Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Method to Design Trifurcated Optical Fiber Displacement Sensors

Trifurcated optical fiber displacement sensors (OFDSs) are increasingly used in industrial and aerospace applications. The critical element of the sensor is the fiber bundle. However, there is no straightforward method to calculate it from the working specifications of the sensor, the number of fibers needed, their size, and arrangement. This work presents a simple yet accurate method to design trifurcated OFDSs. The proposed method allows to derive the geometrical arrangement and size of the fibers from three simple equations, thus reducing significantly the difficulty and complexity of the OFDS design. Those three equations depend on the working point, working range, required sensitivity, and maximum size of the bundle. In this way, the proposed method will save valuable time for researchers and engineers who wish to design, fabricate, and use this type of OFDSs. The procedure is explained in detail with two examples. The results predicted by the model are compared with the experimental results of a bundle with identical fiber arrangement and dimensions. The results show good agreement with a deviation of less than 1% in the working range of the sensor.
An assessment of the status of Gaudinia fragilis (L.) P. Beauv. (Poaceae) in the British Isles

Gaudinia fragilis (L.) P. Beauv. (French oat-grass) has usually been considered an introduction in the British Isles. Until the early 1970s it had been recorded in our area mainly as a casual of waste and cultivated ground and dock quaysides, apart from on the Isle of Wight where it was recorded from 1917 onwards in apparently unimproved grassland. In the last 30 years it has been found to be locally well established in neutral grasslands, particularly those on heavy clay soils, across a wide area of central southern and S.W. England. Its occurrence in “old”, often herb-rich pastures and hay meadows, including many sites of high conservation value, led to G. fragilis being given a status of “native or alien” in the New Atlas of the Flora of Britain and Ireland. In this paper we summarise the history and recent upsurge in records of G. fragilis in the British Isles, and describe its habitat preferences and the plant-communities in which it occurs. We then weigh up the evidence for and against it being viewed as a native species – at least within the core of its range in southern Britain – and explain why, on balance, a rather unsatisfactory “native or alien” is probably the best that can be offered.
Synthesis and Preliminary Biological Evaluation of Two Fluoroolefin Analogs of Largazole Inspired by the Structural Similarity of the Side Chain Unit in Psammaplin A

Largazole, isolated from a marine Cyanobacterium of the genus Symploca, is a potent and selective Class I HDAC (histone deacetylation enzymes) inhibitor. This natural 16-membered macrocyclic depsipeptide features an interesting side chain unit, namely 3-hydroxy-7-mercaptohept-4-enoic acid, which occurs in many other natural sulfur-containing HDAC inhibitors. Notably, one similar fragment, where the amide moiety replaces the trans alkene moiety, appears in Psammaplin A, another marine natural product with potent HDAC inhibitory activities. Inspired by such a structural similarity, we hypothesized the fluoroolefin moiety would mimic both the alkene moiety in Largazole and the amide moiety in Psammaplin A, and thus designed and synthesized two novel fluoro olefin analogs of Largazole. The preliminary biological assays showed that the fluoro analogs possessed comparable Class I HDAC inhibitory effects, indicating that this kind of modification on the side chain of Largazole was tolerable.
Thematic review series: The Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis. Toward a biological network for atherosclerosiss⃞s⃞ The online version of this article (available at http://www.jlr.org) contains an additional table. Published, JLR Papers in Press, August 1, 2004. DOI 10.1194/jlr.R400006-JLR200

The goal of systems biology is to define all of the elements present in a given system and to create an interaction network between these components so that the behavior of the system, as a whole and in parts, can be explained under specified conditions. The elements constituting the network that influences the development of atherosclerosis could be genes, pathways, transcript levels, proteins, or physiologic traits. In this review, we discuss how the integration of genetics and technologies such as transcriptomics and proteomics, combined with mathematical modeling, may lead to an understanding of such networks.
International Conference on Information Systems ( ICIS ) 1231-2005 Casting the Net : A Multimodal Network Perspective on Knowledge Management

