Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing Cleaning and Water-Repellent Treatments for Historic Masonry Buildings

»Summary A NOTE TO OUR USERS: The web versions of the Preservation Briefs differ somewhat from the printed versions. Many illustrations are new, captions are simplified, illustrations are typically in color rather than black and white, and some complex charts have been omitted. Inappropriate cleaning and coating treatments are a major cause of damage to historic masonry buildings. While either or both treatments may be appropriate in some cases, they can be very destructive to historic masonry if they are not selected carefully. Historic masonry, as considered here, includes stone, brick, architectural terra cotta, cast stone, concrete and concrete block. It is frequently cleaned because cleaning is equated with improvement. Cleaning may sometimes be followed by the application of a water-repellent coating. However, unless these procedures are carried out under the guidance and supervision of an architectural conservator, they may result in irrevocable damage to the historic resource.
The Perceptron

The perceptron implements a binary classifier f : R D → {+1, −1} with a linear decision surface through the origin: f (x) = step(θ x). (1) where step(z) = 1 if z ≥ 0 −1 otherwise. Using the zero-one loss L(y, f (x)) = 0 if y = f (x) 1 otherwise, the empirical risk of the perceptron on training data S = 1. The problem with this is that R emp (θ) is not differentiable in θ, so we cannot do gradient descent to learn θ. To circumvent this, we use the modified empirical loss R emp (θ) = i∈(1,2,.,N) : yi =step θ T xi −y i θ T x i. (2) This just says that correctly classified examples don't incur any loss at all, while incorrectly classified examples contribute θ T x i , which is some sort of measure of confidence in the (incorrect) labeling. 1 We can now use gradient descent to learn θ. Starting from an arbitrary θ (0) , we update our parameter vector according to θ (t+1) = θ (t) − η∇ θ R| θ (t) , where η, called the learning rate, is a parameter of our choosing. The gradient of (2) is again a sum over the misclassified examples: ∇ θ R emp (θ) = 1 A slightly more principled way to look at this is to derive this modified risk from the hinge loss L(y, θ T x) = max 0, −y θ T x .
Learning by Earning: The Dollar Bay Project

The Dollar Bay Project is part of the North Dakota State University WWWIC (Worldwide Web Instructional Committee) Research effort. Dollar Bay is a fictitious seaside town simulated in an interactive, Web-based environment intended to teach the principles and practices of retailing. To begin the game, a player must first create a character and become a storeowner in Dollar Bay. The character is then assigned retail space and a starting budget. The player’s goal is simple: make more profit than the other store owners in Dollar Bay. However, the means by which a player obtains their profit represents a formidable, yet invigorating challenge. For instance, the game has the ability to simulate seasonal affects on consumer purchasing trends. Dollar Bay players must anticipate these and other trends along with socioeconomic factors in order to adjust inventory and pricing accordingly to keep their business thriving. Depending on the success of their business decisions, players may also be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Each semester, students are assigned to cross-functional teams, much like those in today’s progressive organizations, in order to facilitate improvements in various areas of Dollar Bay. The Dollar Bay Project is the anthology of ongoing collaboration of students taking Computer Science courses at NDSU.
Application of TEM: Dynamic changes of AKAP95-Cx43 complex during G1 phase of lung cancer cells

BackgroundAKAP95(A-kinase anchoring protein) and Cx43 (connexin 43) express abnormally in lung cancer cells. As potential tumor therapeutic targets, specific process of bindings and dynamic changes of Cx43-AKAP95 complex in lung cancer cells may guide further treatments and detections of lung cancer. However, the process remains unclear now. We are aiming at investigating the dynamic changes of expression, localization, and binding of AKAP95 and Cx43, as well as their interaction with cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 in lung cancer cells during G1 phase.MethodsA549 and Beas-2B cells were arrested at preliminary stage(P), middle stage(M) and restriction point(R) of G1 phase and Western blot(WB), Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used in our study to detect proteins to provide further evidence of the correlation of these proteins.Results: 1) AKAP95 carries Cx43 into the nucleus through the nuclear pore by binding to it during G1 phase. Some AKAP95 and Cx43 can aggregate and form larger protein aggregates. The process happens mainly during R stage. 2) AKAP95 and Cx43 mainly bind to cyclin D1 during P and M stage while bind to cyclin E1 during R stage respectively. Complexes of AKAP95-cyclin D1 and Cx43-cyclin D1 cannot enter nucleus while AKAP95-cyclin E1 and Cx43-cyclin E1 can.Conclusions1) Binding process of AKAP95-Cx43 complexes/ aggregates can be summarize as ‘bind and aggregate -target and enter nucleus- keep binding/aggregating in nucleus’. 2) Cyclin E1 was involved in the binding/aggregation and nuclear entry of AKAP95 and Cx43 while cyclin D1 only binds to them respectively in the cytoplasm.
Routing Uavs to Co-Optimize Mission Effectiveness and Network Performance with Dynamic Programming

