with a report of the achievement of 25 MG. During the cold war, a series of conferences on Megagauss Magnetic Field Generation and Related Topics became a forum for scientific exchange of ideas and accomplishments. Because of relationships established at the Megagauss conferences, VNIIEF and LANL were able to respond quickly to the initiatives of their respective governments. In late 1992, following the Megagauss VI conference, the two institutions agreed to combine resources to perform a series of experiments that essentially could not be performed by each institution independently. Beginning in September, 1993, the two institutions have performed eleven joint experimental campaigns, either at VNIIEF or at LANL. Megagauss- VII has become the first of the series to include papers with joint US and Russian authorship. In this paper, we review the joint LANL/VNIIEF experimental work that has relevance to a relatively unexplored approach to controlled thermonuclear fusion.
Flexible Fixtures with Low Cost and Short Lead-Times

This paper presents preliminary result in a flexible fixture solution for airframe assembly comprising a modular steel framework called Box-joint and flexible tooling modules called Hexapods. The solution is comprises a framework that is screwed together instead of welding beams together, which enables re-building the framework when performing change-over in a more extensive reconfiguration. The Hexapods are parallel legged passive fixture stands that can change their configuration to facilitate easy setup in a change-over between handle different assemblies. A solution to configure the Hexapods manually is described. The investment cost can be kept low by using a metrology system to provide for high accuracy in the tool configuration process instead of using precision parts in the fixture system.
Flexibility in the heads of myosin 5

Class 5 myosins are motor proteins involved in the transport and localisation of diverse cargoes in eukaryotic cells. Molecules have two heads and a tail and can move along actin filaments, by making step-like movements driven by MgATP hydrolysis. Each head comprises an actin-binding motor and a lever, an extended α-helix carrying six light chains bound to IQ motifs. The lever is an essential mechanical element in myosin 5 function, but an understanding of its mechanical properties and how these derive from its substructure is lacking. To address this, the first aim of this study was to look for and characterise flexibility within the heads of myosin 5. A second aim was to test the effect of altering the IQ motif spacing on the properties and behaviour of the molecule. The structure and flexibility of the head region of mammalian myosin 5a was studied using single-particle image processing of images from negative stain electron microscopy (EM). Image averaging revealed features of the motor and lever and provided evidence of independent rotational freedom of the motor about the lever axis, and thermally-driven flexing at the motor-lever junction. A stiffness of 32-51 pN·nm·rad-2 for the flexing was inferred, which represents a significant compliance in the unattached head. Variation in light chain orientations at each IQ motif suggested torsional flexibility. Lever bending analysis, by decomposition of average lever shapes into Fourier modes, yielded a persistence length of 50.9 ± 18.6 nm. All these results indicate that, under EM conditions, the unattached head is more flexible than has previously been measured for the actinbound complex in optical trap experiments. Lever mutants with altered IQ motif spacings were constructed and initial characterisations by negative stain EM, MgATPase assay and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy were made. For the latter, two calmodulin point mutants were made, for site-specific labelling and attachment to the lever as a fluorescent probe. One lever mutant, with closerspaced IQ motifs, resembled wild-type and had similar actin-activated MgATPase activity. However, its motile properties remain undetermined. Another mutant, with wider-spaced IQ motifs did not bind calmodulin and it had no actin-activated MgATPase. The molecule appeared misfolded but retained residual actin-binding properties. These contrasting results highlight the importance of the lever’s structure in the function of the molecule.
Incivility as a Violation of Communication Norms—A Typology Based on Normative Expectations toward Political Communication

Research on incivility in political communication usually defines uncivil communication as a violation of established norms. Few studies, however, have specified these norms and corroborated them using relevant theoretical concepts. This article aims at strengthening the foundations of incivility research by analytically reconstructing the potential normative expectations of communication participants toward the behavior of others in offline and online political communication. We propose that these expectations can be considered as communication norms, which enable cooperative communication in political debates and conflicts. We use action theory, evolutionary anthropology, and linguistics to propose a norm concept that differentiates five communication norms: an information norm, a modality norm, a process norm, a relation norm, and a context norm. Drawing on these norms, we propose new definitions of incivility and civility. We also provide a comprehensive typology of norm violations that can be used as a heuristic for empirical research.
CSR's Pattern and Trends within Multinational Enterprises Operating in China

This study examines the trends of corporate social responsibility (CSR) dynamics within multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in China. Secondary data was gathered from the published reports (e.g., annual, CSR, sustainability etc.) to measure the study variable with the help of global reporting initiative (GRI-G4) and compute a comprehensive CSR' outline. This study institutes the fundamental but general drifts about the concept of CSR within MNEs in China. Overall, it was found that the inclination of CSR activities is towards social; followed by environmental and economic dimensions. While comparing CSR performance among various sectors, it was reflected that exploration & production, manufacturing and consumer products sectors have outperformed. Similarly, on average, Chinese MNEs disclosed proportionately more CSR activities than Non-Chinese MNEs. These results are very significant both for researchers and corporate practitioners. This research has not only examined the CSR's indicators quantitatively but also its reporting quality, in a quantitative and qualitative manner.
A quantitative design and analysis of magnetic nanoparticle heating systems

Magnetic particles under the influence of an alternating magnetic field act as localized heating sources due to various loss mechanisms. This effect has been extensively investigated in hyperthermia studies over the past decades and has recently been applied at the molecular level to control the dehybridization of DNA molecules. As a result, it has the potential of controlling and studying biological systems. To ensure that the nanoparticles are the only source of heat requires a very efficient system that minimizes heat transfer from sources other than the magnetic field. A quantitative analysis of the requirements and the design of such a system was investigated and tested experimentally. Although the results were affected by transmission line effects, the theory supporting the approach is sound and explains the crucial parameters that are necessary for optimizing localized ferromagnetic nanoparticle heating. Thesis Supervisor: Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli Title: Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Deeply-scaled GaN high electron mobility transistors for RF applications

Due to the unique combination of large critical breakdown field and high electron velocity, GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have great potential for next generation high power RF amplifiers. The performance of GaN devices has increased continuously in the last two decades. However, in spite of the improvements, there are still several critical issues limiting the high frequency operation of these devices. One of the key challenges is the lowerthan-expected maximum current gain cutoff frequency (fT) of deeply-scaled GaN HEMTs. The fT of the short channel devices is well below both projections from maximum frequency in the long channel devices and theoretical expectations based on material properties. Another important issue is a roll-off of the device frequency performance under wide bias range, which limits the large-signal high speed operation in the deeply-scaled devices. This thesis focuses on these two important problems and investigates them both analytically and experimentally. First, through systematic study of the transistor delay, the critical factors limiting intrinsic and extrinsic device speed are clarified and several technologies are demonstrated to overcome these limits. This has allowed the demonstration of state-of-the-art high frequency performance GaN HEMTs. Second, in order to understand the origin of the decrease in device speed at high drain and gate bias, a new extraction method and novel transistor structure have been developed, which provide an excellent guide for future device optimization. Thesis supervisor: Tomis Palacios Title: Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering