Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Retrofit System for Light-Framed Wood Structures Under Wind Loading

Past high speed wind events have exposed the vulnerability of the roof systems of existing light-framed wood structures to the uplift forces resulting from high speed winds, contributing greatly to economic and human loss. This research focuses on developing a retrofit system to increase the uplift capacity of these structures using numerical and experimental techniques. The proposed system provides the uplift forces an alternate load path to the ground, reducing the demand placed on the weak, nailed connections within the structure. A three-dimensional finite-element model of a roof system of full-scale wood structure has been developed. The model is compared to the results of a full-scale experiment in both the linear and nonlinear ranges, proving the ability of the model to predict the deflected shape of the structure. The numerical results identify the importance of considering the nonlinear plastic damage that occurs to the roof-to-wall connection under realistic wind loading. The validated numerical model is then extended to include the proposed retrofit idea. A rigorous analysis of the behaviour of the structure after application is then carried out. The model predicts that application of the retrofit system can increase the critical mean hourly wind velocity from 38m/s to 50m/s. An experiment has been conducted, proving the retrofit system is effective at increasing the uplift capacity of light-framed wood structures. The results of the experiment have been used to validate the assumptions of the numerical model, proving that the model captures the structural interaction between the retrofit and truss systems.
Radio resource sharing and bearer service allocation for multi-bearer service, multi-access wireless networks

Two expected characteristics of future wireless networks aresupport for multiple bearer services, which in turn enablemultiple end-user services, and the parallel use of multipleradio access technologies. This dissertation discusses radioresource management principles to improve capacity for suchmulti-bearer service, multi-access networks.More specifically, it is first focused on how to mostefficiently share the radio resource between bearer servicegroups within one access technology. A general principle forsharing resources in interference limited systems is proposed,and its expected performance estimated. The proposedinterference balancing principle maximizes capacity byadjusting the power budgets per bearer service group so thatthe maximum tolerable interference levels are equal for allbearer services. To verify its validity, the interferencebalancing principle is applied to the 3rd generation cellularsystems GSM/EDGE and WCDMA in a set of multi-bearer servicecase studies. It is seen that interference balancing maystraightforwardly be introduced in these systems, and thatsignificant capacity gains over non-balanced scenarios can beachieved.Secondly, how to best share traffic load between thedifferent sub-systems in a multi-access scenario isinvestigated. The capability to handle bearer services, andthereby also end-user services, typically differs betweensub-systems. The overall multi-access system capacity istherefore affected by the allocation of bearer services on tosub-systems. Based on this, a simple principle for findingfavorable, under certain constraints near-optimum, sub-systembearer service allocations is derived. It is seen that for agiven service mix combined capacities beyond the sum of thesub-system capacities may be achieved by using the favorablebearer service allocations. Significant capacity gains are alsoseen in a case study in which the bearer service allocationprinciple is applied to a combined GSM/EDGE and WCDMAmulti-access system. The bearer service type may be said toreflect an expected radio resource cost for supporting a userin each sub-system. By taking into account the actual radioresource cost, which may differ from the expected cost, whenassigning users to subsystems, further capacity gains areachievable.
Spectral-Spatial Transformer Network for Hyperspectral Image Classification: A Factorized Architecture Search Framework

Neural networks have dominated the research of hyperspectral image classification, attributing to the feature learning capacity of convolution operations. However, the fixed geometric structure of convolution kernels hinders long-range interaction between features from distant locations. In this article, we propose a novel spectral-spatial transformer network (SSTN), which consists of spatial attention and spectral association modules, to overcome the constraints of convolution kernels. Also, we design a factorized architecture search (FAS) framework that involves two independent subprocedures to determine the layer-level operation choices and block-level orders of SSTN. Unlike conventional neural architecture search (NAS) that requires a bilevel optimization of both network parameters and architecture settings, the FAS focuses only on finding out optimal architecture settings to enable a stable and fast architecture search. Extensive experiments conducted on five popular HSI benchmarks demonstrate the versatility of SSTNs over other state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods and justify the FAS strategy. On the University of Houston dataset, SSTN obtains comparable overall accuracy to SOTA methods with a small fraction (1.2%) of multiply-and-accumulate operations compared to a strong baseline spectral-spatial residual network (SSRN). Most importantly, SSTNs outperform other SOTA networks using only 1.2% or fewer MACs of SSRNs on the Indian Pines, the Kennedy Space Center, the University of Pavia, and the Pavia Center datasets.
Recent progress in structural and nutritional characterization of faba legume and use as an environment probe with vibrational spectroscopy sourced by globar and synchrotron

