Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Realtime interactive structural analysis : an object oriented approach

A realtime interactive structural analysis tool for educational purpose can be implemented due to the improvement of the computational ability of the microprocessor and software technology. In general, a structural analysis tool should provide the required information for structural analysis. The information includes the geometry and material properties of the structure, the deformation and the forces in the member, and the validity of the assumptions. An interactive graphical user interface is the most effective way for users to understand the behavior of the structures. Object oriented technology emphasizes the attributes and the behaviors of the object, and the relationships between objects. It can be used for modeling the structure and the architecture of the software application. To meet different requirements, a layered architecture is adopted here. This architecture includes a finite element kernel, a basic interface, and a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface allows one to build the model of the structure by following the same approach he uses to build the real model. It provides the easiest way to build the model intuitively in a shortest time. Thesis Supervisor: Professor Jerome J. Connor Title: Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Comparative Analysis of 1D Relaxation Models Calculations Performed for Carbon Dioxide Two-Phase Transonic Flow Through Converging-Diverging Ejector Motive Nozzle

One of the most important efficiency losses in a vaporcompression refrigeration system, especially in a transcritical CO2 cycle, is caused by the throttling process. The most promising solution is an application of a two-phase ejector as a compressor booster. The schematic diagram of this solution is presented in Figure 1. Efficient ejector operation is mostly dependent on ejector geometry, where the converging-diverging motive nozzle plays an important role. In this nozzle, the pressure potential energy of the fluid is partly converted into kinetic energy. The lower pressure at the motive nozzle outlet, the higher motive stream velocity and the better potential of momentum exchange with the secondary stream farther downstream. For given operating conditions (inlet, outlet pressure) the maximum achievable velocity for a simple converging nozzle is fixed by the propagation velocity (the speed of sound). For a converging-diverging nozzle, the velocity at the nozzle outlet could be larger and depends on the divergent design. For two-phase flows this issue is additionally complicated by an occurrence of non-equilibrium effects: although the fluid pressure decreases below the saturation pressure, a phase change process does not occur and the flow remains single-phase (metastable liquid flow). After the pressure reaches an enough low value the phase change (flashing) starts but the formed two-phase flow is still far from equilibrium. In case of the CO2 transcritical cycle, the described flow is even more complicated because of the fluid transition from supercritical to subcritical state. All those phenomena significantly influence the motive mass flow rate, which is a key parameter for an ejector performance. Therefore, an accurate prediction of a local speed of sound in non-equlibrium two-phase flows is a crucial issue for an ejector motive nozzle design. Aforementioned circumstances were a motivation for research of a relatively simple and accurate way to describe the sound speed in two-phase flows. For this purpose, three approaches were analysed and compared, namely: homogenous equilibrium model, relaxation equilibrium model and delayed equilibrium model. Authors found that the absence of equilibrium can be relatively simply included in speed of sound predictions by usage of the relaxation models. Moreover, calculations performed on the base of an own implementation of mentioned models were compared to available experimental data.
Details about pressure calculation in molecular dynamic analysis

Numerical modeling of nano/micro devices needs measurement of thermo-fluid properties in molecular simulations. Therefore, special attention has been paid to the method of numerical measurement of fluid properties. Details about pressure calculation in a molecular system and its sensitivity to approximations made are studied in this paper. Convergence behavior of kinetic and potential parts of pressure and the effect of cut-off distance on pressure calculation in different bin sizes are studied. Finally a method is introduced for the correct calculation of pressure. This method is based on the assumption that macroscopic properties should be independent from the bin sizes.
Adaptive, Tactical Mesh Networking: Control Base MANET Model

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To what extent do enablers explain results in the EFQM excellence model?: An empirical study

