Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Operational Earthquake Forecasting and Risk Management

In daily life, the general public is commonly exposed to remote uncertain hazards, which would pose a threat to life and property if they were to materialize. Hazard warnings elicit a wide range of precautionary responses, many of which involve comparatively little cost. Air passengers buckle their safety belts during turbulence just in case they may be ejected from their seats. Homeowners in the Caribbean board up their windows with the approach of a tropical storm, just in case it intensifies into a damaging hurricane. U.S. citizens have bought duct tape to seal their homes, just in case of a terrorist attack involving toxic aerosols. Most major earthquakes occur without any observed precursory evidence on which to base a hazard warning decision. However, for some major earthquakes, a degree of precursory evidence may be available that identifies a time of increased probability (TIP). The task of quantifying the probability gain is being made easier by steady technological progress, such as in the higher resolution of fault monitoring. But the level of confidence in an earthquake forecast is extremely unlikely ever to justify the mandatory evacuation of a populous region: the toll of casualties anticipated from the mass evacuation process may be deterrent enough. Notwithstanding this ultimate limitation, a range of far less draconian, and more acceptable, risk mitigation measures may be warranted provided the expected benefits are commensurate with the costs. None of these measures need be mandatory or coercive. Indeed, they may be entirely voluntary. A lesson from the politically influential public policy discourse of Thaler and Sunstein (2008) is that citizens and organizations can be gently “nudged” into taking courses of safer action, without undue authoritarian pressure. Accordingly, the horizon of earthquake forecasting can be expanded far beyond the call for evacuation to justify and motivate practical voluntary …
A daily operation scheduling of cogeneration systems using fuzzy linear programming

This paper describes a daily operation scheduling method for industrial cogeneration systems that are connected to auxiliary devices. Such systems either sell electricity to a utility or buy electricity from the utility. Auxiliary devices connected to cogeneration systems include a heat storage tank, an electricity charger, an auxiliary boiler and an independent generator. The auxiliary devices can be effectively operated during the time interval of the thermal peak load or the electrical peak load. Simulation is performed in the case of bottoming cycle which produces preferentially thermal energy over electrical energy. In this paper, the modeling of cogeneration systems and auxiliary devices is described and the effectiveness of the modeling is evaluated by means of detailed simulations. A daily operation scheduling scheme is established under the operation cost of minimum level. Simulations are carried out using fuzzy linear programming.
Sarkopenische Obesitas sagt postoperative Pankreasfistel voraus

Alkoholabusus, Pankreasverfettung und Gerinnungsstörungen sowie weitere Faktoren steigern das Risiko für eine postoperative Pankreasfistel (POPF), die mit einer erhöhten Morbidität und Mortalität assoziiert ist. Mit morphometrischen Kriterien in der CT/MRT kann bereits vor Pankreatikoduodenektomie die Wahrscheinlichkeit für eine POPF abgeschätzt werden. Dies ergab eine retrospektive Studie mit 284 Patienten.
Torque management of engines with variable cam timing

This paper describe the variable cam timing (VCT) system which addresses both the drivability and emission performance by utilising an electric hydraulic mechanism to rotate the camshaft relative to the crankshaft in order to retard the cam timing with respect to the intake and exhaust strokes of the engine. By retarding the exhaust valve closing further into the intake stroke, more exhaust gas is drawn into the cylinder providing internal exhaust gas recirculation. In this manner, the amount of residual gas trapped in the cylinder at the end of the exhaust stroke is controlled by cam timing, suppressing NOx formation and reducing the pumping losses. Furthermore, this residual contains some unburned hydrocarbons; consequently, retaining it in the cylinder through two combustion cycles also reduces hydrocarbon emissions. In addition to the reduction of NOx and HC emissions, variable cam timing permits the engine designer to optimize cam timing over a wide range of engine operating conditions.
A 2.87 ppm/°C 65 nm CMOS bandgap reference with nonlinearity compensation