Abstract This article aims to review molecular structure association with nutrient metabolism of faba bean (FB) legume as well as uses as an environment probe using vibrational molecular spectroscopy with chemometics including univariate and multivariate techniques. The review focused on molecular structural and nutritional characterization and interaction of FB-legume and updated methods with molecular spectroscopy techniques with attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), synchrotron-radiation FTIR microspectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy to study FB-legume molecular structures. This article shows how to systematically use vibrational molecular spectroscopic techniques to study molecular structure and nutrition interaction of FB-legume.
An Analysis of Grinding Effects and Economic Life of Cutting Tool with Proportional Age Reduction Model

In this study, based on Weibull proportional age reduction model and age replacement policy, we analyze economic life of cutting tool which allows re-grinding. Re-grinding task, usually for high-priced machining tools(e.g., broaching tool), is a kind of preventive maintenance activities to extend tool life at the completion of a lot production. The numerical results are also presented. Among the parameters of Weibull proportional age reduction model, the re-grinding effect parameter and Weibull shape parameter have a strong effect on economic tool life, and in the cost parameters, shortage cost is most sensitive. With further study on the parameter estimation of tool life process and cost function, this study can be expected to give more practical contribution to management of general machining tools.
A Dynamic QoS Adjustment Enabled and Load-balancing-aware Service Composition Method for Multiple Requests

Previous QoS-aware service composition methods mainly focus on how to generate composite service with the optimal QoS efficiently for a single request. However, in the real application scenarios, there are multiple service requests and multiple service providers. It is more important to compose services with suboptimal QoS and maintain the load balance between services. To solve this problem, in this paper, we propose a service composition method, named as dynamically change and balancing composition method (DCBC). It assumes that the QoS of service is not static, and the services can adjust the value of QoS to gain more opportunities to be selected for composition. The method mainly includes two steps, which are the preprocessing step and the service selection step. In the preprocessing step, a backward global best QoS calculation is performed which regarding the static and dynamic QoS respectively; then guided by the global QoS, the feasible services can be selected efficiently in the service selection step. The experiments show that the DCBC method can not only improve the overall quality of composite services but also guarantee the fulfill ratio of requests and the load balance of services.
Nonuniform Compressive Sensing via Ohmic Voltage Attenuation: A Memristive Crossbar Design Approach Leveraging Intrinsic Computation

Compressive sensing (CS) is a promising technique for transmitting signals in power-critical applications such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Nonuniform CS optimizes this process by adjusting sampling frequency based on the relative importance levels characterized by the signal of interest. Recent advances have yielded energy-efficient hardware implementations of CS sampling, leveraging spin-based crossbar architectures for in-memory vector-matrix multiplication and through the use of probabilistic bit (p-bit) devices to generate tunable random outputs for writing the array. Thus, a region of interest is generated via column-ordered density of on-state devices. Herein, we propose a simple design for supplying inputs to the p-bit devices, based on Ohmic voltage attenuation occurring along the word lines of the crossbar array. The technique embeds some required computations to be conducted intrinsically by the cross-points of the memristive array, thus bypassing overheads of conventional instruction execution and eliminating the need for costly hardware components, such as lookup tables (LUTs) and data converters. The design is shown to be robust for various array sizes and parasitics while generating the appropriate tuning signals within a single clock cycle duration of 1.6 ns, and at an energy overhead of 333 fJ. Compared with a standard approach using LUTs and digital to-analog converters, the design herein achieves a 583-fold reduction in energy and 23-fold reduction in transistor count.
Understanding Virtual Team Performance: A Synthesis of Research on the Effects of Team Design, Emerg

Virtual teams are essential to the functioning of numerous organizations. They are the subjects of much research, resulting in a growing body of literature on the topic. Nevertheless, our understanding of what types of factors (e.g., people, task, and technology), drive performance in virtual teams and the processes through which they do, remain relatively limited. We review and synthesize the extant empirical research on virtual teams in order to provide insights into the direct and indirect antecedents of virtual team performance. Drawing on existing models of differentiated performance and emergent processes and states that have been applied to traditional teams, we review ninety-seven empirical studies of virtual teams published between 1990 and 2008. We use the results of a vote-counting analysis to develop an integrative model of the direct and indirect drivers of virtual team performance. Based on this model, we highlight key gaps in both our knowledge of, and approach to studying, virtual team dynamics and performance. Using this model, we outline areas for future research, provide managerial recommendations, and highlight implications for the study of both virtual and traditional teams.
Flat sheet metal girders with very thin metal web. Part I : general theories and assumptions