Purpose – To take an in‐depth look at the EFQM Excellence Model by assessing how enabler and result criteria are interrelated, and how enablers as a whole affect the complete set of results.Design/methodology/approach – Provides new insight and understanding of the associations between the EFQM criteria. Canonical correlation analysis is used to measure the relationships between enablers and results, while accounting for interdependences within those sets of variables. To test the suggested causal relationship, data from a questionnaire survey conducted on 446 companies (manufacturing and service sectors) is used.Findings – The set of enabler criteria is strongly related to the result criteria set and, with the exception of policy and strategy criteria, all the enablers and result criteria in the EFQM Excellence Model make a significant contribution to this relationship. All the enabler criteria contribute in the same way to result improvements, consequently a balanced approach in the development of enabl.
Groupthink Decision Making Deficiency in the Requirements Engineering Process: Towards a Crowdsourcing Model

We make an argument that requirements engineering, as a primer to information technology deployment in organizations, is largely failing because decision making in the requirements engineering (RE) process empathizes with the ethos of 'group think' which 'fuels' inefficient 'control indeterminacy. ' We make this argument from the premise that technological artifacts that get inscribed within organizational culture and design do so through an initial process that involves prioritization, which in itself is theorized as an outcome of organizational discourse. We draw on critical realism's retroductive approach and the practice of 'group think' for grounding crowdsourcing in IT project prioritization. Our choice of crowdsourcing as a remedy for inefficiencies in IT Project prioritization is deliberate: it elevates the notion of group think as a theoretical lens; and is in line with the positioning of organizational decision making as deliberately constitutive and representative of stakeholder interests. However, we remain attentive guard against utopianism, but still make the claim that crowdsourcing provides us with some traction for seeking alternatives that can lead to a re-invigoration in RE research for effective practices in IT projects. The analyses links RE decision making deficiency to the prevalence of Organizational Resistance, Technical Incompetence, Lack of a Moral and Ethical Code and Inappropriate Leadership for Creativity.
Outdoor ventures: Tracking Eastern Box Turtles

This project was designed to engage middle-grade students in an authentic task involving the study of an endangered species, the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). It emphasizes learning by doing and promotes character growth, teamwork, reflection, and literacy. This article describes the process of coming together under these theories to study a population of eastern box turtles. The project's goals are to: * bring together the middle school, university, and community to educate students about the environment and the importance of stewardship; * integrate math, science, reading, computer literacy, and scientific field techniques in a science classroom and interdisciplinary project; and * produce documents that will provide a model for other schools interested in establishing hands-on science with conservation implications.
Reluctance and doubly-excited reluctance motors

Since the energy crisis in 1974, there has been increasing awareness of conserving energy. Industrial ac motors from 1 to 125 hp are estimated to consume 60% of the total electricity produced in the United States. Significant energy conservation could be achieved if the efficiency of these motors is improved. The work described in this report was sponsored by the Division of Electric Energy Systems (EES) of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) through a subcontract with the Power Systems Technology Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA). This work deals with the design, analysis, and test of two types of motors designed to have a high efficiency and power factor. The first type, reluctance motors (RMs), are similar to synchronous motors but without dc excitation. A novel 3-phase RM has been designed and tested, and it was found to have superior efficiency when compared with a similar induction motor.
PUBLIC TRANSIT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: APPLICATION TO SECTION 15 DATA

Performance indicators are quantitative measures that enable managers and policymakers to monitor the current position of an agency and outline strategies to improve performance. Because public services have many different dimensions of performance, a large number of performance indicators are normally used. In this paper a conceptual model is used to help select a few performance indicators that represent all the improtant performance concepts. Data were obtained from a national sample of 311 urban bus transit systems in the first year that data were reported under Section 15 of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1965, as amended. The steps in the performance-evaluation procedure involve defining a conceptual model of performance and designing a balanced set of performance indicators that represent all performance concepts. Factor analysis is then used to select the indicators that best represent all dimensions of performance. This small, representative set of performance indicators is used to analyze performance and to establish peer-group rankings.
In vitro/vivo Mechanism of Action of S100A12 in Sepsis-induced ARDS