Recent information systems research has challenged the tendency of researchers to focus upon single information system (Vertegaal 2003) or upon individuals simply as users of those systems (Lamb and Kling 2003). Responding to these critiques, this paper forwards a new paradigm through which to study knowledge management: the multimodal knowledge network. Drawing heavily upon the field of social network research, we argue that the way in which multiple individuals interact with one another and with multiple information management systems will have significant implications for organizational knowledge sharing outcomes. In this study, we conduct a comparative case study through which to begin building a theory of multimodal knowledge networks. We study five health care teams in a large health maintenance organization and find that, although these teams have identical portfolios of information management systems and a similar complement of employees, each team configures its knowledge resources differently to complete similar tasks. We find that the structures that result from these multiple interpersonal and human–systems interactions have implications on knowledge outcomes for the network. We develop propositions as a result of this analysis and outline directions for future research.
International Conference on Information Systems ( ICIS ) 2010 DESIGNING RANKING SYSTEMS FOR HOTELS ON TRAVEL SEARCH ENGINES TO ENHANCE USER EXPERIENCE

Information seeking in an online shopping environment is different from classical relevance-based information retrieval. In this paper, we focus on understanding how humans seek information and make economic decisions, when interacting with an array of choices in an online shopping environment. Our study is instantiated on a unique dataset of US hotel reservations from Travelocity.com. Current travel search engines display results with only rudimentary interfaces by using a single ranking criterion. This largely ignores consumers’ multi-dimensional preferences and is constrained by human cognitive limitations towards multiple and diverse online data sources. This paper proposes to improve the search interface using an inter-disciplinary approach. It combines text mining, image classification, social geo-tagging and field experiments with structural modeling techniques, and designs an interface whereby each hotel of interest is ranked according to its average consumer surplus on the travel search site. This system would display the hotels with the “best value for money” for a given consumer at the top of the computer screen during the travel search process in response to a query. The final outcome based on several user studies shows that our proposed ranking system outperforms the existing baselines. This suggests that our inter-disciplinary approach has the potential to enhance user search experience for information seeking in the context of economic decision-making.
International Conference on Information Systems ( ICIS ) 2010 THE PERFORMANCE EFFECTS OF TRANSITIONAL IT SERVICES IN CORPORATE SPIN-OFFS

In corporate spin-offs, spun-off units pursue two m ajor objectives: separating and restructuring their business for independent operation; and retai ning business continuity and minimizing operational disruptions. In trying to balance the c onflicting demands of these objectives, spun-off units often turn to “transitional IT services” prov ided by their parents. However, the business value of the transitional IT services is not unders tood well yet. In this study, we examine different impacts of transitional IT services at different st ages of corporate spin-offs. Our study population covers corporate spin-offs in which spun-off units were set up as independent public firms during 1999-2009 timeframe. We find that longer transition al IT services prolong the time-to-close spinoff deals and negatively affect market valuation of the spun-off units at the first day of trading. Bu t longer transitional IT services positively affect o perating performance of the spun-off units. They also help mitigate negative effects of business res tructuring on operating performance.
International Conference on Information Systems ( ICIS ) 1-1-2009 Going IT Alone : The Experienced IT Worker as Integrator of Business and IT Domains of Knowledge

Though the need for user participation to successfully develop information systems is a commonly accepted MIS axiom, empirical studies have failed to consistently establish the benefits of user participation. To resolve this paradox, we reconsider the underlying premise that business knowledge must be provided by business workers. Instead, as IT is embedded in the business, IT workers necessarily learn both domains in the act of work, and the integration of the two can be achieved through experienced IT workers. To examine this proposition, we studied a group of IT workers who implemented an IS in forty-seven sites over a two year period. Through learning curve methods and change-point analysis, we find that the IT workers achieved greater success as their experience increased while concurrently user participation activities decreased. These findings, consistent with the main proposition, suggest a new approach to valuing the IT workers’
International Conference on Information Systems ( ICIS ) ICIS 2008 Proceedings Association for Information Systems Year 2008 Strategic Online Communities : How Online Communities Facilitate Business Strategies to Enhance Organizational Performance

Despite the optimism surrounding the business value of online communities (OCs), our knowledge of how OCs can be leveraged strategically to enhance the performance of the sponsoring organization is limited. To address this lack of knowledge, a theoretical lens is constructed by distilling the essence of strategic management literature into three logics of strategy that prescribe different means of improving organization performance. Applying this theoretical lens to analyze a case study of the most commercially successful OC in Singapore, a process model is inductively derived that depicts the various ways through which a OC can bring about better organizational performance under different contextual conditions. With the findings, this study contributes to the existing knowledge on the strategic implications of OCs, demonstrates the compatibility of the logics of strategy in specific conditions, and provides a framework for practitioners to analyze their investments in OCs.
Cartography of environmental vulnerability to soil erosion of the urban area of Brazzaville using Geographic Information System (GIS)