The object of this report was to develop the structural method of sheet metal girders and should for that reason be considered solely from this standpoint. The ensuing methods were based on the assumption of the infinitely low stiffness in bending of the metal web. This simplifies the basis of calculations to such an extent that many questions of great practical importance can be examined which otherwise cannot be included in any analysis of the bending stiffness of the buckled plate. This report refers to such points as the safety in buckling of uprights to the effect of bending flexibility of spars, to spars not set parallel, etc.
Designing living streets - a guide to creating lively, walkable neighbourhoods

This publication is part of the UK charity 'Living Streets' campaign to reclaim the streets for the use of pedestrians. The topics covered include matching a street to its purpose, letting people walk where they want to go, making it easy to cross the street, improving the condition of the pavement, making the street accessible for everybody, stopping nuisance, improving the facilities for people walking, improving the design and look of the street, making the street safer, reducing the negative effects of traffic, bringing back street life, and glossary. Each chapter has a comments form requesting feedback and examples of good and bad design for use in a future updated edition.
Formation Mechanism of Anisotropic RDX-TNT Core-Shell Nanoparticles and their Influence onto Nanodiamond Detonation Syntheses

Mixtures of RDX and TNT or hexolite mixtures are well known precursors for nanodiamond detonation syntheses. In this study diverse nanoscale hexolite mixtures varying in mass ratios of RDX and TNT are synthesized via Spray Flash Evaporation. The hexolite mixtures are characterized by confocal Raman spectroscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) to obtain information about their molecular structure composition. The marker bands of pristine RDX and TNT enable the identification and distinction of both compounds in the Raman spectra. Confocal Raman spectroscopy indicates an intermixture of RDX and TNT molecules on the nanoscale since both marker bands are detected in all spectra. TERS investigations of single hexolite particles reveal that the particle surfaces are mainly composed of TNT. The comparison of confocal Raman and TERS results suggests that (depending on the mass ratio) hexolite particles are either inhomogeneous patchy RDX/TNT nanoparticles or anisotropic RDX/TNT core-shell nanoparticles. A building mechanism to explain the formation/growth of those nanoparticles is derived from the spectroscopic data and the dynamics of the SFE process. Finally, a correlation between the TNT shell thickness, the symmetry of the anisotropic hexolite precursor nanoparticles, and the resulting nanodiamond sizes is discussed in detail.
Promoting Accountability and Continual Improvement: A Review of the Respective Roles of Performance Measurement, Auditing, Evaluation, and Reporting

Abstract: In response to growing demands for accountability and the benefits associated with continual improvement, private and public sector organizations are increasingly applying aspects of performance management. This article provides a synthesis of the literature as it pertains to the principles and practices underlying performance measurement, auditing, evaluation, and reporting. In bringing these elements together to comprise a performance management system, it is argued, an organization can demonstrate accountability and facilitate continual improvement. The article concludes with a discussion of how this can be achieved, namely through the refinement of strategic direction, reporting on key measures, and periodic reviews of performance in a systematic manner.
The alteration of circulating exosomal mRNAs in acute myocardial infarction is associated with inflammation response mediated by neutrophils

Background Although many cardiovascular disease studies have focused on the characteristics of microRNAs in circulating exosomes, the profile and the potential clinical diagnostic value of plasma exosomal long RNAs (exoLRs) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is still unknown.Methods In this study, exosomes isolation and RNA sequencing were applied to achieve the circulating exoLRs profile of 10 AMI patients, 8 stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, and 10 healthy individuals. Bioinformatics approaches were used to investigate the features and potential clinical value of exoLRs.Results Each sample from 2 mL of plasma could reliably achieve more than 8000 exosomal messenger RNAs (mRNAs) making up a majority of the total exoLRs. Immune cell types analyzed by CIBERSORT showed that neutrophils and monocytes were significantly enriched in the AMI group compared to healthy individuals and the CAD group which were consistent with the clinical baseline characteristics. Similarly, the biological processes enrichment analyses of different exosomal mRNAs and co-expression network analysis both indicated that neutrophils activation associated processes were also significantly enriched in the AMI group. We further identified two exosomal mRNA ALPL and CXCR2 which might be served as potential biomarkers with high diagnostic efficiency through co-expression network analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Conclusions In summary, our study explored the alteration of exoLRs in the AMI patients which might associate with the acute inflammatory response mediated by neutrophils. We found that exosomal mRNAs ALPL and CXCR2 might be potentially useful for AMI diagnosis.
High mortality rate of obstetric critically ill patients in Rwanda and its predictability