Based on the review and analysis of two recently reported low temperature coefficient (TC) bandgap voltage references (BGRs), a new temperature compensation technique is presented. With the double-end piecewise nonlinearity correction method, the logarithm cancellation technique and the mixed-mode output topology, a BGR with high-temperature stability is realised based on 65 nm CMOS low-leakage process. The post-simulation results using Spectre show that this BGR produces an output voltage of about 953 mV with 2.5 V supply voltage, and the output voltage varies by only 0.16 mV from −40°C to 125°C. This low TC BGR has been used in a 65 nm CMOS touch screen controller, and the measurement shows that the output voltage of this BGR is about 949 mV varying by 0.44 mV from −40°C to 125°C. The TC of this BGR is about 2.87 ppm/°C, meeting the requirement of high-precision SoC application.
Features of postoperative therapy in patients with type ІІ diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common diseases in the world. According to data of the International Diabetes Federation, there are more than 425 million people suffering from this disease in the world. The course of type II DM is accompanied by a progressive lesion of the macrovasculature, which is associated with an increase in the risk of developing atherosclerosis in this category of patients by 4-5 times in comparison with patients without diabetes. This in turn leads to some complications such as blindness, strokes, vascular damage of the limbs and chronic renal failure (CRF), which is often the leading cause of death. The occurrence of any inflammatory process against the background of diabetes is a significantly aggravating factor for the patient, as the body’s reserves are reduced, especially in the presence of CRF. The need for urgent surgical intervention in a patient with an inflammatory process against the background of diabetes is another stress factor. In addition, patients with DM are constantly taking hypoglycemic drugs, the effect of which in a stressful situation is not always predictable for the patient and therefore these drugs should be canceled. However, if the patient has CRF and long-term administration of drugs, their effect does not immediately stop. The combination of all the above points puts the patient with DM at a high risk group for the development of serious complications requiring intensive care (IT). Such complications in the early postoperative period may be lactic acidosis, persistent hypoglycemia, electrolyte disorders, cerebral edema. In the clinical case the pathogenesis of the development of these conditions and IT methods are described. Conclusions have been drawn regarding the need for close attention of anesthetists and intensive care physicians during perioperative therapy in patients with DM, complicated CRF, and which are receiving metformin.
Offentlig upphandling och innovation

Offentliga upphandlingar kan bidra till, och vara en drivande kraft, for innovationer i samhallet. For att astadkomma detta kravs inga lagandringar. Daremot ar det nodvandigt att politiker och beslutsfattare ger besked om att det ska genomforas sadana upphandlingar – och samtidigt tar ansvar for dem. I rapporten Offentlig upphandling och innovation framhaller forfattaren att det basta sattet att gora reguljara upphandlingar innovationsvanliga ar att gora sa kallade funktionsupphandlingar. For detta behovs inga lag- eller regelandringar. Funktionsupphandlingar innebar att det i upphandlingsunderlaget stalls krav pa funktion i stallet for specifika krav pa produkterna, varorna eller tjansterna. Rapportforfattaren foreslar att upphandlingsreglerna andras sa att aven tekniska hogskolor, medicinska fakulteter, sjukhus eller offentliga forskningsorganisationer ocksa ska tillatas delta vid sa kallad forkommersiell upphandling. Idag ar andra an privata foretag uteslutna fran att delta. (Less)
Parabacteroides distasonis

A species of obligately anaerobic, Gram-negative, rod shaped bacteria assigned to the phylum Bacteroidetes. This species is indole negative, hydrolyzes starch, requires hemin for growth and reduces resazurin but not neutral red. P. distasonis, also known as Bacteroides distasonis, is a very common commensal microorganism in the human intestine, but can be pathogenic, though it is rare.
Investigation of folded spring structures for vibration-based piezoelectric energy harvesting

This paper presents a fixed-fixed folded spring as an alternative elastic element for beam-based piezoelectric energy harvesting. In order to harvest energy from low frequency vibration in an optimal manner, the natural/operational frequencies of harvesters must be reduced to match low frequency input vibrations. Therefore, natural frequency reduction of vibration-based energy harvesters is critical to maximize output power at low operational frequency. The mechanical optimization of cantilever-based piezoelectric energy harvesters is limited by residual stress-based beam curling that produced through microfabrication adding additional mechanical stiffness to the system. The fixed-fixed folded spring structure presented in this paper allows for increased effective beam length and residual stress relaxation, without out of plane beam curling to further reducing the natural frequency. Multiple designs of folded spring energy harvesters are presented to demonstrate the effect of important design parameters. It is shown that the folded spring harvesters were capable of harvesting electricity at low natural frequencies, ranging from 45 Hz to 3667 Hz. Additionally, the harvesters were shown to be insensitive to microfabrication-based residual stress beam curling. The maximum power output achieved by the folded spring harvesters was 690.5 nW at 226.3 Hz for a single harvesting element of an array, with a PZT layer thickness of 0.24 μm. The work presented in this paper demonstrates that the fixed-fixed folded spring can be used as a viable structural element for low frequency piezoelectric energy harvesting to take advantage of ambient vibrations found in low frequency applications.
Effects of different design parameters on the stone-impact resistance of automotive windshields