Urban areas are recognized as important regions by their fragilities and dynamic. The study area is located in the Brazzaville city and it is well known by strong anthropogenic action on it. This research has generated maps of natural and environmental vulnerabilities to soil erosion from base maps of soils, slope, occupation and land use. From these maps it is possible to recognize sensible areas from environmental problems, by allowing recommendation toward best advantage for control and environmental management. The maps elaboration aims to show the intensity and the distribution of vulnerability, mainly considering the stability related to topographic and soil aspects. The methodology consists of a logical integration and processing of different available data to create a georeferenced database in Arcgis 9.3. 1 program. This computer program allows an efficient analysis of different information layers taking into account the vulnerability of each environmental elements submit to analysis.
Condiciones oceanográficas en primavera 2021, Crucero de evaluación hidroacústica de recursos pelágicos 2109-11

Se describen las condiciones del mar peruano durante el desarrollo del Crucero de Evaluación Hidroacústica de Recursos Pelágicos 2109-11. En superficie, las condiciones térmicas fueron ligeramente frías (-0,74 °C), principalmente al sur de Salaverry. En base a los datos registrados de salinidad se determinaron las masas de agua presentes en toda el área muestreada tales como: Aguas Ecuatoriales Superficiales (AES) -por fuera de las 60 mn frente a Talara-, Aguas Subtropicales Superficiales (ASS), Aguas Ecuatoriales Subsuperficiales (AESS); asimismo las aguas costeras frías (acf) fueron observadas en una franja costera de amplitud variable llegando hasta las 30 mn. Considerando la profundidad de la isoterma de 15 °C y los cálculos geostróficos, se observaron flujos predominantes hacia el norte dentro de las 50 mn El oxígeno superficial mostró distribución no homogénea en toda el área muestreada; adicionalmente, dentro de las primeras 10 mn se encontraron núcleos de baja concentración de oxígeno, señal típica del afloramiento costero.
E-Banking: An Empirical Study on Customer Satisfaction

Digital technologies are booming worldwide in all the sectors including the banking industry. In order to sustain in the highly competitive world, banks introduced electronic banking (E-banking) to sustain and maximize the profit of the business. From this point of view, customer satisfaction had become an important component to ensure the survival of the business. The conceptual model of the study is developed based on the SERVQUAL and TAM models. The main objective of this study is to look into the elements that has impact on the E-banking customer satisfaction. The study investigates the impact of E-banking security and privacy, responsiveness, reliability and ease of use on the customer satisfaction. The outcome will be able to provide insight into how to enhance the E-banking services in the banking industry. A total of 200 responses are obtained using convenience sampling technique. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 is used to perform the data analysis. Findings reveal that E-banking security and privacy, responsiveness, reliability have a significant impact on the E-banking customer satisfaction, while ease of use does not have a significant impact on the E-banking customer satisfaction. The findings further elaborate the knowledge of E-banking customer satisfaction in the context of Malaysian customers.
Short-Term Efficacy and Adverse Effects of Sulfasalazine in the Management of Axial Spondyloarthropathy

Introduction: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory spondyloarthropathy that involves the sacroiliac joints and the axial skeleton. Sulfasalazine's efficacy in treating the axial symptoms of AS has been a subject of controversy. Methods: This prospective observational study recruited AS patients and categorized them into two groups: the first group had AS for less than or equal to four years and the second group had AS for more than four years. Erythrocytic sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were recorded at baseline and at six-month follow-up. Disease severity was assessed using the ankylosing spondylitis disease activity score (ASDAS), Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI) score, and Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI) score. Results: A total of 33 patients diagnosed with AS were recruited in this study, mostly males (88%) and within 21-30 years of age. ESR and CRP values were measured at baseline and at six months post-treatment with sulfasalazine. Mean ESR and mean CRP values showed a statistically significant reduction of 43.5% (p=0.001) and 58.45% (p=0.0012) respectively, at the 6-month follow-up. Four patients (12.12%) reported gastrointestinal intolerance. The mean reduction in the ASDAS score was 24% (p=0.002), the BASDAI score was 40.08% (p=0.001), and the BASFI score was 39.54% (p=0.01). Additionally, the duration of symptoms did not appear to influence with efficacy of sulfasalazine. Discussion: Sulfasalazine is a safe alternative therapy for patients with AS who cannot afford biologics, due to its reasonable short-term efficacy, good tolerability, cost-effective nature, and low incidence of adverse effects.
Long-term Simulation of the Removal of Pollutants in Retention Basins