Background Reasons for admission at the intensive care units (ICU) for obstetric patients vary from a setting to another. Outcomes from ICU and its prediction models are not well explored in Rwanda because of lack of appropriate scores. This study intended to assess profile and accuracy of predictive models for obstetric patients admitted in ICU in the two public tertiary hospitals in Rwanda.Methods We prospectively collected data from all obstetric patients admitted in the ICU of public referral hospitals in Rwanda from March 2017 to February 2018 to identify reasons for admissions and factors for prognosis. We analysed the accuracy of mortality prediction models including the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) and Modified Early Obstetric Warning Score (MEOWS) by using the Logistic Regression and adjusted Receiver Operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results Obstetric patients represented 12.8% of all ICU admissions and 1.8% of all deliveries. Sepsis (31.9%) and haemorrhage (25.5%) were the two commonest reasons for ICU admission in our study participants. The overall ICU mortality for our obstetric patients was 54.3% while the average length of stay was 6.6 days. MEOWS score was an independent predictor to mortality (adjusted OR=1.25[1.07-1.46]; p=0.005) and so was the qSOFA score (adjusted OR=2.81[1.25-6.30]; p=0.012). The adjusted Area Under the ROC (AUROC) for MEOWS was 0.773[0.666-0.880] and that of the qSOFA was 0.764[0.654-0.873] signing fair accuracies for ICU mortality prediction in these settings for both models.Conclusion Sepsis is the commonest reason for admissions to ICU for obstetric patients in Rwanda. Simple models comprising MEOWS and qSOFA could accurately predict the mortality for those patients but further larger studies are needed before generalization.
Probabilistic and Reliability-Based Health Monitoring Strategies for High-Speed Naval Vessels

Abstract : In this project, a strategy is proposed for fatigue life estimation of a ship hull using a wireless sensor network installed in the hull for autonomous health monitoring. First, a rainflow counting algorithm is implemented as a continuous time-domain approach to fatigue estimation. Cycles are defined by a rainflow counting procedure and are kept on-board the wireless sensing unit in a histogram structure for long-term storage. Fatigue damage is accumulated by the Palmgren-Miner linear summation method. Second, a statistical approach called the Dirlik procedure is used. It relies on spectral moments of the stress-time history power spectral density (PSD) function. The Dirlik procedure outputs a probability density function (PDF) of stress ranges tailored to resemble the rainflow counting results. The PDF is converted to damage using an S-N curve and again accumulated by the Palmgren-Miner method. Experimental tests are conducted on an aluminum hull stiffened element specimen as part of the Monitored Aluminum Hull Integrity (MAHI) test program to verify the embedded fatigue life estimation procedures.
Incidence and severity of common scab of potato caused by Streptomyces scabies in Punjab, Pakistan

In Pakistan, potato (Solanum tuberosum) is amongst the foremost cash crops for the farming community. Common scab (Streptomyces sp.) is one of major disease, which reduces the price, and market value of potato tubers. The present study was designed to determine the status of common scab in selected potato growing areas. This survey was directed to record the occurrence and intensity of common scab of potato in the major potato producing areas in districts of Punjab, namely Sialkot, Lahore, Kasur, Sahiwal, Okara, Pakpattan, tehsil Depalpur, Faisalabad Taxila and Hazro during the harvesting of potato in 2017-18. Overall, 456 potato fields were surveyed for data collection. It was noticed that the maximum common scab occurrence was recorded in Sahiwal followed by Okara, Kasur, Pakpattan, Faisalabad, Lahore, tehsil Depalpur and minimum in Sialkot and Hazro. Disease incidence was also checked on the current varieties of potato used for sowing, highest disease frequency was observed in var. „Kuroda‟ and var. „Santi‟ so these two varieties were highly susceptible while var. „Diamant‟ and var. „Cardinal‟ were detected as medium susceptible while var. „Lady Rosita‟ and „var. Asterix‟ were detected as highly resistant to common scab. The resistant and moderately susceptible varieties are therefore recommended for cultivation and in developing new resistant cultivars.
Efficient Algorithms for Constructing an Interpolative Decomposition

Low-rank approximations are essential in modern data science. The interpolative decomposition provides one such approximation. Its distinguishing feature is that it reuses columns from the original matrix. This enables it to preserve matrix properties such as sparsity and non-negativity. It also helps save space in memory. In this work, we introduce two optimized algorithms to construct an interpolative decomposition along with numerical evidence that they outperform the current state of the art.