Abstract A constitutive model based on continuum damage mechanics is used to study the stone-impact resistance of automotive windshields. An axisymmetric finite element model is created to simulate the transient dynamic response and impact-induced damage tensors for laminated glass layers subject to stone-impact loading. The windshield glass consists of two glass outer layers laminated by a thin poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) layer. The constitutive behaviour of the glass layers is simulated using the continuum damage mechanics model with linear damage evolution. The PVB layer is modelled with a linear viscoelastic solid. The model is used to predict and examine damage patterns on different glass surfaces for different windshield designs including variations in ply thickness and curvatures.
A study of the relationship between quality management practices and performance in small businesses

A considerable amount of resources are being deployed by organisations of all sizes and types towards implementing Total Quality Management and other improvement strategies. However, little is known about the impact these practices are having on organisational performance, particularly for small‐ and medium‐sized businesses. This paper examines the relationship between quality management practices and performance in small businesses. Over the past decade a number of empirical studies has been conducted that examine the link between quality management practices and organisational performance; however, most of these have focused on larger organisations. This study uses data collected from 62 small business in Australia and uses the Australian Quality Awards framework to determine the link between quality management practices and business performance.
Large Intelligent Surface-Based Generalized Index Modulation

Novel communication technology based on large intelligent surface (LIS), which manipulates the phase of the incident waves to enhance the communication quality, has been proposed as a promising candidate for future wireless communication systems and standards. In order to improve the spectral efficiency, the concept of LIS assisted communications has been introduced into the realm of index modulation (IM) recently. In this letter, a practical LIS based generalized spatial modulation (LIS-GSM) scheme is proposed by modulating the transmit signals through both transmitter and LIS jointly while designing the pattern of receive antennas in a more flexible way. Furthermore, a unified framework for the derivation of the theoretical average bit error rate (ABER) based on the maximum likelihood detector is also presented. Simulation results demonstrate that LIS-GSM is more robust in terms of ABER as well as receive antenna pattern compared with conventional LIS-SM.
A Fully Soft Switched Two Quadrant Bidirectional Soft Switching Converter for Ultra Capacitor Interface Circuits

This paper describes a two quadrant bidirectional soft switching converter for ultra capacitor interface circuits. The total efficiency of the energy storage system in terms of size and cost can be increased by a combination of batteries and ultra capacitors. The required system energy is provided by a battery, while an ultra capacitor is used at high load power pulses. The ultra capacitor voltage changes during charge and discharge modes, therefore an interface circuit is required between the ultra capacitor and the battery. This interface circuit must have good efficiency while providing bidirectional power conversion to capture energy from regenerative braking, downhill driving and the protecting ultra capacitor from immediate discharge. In this paper a fully soft switched two quadrant bidirectional soft switching converter for ultra capacitor interface circuits is introduced and the elements of the converter are reduced considerably. In this paper, zero voltage transient (ZVT) and zero current transient (ZCT) techniques are applied to increase efficiency. The proposed converter acts as a ZCT Buck to charge the ultra capacitor. On the other hand, it acts as a ZVT Boost to discharge the ultra capacitor. A laboratory prototype converter is designed and realized for hybrid vehicle applications. The experimental results presented confirm the theoretical and simulation results.
Recent Developments in Fibers for Telecommunications

Abstract Formerly known as Pirelli Cables and Systems, Prysmian Cables & Systems was founded in 2005, incorporating all previous Pirelli assets: “same knowledge, different names. ” Established in 1879, the company has more than 50 factories worldwide, operating in energy and telecommunications sectors. The main fiber manufacturing facility, Fibre Ottiche Sud (FOS), located in Italy, is operating since 1984 using the outside vapor deposition (OVD) technology and adopting today a proprietary coating system, Neon™ Plus. More than 40 Mkm of fibers produced in all Prysmian factories have been installed worldwide until now. Research activities are extensively carried out both in the headquarters based in Milan, Italy, and in several developments in different factories. This article will present the more noticeable results achieved in the past few years in developing Prysmian products out of its different activities in telecommunications, specifically in the optical fiber sector, while leaving to published papers the description of developments in cable design and connectivity products [1, 2].
Domestic 3D Virtual Fitting System Analysis and Design of New System

3D virtual fitting technology utilizes 3D industry standard to provide all-round 3D stereo visual effect for users to learn garment information when they are purchasing garment on line. This article introduces the current situation of domestic virtual fitting system, analyses the problems exiting in the system according to the current situation, and proposes vision of the new fitting system and the technical problems during the developing process.
A Rubber Band Ethics Model for Computing and Information Technology Practices