The paper describes a method for the long-term simulation of the discharge of pollutants to the environment from storm sewer overflows in combined sewer systems, which has a connected retention basin. This study covers Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and PAH. The method includes both the influence of the flow-dependant sedimentation and the variation of the settling velocity of the particles. The results show that including these effects lead to significant lower discharges of pollutants compared to conventional methods of estimation. As an example computations with a spectrum of basins which cover realistic sizes show that the long-term discharges of PAH are about half of the expected values without removal.
Isotopocule characterization of N2O dynamics during simulated wastewater treatment under oxic and anoxic conditions

Copyright © 2016 by The Geochemical Society of Japan. greater on a per-molecule basis than that of CO2 (IPCC, 2007). Different microbial pathways involved in biological nitrogen removal processes in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can produce N2O as well as more favorable gaseous product, N2 (Colliver and Stephenson, 2000; Kimochi et al., 1998). During nitrification, N2O is produced from hydroxylamine (NH2OH) as a byproduct of ammonium (NH4 +) oxidation to nitrite (NO2 –) by ammonia oxidizing bacteria. The concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) should be maintained at an appropriate level because nitrifying bacteria require oxygen as an electron acceptor. During denitrification, N2O is produced as an intermediate during nitrate (NO3 –) reduction to dinitrogen (N2) by heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria in the absence of oxygen. Organics are used as electron donors in denitrification. Therefore, a sufficient amount of carbon Isotopocule characterization of N2O dynamics during simulated wastewater treatment under oxic and anoxic conditions
The Uneven Geography of Tourism in South Africa

Understanding the spatial dimensions of tourism is one of the core challenges for geographers involved in tourism studies. The aim in this paper is to pursue a geographical analysis of uneven patterns of tourism in South Africa and specifically to unpack the key trends observed in the country‟s tourism space economy. The analysis is conducted between three groupings of municipalities as destinations or tourism spaces. These three groups are demarcated as the metropolitan areas, the rural spaces of the priority district municipalities, and what is called the intermediate space of the remaining non-priority district municipalities. The findings show the dominance of South Africa‟s tourism space economy by the metropolitan areas. In addition, the analysis shows these three different tourism spaces exhibit different trajectories in terms of growth performance (numbers of trips, bednights and visitor spend), origin of visitors (domestic versus international) and purpose of travel (leisure, business, VFR and other). Interpreting the characteristics of these tourism spaces is an essential first step for improved local tourism planning.
Pre- and post-cyclic behavior of mixed clayey soils

Soil structures are often comprised or supported by soils that are mixtures of cohesive and granular geomaterials. These soils are termed as intermediate or mixed soils and are widely found in natural deposits and man-made soil structures. The objective of this paper is to study the behavior of mixed clayey soils under monotonic, cyclic, and post-cyclic monotonic loading, with the main focus on the last of these three. For this purpose, a number of strain-controlled monotonic, cyclic, and post-cyclic triaxial compression tests were carried out on “clay–sand” and “clay–gravel” mixtures in undrained conditions. The effects of sand (or gravel) contents, number of cycles, cyclic strain amplitude, consolidation pressure, and grain size on the mechanical behavior of the mixtures are evaluated. The major findings from the laboratory study are: (i) the addition of granular materials to the clayey soils increases excess pore-water pressure during strain-controlled monotonic undrained shearing and cyclic loading an.
Bridging GIS Success

Abstract. This article shares the first-time geographic information system (GIS) experiences of two advanced placement human geography classes. The teacher had participated in a summer GIS workshop and then brought those skills into her classroom for the students' benefit. Eighteen students shared their experiences researching their family history, working to map the migration of their genealogy to the United States, and presenting their findings to their classmates. Researchers were on hand to observe presentations and collected survey data from the students. Overall it was a very successful educational experience in which students utilized a “new” technology in the context of their own lives.
Energy Security: The Role of Deepwater Oil Drilling

This study seeks to quantify and model the significance of the deepwater oil development for domestic US energy supplies in the short-term. It explores the significance and potential contribution deepwater oil supply from the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) can make in providing energy security to the US. The output of this research demonstrates the growth in deepwater oil production and how this latter relates to total US oil production over the next 10 years; and therefore the role it can play in providing energy security to the USA. The literature offers commercial and academic debate on this topic. The research model analyses current available data and make sensible assumptions on the likely future growth of deepwater oil production in the GoM based on a number of scenarios. Our results support the high/best case and suggest that deepwater oil from the GoM can significantly provide energy security to the US on the short term. However, on the long term and in order to maintain its energy security, the US needs to develop and use renewable sources of energy.