Abstract : In support of the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) vision of the layered sensing operations center, command and control intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (C2ISR) more focus must be placed on architectures that support information systems, rather than just the information systems themselves. By extending the role of UAVs beyond simply intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations and into a dual-role with networking operations we can better utilize our information assets. To achieve the goal of dual-role UAVs, a concrete approach to planning must be taken. This research defines a mathematical model and a non-trivial deterministic algorithmic approach to determining UAV placement to support ad-hoc network capability, while maintaining the valuable service of surveillance activities.
Ionic Liquids - recomposing the past and writing the future

Moving to this new era of innovation, where process and manufacturing demands are emphasising the importance of recyclability, renewability and sustainability, the textile manufacturing industry is actively assessing emerging technologies that embrace the same. Consumers are now more conscious of the origin of garments and garment accessories than ever before. Organic renewable processes are preferably encouraged and they get full acceptance when garments are involved least with environmental pollution. The chemical processing industry in textiles has recently seen research booming into a much needed sector where traditional solvents, predominantly volatile organic compounds (VOCs) responsible for environmental pollution, are being replaced by designer’ solvents called ‘ionic liquids’ (ILs). ILs used at room-temperature, are often colourless and easy handling and in addition can be renewed and reused. The properties of the environmentally benign ILs can be customised according to the need of the process parameters and therefore are called designer’ solvents. Natural and synthetic polymers are being resynthesised and regenerated with the aid of ILs facilitating the exploration of exotic polymer blends and novel application areas. This paper highlights recent advancements in textile processing involving ILs. The focus is on how this new class of solvents is pushing the boundaries of knowledge and revamping a broadspectrum of manufacturing industries.
Technology assessment of automation trends in the modular home industry.

U. S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Forest Products Laboratory Most new home construction in the United States is known as “stick built,” meaning home components are assembled on site at the permanent location of the house. In modular home construction, box-like sections of the house, known as modules, are produced in a factory and transported to the building site. At the site, the modules are situated on and fastened to the foundation. Modules can be stacked for multi-story construction. Modules are typically 80% to 95% complete when they leave the factory.
Detection of oxytetracycline and doxycycline residue in different growth stages of commercial broiler

Background: Indiscriminant use of antibiotic in broiler farms is responsible for residual deposition in broiler’s edible tissue that can possess health hazard including antibiotic resistance to human being by entering in food chain. This study was designed to detect and compare two common antibiotics residue in broiler at three different growth stages. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted to understand the farmers’ perspective regarding antibiotic residue in four upazila of Mymensingh district. Samples were collected from eight poultry farms of each upazila namely Fulbaria, Trishal, Nakla and Mymensingh Sadar. From each farm, nine samples were collected at the three different ages of 9-17 days, 19-22 days and 29-32 days, respectively. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was used for the qualitative detection of oxytetracycline and doxycycline residues in broiler meat. Data was analyzed by SPSS IBM 20. Results: Most of the farmers are educated up to secondary level. Only 9.37% farmers have residual knowledge but all are unaware about withdrawal period. No one is practicing good management system for their flock. A total of 288 meat samples were analyzed from four upazila. Oxytetracycline residue was detected in >50% samples: in Fulbaria (55.56%), Trisal (66.66%) and in Nakla (55.55%) upazila and slightly lower in Mymensingh Sadar (44.44%). Similar observation was obtained for doxycycline: Fulbaria (44.44%), Mymensingh Sadar (66.67%), in Nakla (55.55%) and in Trishal (44.44%). The residual level detected positive in first, second and third collections were 66.67%, 25% and 58.33% for oxytetracycline and doxycycline, respectively. Conclusions: These result indicates that doxycycline and oxytetracycline are being misused in poultry industry especially in first and last quarter of broiler life and withdrawal periods are not maintained when broiler are marketed. Measures are needed to ensure human safety regarding antibiotics use in poultry industry.
STATIC AND DYNAMIC FIELD TESTING OF DRILLED SHAFTS: SUGGESTED GUIDELINES ON THEIR USE FOR FDOT STRUCTURES