ObjectiveSepsis is a multiple organ dysfunction elicited by the dysregulated host immune response to microbial infection. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a serious and acute inflammatory lung injury resulting from sepsis and other serious diseases. The present study aims to investigate the role of S100A12, a pro-inflammatory factor, in the pathophysiologic mechanism underlying the process in sepsis-induced ARDS.MethodsThe blood samples and clinical base line of study subjects were collected. C57BL/6 mice underwent cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to establish sepsis models. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) Staining was performed to observe pathological changes. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and specific commercial assay kits were employed to analyze the levels of inflammatory cytokines and antioxidant capacity, respectively. Western blot, immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining and reverse-transcriptase quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) were performed to determine target gene and protein expression. TUNEL Assay and Flow Cytometry were performed to assay cell apoptosis.ResultsThe levels of S100A12 and sRAGE are upregulated in the serum of patients with Sepsis-induced ARDS and sepsis mice. Furthermore, higher cell apoptosis rate was observed in lung tissue of sepsis mice. In addition, S100A12 resulted in excessive mucins and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines secretion, and promoted the expression of chemokines and cell adhesion molecules via activating NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in NHBE cells. Finally, S100A12 increased oxidative stress status and cell apoptosis in NHBE cells.ConclusionThe present study provides evidence that S100A12 is closely related to pathogenesis of sepsis-induced ARDS. Hence, S100A12 may be a useful biomarker of pulmonary injuries for clinical diagnosis of sepsis-induced ARDS.
On Voltage and Frequency Control in Multi-Area Power Systems Security

Keywords: multi-area power system ; voltage control ; voltage stability margin ; effective reactive power reserve ; complementarity constraints ; centralized/decentralized optimization ; frequency control ; cascading outages ; large blackouts ; risk assessment These Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne EPFL, n° 6053 (2014)Programme doctoral Genie electriqueFaculte des sciences et techniques de l'ingenieurInstitut de genie electrique et electroniqueGroupe de scientifiques STIJury: Prof. F. Rachidi-Haeri (president), Dr S. -R. Cherkaoui (directeur), Prof. M. Paolone, Dr W. Sattinger, Prof. T. Van Cutsem (rapporteurs) Public defense: 2014-3-21 Reference doi:10.5075/epfl-thesis-6053Print copy in library catalog Record created on 2014-03-17, modified on 2016-08-09
An Overview of a Wireless Sensor Network for Structural Health Monitoring Using X-Bee Pro Module

This paper proposes a new design for structural health monitoring devices system by integrating the strain gauge in digital sensor signal and embedded wireless communication system. X-Bee Pro modules are proposed to be integrated with the system to provide long range wireless connectivity to the devices. This system is designed to enhance the efficiency of structural health monitoring by obtaining real time data remotely from a different place. In order to achieve objectives and to develop a smart wireless system for structural health monitoring, the methodology of this study includes hardware designing and interfacing of a prototype according to the model system. Smart wireless sensor networks for structure health monitoring have the potential to facilitate more economical management in structure monitoring.
Pylon effects on a scramjet cavity flameholder flowfield

Abstract : Cavity flameholders in supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) combustors, while effective, fail to take advantage of the full combustor volume. Adding a pylon to the leading edge of a cavity flameholder generates a flowfield increasing mass exchange between the cavity and main combustor flow, increasing the mixing interface between flameholder products and main combustor flow, and exhibiting minimal Reynolds number effects. To demonstrate this modified flowfield driven by supersonic expansion behind the pylon, pylon-cavity flameholder flowfield data were obtained through a combination of wind tunnel experimentation and steady-state computational fluid dynamics. Flowfield effects of the pylon-cavity were examined at a Mach number of two and Reynolds numbers from approximately 33 million m-1 to 55 million m-1. Addition of the pylon resulted in approximately three times the mass exchange between the cavity and overlying flow. Reynolds number effects were weak. A strong upward flow behind the pylon, from the cavity to the top of the pylon wake, significantly increased exposure and exchange of cavity fluid with the main combustor flow. Assuming a suitably reacting fuel-air mixture, the addition of a pylon offers the scramjet designer an attractive option to take advantage of a greater proportion of combustor volume and improve combustor performance.
Predicting nanoparticle uptake by biological membranes: theory and simulation