An innovative model for analyzing and describing the role of ethics and the manner in which it is applied in the general field of information technology is presented. Current practices and existing behavior rules that are related to economical and social issues are discussed with specific reference to computing technologies such as the internet. A theoretical model for computing and controlling drifts in ethical practices is then delivered to account for continuously changing socio- economical factors. The circle-ellipse model used proved to be a new and innovative yet simple way for predicting and analyzing ethics in an ever developing environment.
Dual‐band meander antenna for wireless telephones

An antenna capable of operation in two frequency bands allocated for cellular telephony is designed. The antenna consists of a dual meander and two passive ground-attached metallic strips. The antenna is similar to a strip-sleeve monopole in its construction and wideband operation in the proximity of the human head. The main advantage of this antenna is its shorter length. Two versions of the design are characterized in terms of the input impedance (normalized to 50 Ω) and radiation pattern in free space and next to the human head model. Also, the power deposition in the head is evaluated. The overall performance shows low reflections in both frequency bands (VSWR<1.5) and power deposition below the prescribed safety limits. ©2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 24: 81–85, 2000.
Valuation Response to New Information: A Test of Resource Mobility and Market Structure

This article hypothesizes that resources employed in concentrated industries are more specialized and durable and therefore less mobile than resources employed in atomistic industries. The hypothesis is tested by estimating the relationship between changes in the market value of a firm's securities and changes in its earnings levels and comparing this relation under different market structures. The response of market values to earnings changes is found to be greater for concentrated industries than for atomistic industries. This difference is interpreted as evidence that abnormal earnings persist longer in concentrated industries because of the lower degree of resource mobility.
Analysis of Bicycle Commuter Routes Using Geographic Information Systems: Implications for Bicycle Planning

A geographic information system (GIS) network data base is used to determine the characteristics of 397 routes used by commuter cyclists in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and to compare them with the shortest-path routes between each origin and destination. The analysis of route data provides useful insight for understanding factors affecting travel behavior and in this case provides quantitative support for many existing assumptions regarding commuter cyclist behavior. Most commuters divert very little from their minimum path (0.4 km on average) and are found to use major road routes. The cyclists tend to avoid grades, grade-separated railway crossings, and high-activity areas, but not road (as opposed to pedestrian) bridges. Cyclists use traffic signals especially for crossing major roadways and turning. The high-quality direct off-road paths are used only infrequently by the commuter cyclists and the lower quality ones even less. The results of this analysis suggest that efforts to accommodate current commuter cyclists should be focused on improving cycling conditions on the road network, such as providing wider curb lanes, or actuated traffic signal detectors that recognize the presence of bicycles. If potential new commuters are similar to the minority of current commuter cyclists in this study who use mainly local roads, paths or trails, then projects that make the network of local roads and pathways more connective and direct may encourage a higher level of commuter cycling.
Ion Current Sensing for HCCI Combustion Feedback

Measurement of ion current signal from HCCI combustionwas performed. The aim of the work was to investigateif a measurable ion current signal exists and if it is possible to obtain useful information about the combustion process. Furthermore, influence of mixture quality in termsof air/fuel ratio and EGR on the ion current signal wasstudied. A conventional spark plug was used as ionizationsensor. A DC voltage (85 Volt) was applied acrossthe electrode gap. By measuring the current through thegap the state of the gas can be probed. A comparisonbetween measured pressure and ion current signal wasperformed, and dynamic models were estimated by usingsystem identification methods.The study shows that an ion current signal can be obtainedfrom HCCI combustion and that the signal levelis very sensitive to the fuel/air equivalence ratio. Themost important result from this study is that the ion current signal proved to be an excellent indicator of the actual combustion timing which is crucial piece of information for HCCI control.
Testing Protocol for Experimental Seismic Qualification of Distributed Nonstructural Systems

Building codes and standards now require seismic qualification of mechanical and electrical equipment and their mounting systems in important buildings to ensure that they remain functional during and after major seismic events. To better understand the seismic behavior of nonstructural building contents and equipment, experimental procedures have been proposed for either displacement or acceleration sensitive nonstructural components, through racking or shake table protocols, respectively. However, certain types of nonstructural systems are sensitive to both accelerations and interstory drifts. An innovative testing protocol is proposed that can subject nonstructural systems to the combined accelerations and interstory drifts expected within multistory buildings during seismic shaking. Moreover, the proposed protocol, when used with equipment such as the University at Buffalo Nonstructural Component Simulator (UB-NCS), allows for the assessment of the seismic performance of distributed nonstructural systems with multiple attachment points, and the evaluation of seismic interactions between components. The versatility and capabilities of the testing protocol are demonstrated through testing of a full-scale hospital emergency room containing typical nonstructural components and life support medical equipment.