The Geotechnical, Construction, and Design information from eleven major Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) bridge sites involving drilled shaft foundations with field load testing was collected and analyzed. From 27 Osterberg and 11 Statnamic field tests, it was found that the shaft capacities compared favorably to one another and did not differ by more than the site variability. Also, comparison of measured and predicted (FDOT) unit skin friction in limestone was very favorable as represented by the proposed Load Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) resistance factors, phi, and ASD factors of safety. Using the Osterberg field results, which did achieve FDOT failure (elastic shortening plus settlement equal to shaft diameter divided by 30), tip resistance vs. tip displacements for Florida limestone was compared to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) predicted response (O'Neill) implemented in FB-Pier. Agreement was quite good as represented by LRFD resistance factors, phi, and ASD factors of safety vs. reliability. However, the predicted response did require an additional rock property, i.e., mass modulus of the rock, which may be obtained from Young modulus of intact rock samples and average RQD from the nearest borings. From the construction information, it was identified that the typical cost of an Osterberg or Statnamic test varied from $100,000 to $120,000, depending on shaft size, with a typical test requiring two days to complete. To assist the design engineer in assessing quantities of field load testing, as well as comparing different foundation types (i.e. drilled shafts, driven piles, etc.), it is proposed that a cost (deep foundation) vs. reliability (or risk) plot be generated for the site. Based on the steepness of the plot, as well as the cost of field load tests ($100,000 to $120,000), an estimate of the number of field load tests may be determined along with acceptable risk or reliability.
Practices of Agile Software Product-Line Engineering: A qualitative assessment of empirical studies

This thesis elaborated on the how Software Product-Line Engineering is combined with Agile Software Development to improve Software Engineering, through investigating published case studies and performing interviews in several companies. This combination are often described as Agile Software Product-Line Engineering and our study aimed to describe what agility is for software product lines and find out more on how this approach could be realized. Agile Software Product-Line Engineering could reap benefits from the best of the two software engineering approaches combining long term strategic efforts with short term agility. By following a specified research method that combines qualitative research methods we were able to ensure validity in our analysis and generalize the findings of this study. We used both semi-structured interviews and textual analysis techniques. The companies under study seem to combine Software Product-Line Engineering and Agile Software Development with success, reducing initial investment and exploiting reuse, and we found several practices that are interesting for further study. Based on these practices we present our view of a top-down approach to Agile Software Product-Line Engineering starting with several characteristics and a proposal for a definition of the field. Further, a framework for implementing the approach based on our research is presented, before we describe our thoughts on how the practice areas of Software Product-Line Engineering can be combined with Agile Software Development practices. We think that this thesis could be used as a guideline for further study and implementation of Agile Software Product-Lines. We believe that the data we cover is comprehensive based on the small existing research field and covers the general ideas of both the fields included in the combination.
Factors Affecting Usage of Web Based Learning Tools

Several studies on technology adoption have attempted to develop models, such as the technology accepted model, that can be generally applied to any technology. Typical web-based learning technologies such as WebCT, however, are composed of several distinct tool sets, and student motivations for using each may differ, due to the different purposes and characteristics of each tool. In this study, a different set of factors were found to affect usage intent of the WebCT bulletin board and quiz tool and these differences are discussed. Perceived usefulness and Perceived ease of use were found to affect student intentions to use the bulletin board, while Compatibility with learning style; Self efficacy and Long-term consequences all affected intentions to use the quiz tool. The implications of these findings on designing the integration of these educational technology tools with courses are discussed as well as limitations and future research.
Guidelines for the Selection of Weighting Functions for H-Infinity Control

Abstract : This report provides insight into the selection of H-Infinity (H.) Control weighting functions that help shape the performance and robustness characteristics of systems designed using the Hoo and V-Synthesis Control methods. Background material regarding sensitivity functions, loopshaping, and Hoo Control is followed by a discussion of general engineering guidelines for the design of Hoo Control weighting functions. In addition, unresolved design issues and alternatives are presented. Thus, this report presents practical rules-of-thumb and identifies issues and alternatives in the design of weighting functions for Hoo Control.
Packet Loss in Latency-constrained Ethernet-based Packetized C-RAN Fronthaul

Latency is the one of the critical performance metrics for 5G and beyond mobile networks, particularly for ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC). In URLLC applications, it is required that the transmitted packets reach the destination within a certain time and the packets that are unable to meet this strict latency requirement will be discarded. In this paper, we compute the waiting time in the packetized fronthaul at the Ethernet switch and compute packet loss rate (PLR) incurred due to the inability of the transmitted packets to meet the FH latency threshold. In addition, we derive the tractable closed-form solution for the waiting time distribution and verify it with simulation results. Our results show that PLR is affected mainly by packet size, spectral efficiency, switch speed and arrival rate.
Lecture Requirements Engineering