ABSTRACT We describe a new approach which predicts the level of internalisation or complete wrapping of nanoparticles by liposomes in solution. It is based on a generalisation of elastic thin film theory to the wrapping of bilayers around nanoscale particles using physical property data, primarily the strength of adhesion between the bilayer and particle surface, obtained from atomistic and coarse-grained simulations. We apply this approach to predict the maximum number of nanoparticles of a given type that can be internalised by a given liposome: new data that could be correlated with nanoparticle toxicity experiments. Examples are provided of how our approach might be used to identify and/or design nanoparticles with different uptakes. We briefly discuss the possibility of designing nanoscale separations process.
Intelligent Vehicle Technology and Trends

This book, a groundbreaking resource, offers professionals a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge intelligent vehicle (IV) systems aimed at providing enhanced safety, greater productivity, and less stress for drivers. Rather than bogging readers down with difficult technical discourse, this easy to understand book presents a conceptual and realistic view of how IV systems work and the issues involved with their introduction into road vehicles. Offering a thorough understanding of how electronics and electronic systems must work within automobiles, heavy trucks and buses, the book examines: (1) real world IV products, along with practical issues, including cost, market aspects, driver interface, and user acceptance; (2) current systems such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and forward collision mitigation; (3) the next wave of driver assist systems, including pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assistance, and seamless information flow between road vehicle and the road infrastructure; (4) traffic assist systems, in which intelligent vehicles automatically coordinate their movements to improve traffic flow; and (5) a view of the future of this rapidly evolving technological area.
Object Oriented Modeling of Rotating Electrical Machines

The simulation of electric machines is required in many fields of applications. For the simulation of electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles it is often important to take multi physical effects into account. Only the full coupling of different physical domains allows a systemic analysis of the entire power train. The electric energy storage, power electronics, control and electric machines may have some kind of forced air or liquid cooling. The cooling circuits of each of the electric devices may be coupled or not. Depending on the complexity of the vehicle, the mutual coupling of thermal, mechanical and electrical effects may be crucial when the entire electric power train shall be designed. A flexible and open environment for modeling the electric energy storage, the power electronics, the electric machines, gears and clutches is thus very beneficial in the design phase. In this book chapter object oriented models of rotating electric three phase machines will be presented. To these machines will be referred with the general term induction machines. Particular machines handled in this paper are
An investigation of differences in crash characteristics between males and females involved in a fatigue-related crash or close call event

There is consensus among community and road safety agencies that driver fatigue is a major road safety issue and it is well known that excessive fatigue is linked with an increased risk of a motor vehicle crash. Previous research has implicated a wide variety of factors involved in fatigue-related crashes and the effects of these various factors in regard to crash risk can be interpreted as causal (i.e. alcohol and/or drugs may induce fatigue states) or additive (e.g. where a lack of sleep is combined with alcohol). As such, the purpose of this investigation was to examine self-report data to determine whether there are any differences in the prevalence, crash characteristics, and travel patterns of males and females involved in a fatigue-related crash or close call event. Such research is important to understand how fatigue related incidents occur within the typical driving patterns of men and women and it provides a starting point in order to explore if males and females experience and understand the risk of diving when tired in the same way. A representative sample of (N = 1,600) residents living in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and New South Wales (NSW), Australia, were surveyed regarding their experience of fatigue and their involvement in fatigue-related crashes and close call incidents. Results revealed that over 35% of participants reported having had a close call or crash due to driving when tired in the five years prior to the study being conducted. In addition, the results obtained revealed a number of interesting characteristics that provide preliminary evidence that gender differences do exist when examining the prevalence, crash characteristics, and travel patterns of males and females involved in a fatigue-related crash or close call event. It is argued that the results obtained can provide particularly useful information for the refinement and further development of appropriate countermeasures that better target this complex issue.
Building High-Performance Teams

In school and later as business professionals, students will be asked to join teams. These may be permanent, high-powered, self-managed work teams or special-purpose groups that meet only long enough to tackle a specific problem. No matter what the team situation, this text helps students build the vital skills to maximize individual contribution, understand team roles, overcoming conflict, negotiate solutions, evaluate outcomes, and think creatively. This guided process is a productive team experience that yields high-performance results - results that can be replicated in team settings in the workplace.