This article describes the Requirements Engineering session part of the Software Engineering block in the OOTI curriculum of the Technical University Eindhoven. The focus of this course is on capturing and managing requirements. The notion of key drivers and story telling will be introduced as a means to capture and manage. During the course an exercise is used based on video distribution via satellite. The students have to elicit the requirements for the required systems, working in teams of 4 students. Every student writes an individual report about the exercise. Distribution This article or presentation is written as part of the Gaudí project. The Gaudí project philosophy is to improve by obtaining frequent feedback. Frequent feedback is pursued by an open creation process. This document is published as intermediate or nearly mature version to get feedback. Further distribution is allowed as long as the document remains complete and unchanged. All Gaudí documents are available at: http://www.extra. research.philips. com/natlab/sysarch/ version: 1.1 status: finished 1st April 2004
SLOTTED-WALL TEST SECTION FOR AUTOMOTIVE AERODYNAMIC TESTS AT YAW

A test programme of surface pressure measurements on three car shapes at yaw angles from 0 to 30 degrees in a 1/5th-scale slotted-wall test section is described. Comparisons are made with corresponding "reference" results. The low-blockage reference results were obtained in an aeronautical wind tunnel with a solid-wall test section, using the same models and under similar aerodynamic simulation conditions. The comparisons verify results of our previous work (at zero yaw) in slotted-wall test sections. Extremely good vehicle surface pressure distributions can be obtained from tests at high blockage in appropriately designed slotted-wall test sections, even at high yaw angles. The important implication of the present results is that based on surface pressures, the overall size of a facility to give minimal wall-interference can be considerably reduced from the size of a solid-wall facility which would give an automotive aerodynamic simulation of comparable accuracy.
A Case for Climate Engineering

Climate engineering -- which could slow the pace of global warming by injecting reflective particles into the upper atmosphere -- has emerged in recent years as an extremely controversial technology. And for good reason: it carries unknown risks and it may undermine commitments to conserving energy. Some critics also view it as an immoral human breach of the natural world. The latter objection, David Keith argues in A Scientist's Case for Climate Engineering, is groundless; we have been using technology to alter our environment for years. But he agrees that there are large issues at stake. A leading scientist long concerned about climate change, Keith offers no naive proposal for an easy fix to what is perhaps the most challenging question of our time; climate engineering is no silver bullet. But he argues that after decades during which very little progress has been made in reducing carbon emissions we must put this technology on the table and consider it responsibly. That doesn't mean we will deploy it, and it doesn't mean that we can abandon efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But we must understand fully what research needs to be done and how the technology might be designed and used. This book provides a clear and accessible overview of what the costs and risks might be, and how climate engineering might fit into a larger program for managing climate change.
Efficient Large-scale Content Distribution with Combination of CDN and P2P Networks

With the growth of the Internet over the last decade, a key challenge for Internet infrastructure has been delivering increasingly large-scale content to a growing user population. CDN and P2P are two dominant technologies to improve distribution effectiveness. CDN may reduce the user-perceived latency, but it has shortage of expensive deployment. P2P can decrease the deployment cost, while it is of weakness to assure QoS when there are insufficient peers. In this paper, we present a hybrid content distribution network (HCDN) integrating complementary advantages of CDN and P2P, which is used to improve efficiency of largescale content distribution. To achieve in-depth understanding of HCDN’s effectiveness, we carry out a detailed performance evaluation based on deterministic fluid model. We also provide numeric results of HCDN, conventional CDN and pure P2P. Some performance metrics are taken into account in our analysis, such as the evolution of the number of seeds and downloaders, the service capacity of system and the average downloading time.
Autonomously Reconfigurable Artificial Neural Network on a Chip

Artificial neural network (ANN), an established bio-inspired computing paradigm, has proved very effective in a variety of real-world problems and particularly useful for various emerging biomedical applications using specialized ANN hardware. Unfortunately, these ANN-based systems are increasingly vulnerable to both transient and permanent faults due to unrelenting advances in CMOS technology scaling, which sometimes can be catastrophic. The considerable resource and energy consumption and the lack of dynamic adaptability make conventional fault-tolerant techniques unsuitable for future portable medical solutions. Inspired by the self-healing and self-recovery mechanisms of human nervous system, this research seeks to address reliability issues of ANN-based hardware by proposing an Autonomously Reconfigurable Artificial Neural Network (ARANN) architectural framework. Leveraging the homogeneous structural characteristics of neural networks, ARANN is capable of adapting its structures and operations, both algorithmically and microarchitecturally, to react to unexpected neuron failures. Specifically, we propose three key techniques --- Distributed ANN, Decoupled Virtual-to-Physical Neuron Mapping, and Dual-Layer Synchronization --- to achieve cost-effective structural adaptation and ensure accurate system recovery. Moreover, an ARANN-enabled self-optimizing workflow is presented to adaptively explore a "Pareto-optimal" neural network structure for a given application, on the fly. Implemented and demonstrated on a Virtex-5 FPGA, ARANN can cover and adapt 93% chip area (neurons) with less than 1% chip overhead and O(n) reconfiguration latency. A detailed performance analysis has been completed based on various recovery scenarios.