Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A bidirectional vibrotactile communication system: tactual display design and attainable data rates

A series of experiments with a bidirectional vibrotactile communication system examined the effectiveness with which a person can receive and react to vibratory stimuli applied to the skin. In order to design an effectual tactual display, vibratory patterns that varied in duration and shape were presented on the 6*24 vibrotactile array of the Optacon, a portable electronic reading aid for the blind. In determining the maximal set of unambiguously discriminable tactual patterns, the results of the first experiment indicate that higher resolution, a larger element size, and larger interelement spacing are desirable, yet potentially conflicting, characteristics for a tactual display. In the second experiment, a maximum data rate of approximately 10 b/s was attained through the tactual channel of the fingertip using vibratory stimulation. The results indicate that low-resolution tactual displays are just as effective in transmitting information as tactual displays with a larger number of elements. <<ETX>>
Az antitestmediált rejekció diagnosztikája és kezelése gyakorlatunkban

Bevezetés: Az antitest közvetítette kilökődés a graftvesztés gyakori oka a vesetranszplantáltak körében. Célkitűzés: Célul tűztük ki, hogy ismertetjük a centrumunkban biopsziával igazolt humorális kilökődéssel rendelkező betegeknek a kezelésre (standard kezelés: plazmaferézis, immunglobulin, rituximab) adott válaszát, valamint hogy vizsgáljuk Results: Data from 85 patients were processed retrospectively. 19 patients were selected for the biopsy-confirmed humoral rejection group (ABMR group), 14 for the DSA-positive group, and 52 for the DSA-negative group. DSA titer decreased by 61.16% in the ABMR group after treatment and by 42.86% in the DSA-positive group (Fisher’s exact test: p = 0.1). In the ABMR group, significant nephrotic proteinuria in 4 patients and severe proteinuria in 9 patients were reduced (68% of ABMR group). The patients with the lowest protein excretion had the best graft survival. In biopsies performed after antirejection therapy, the extent of glomerulitis, interstitial inflammation, arteritis decreased with antihumoral treatment, but chronic lesions appeared. Conclusion: Following treatment of biopsy-proven ABMR, reduction of proteinuria predicts graft survival and should be monitored as an important factor-predicting prognosis.
Analysis and application of gamification

In this paper we present a method for analysis and application of gamification as a tool to assist the participation and motivation of people in carrying out various tasks and activities. We analyze what are the psychological and social motivations of human beings, and how game mechanics can help when it comes to satisfy these needs. Likewise, it is proposed a method for analyzing the effectiveness of gamification based on a quality service model and the metrics associated with the properties of the playability as a measure of fun induced by the process of gamification.
Automotive semiconductor switch technologies

The automotive electronics intelligent power market is both large and varied, with currents from as low as 100 mA to higher than 30 A. Throughout this range there is a requirement for high and low-side drivers and bridge configurations. To meet the needs of these applications several integrated circuit technologies are employed. These include standard bipolar, power BIDFET, planar power and multidie. The comparative features of these technologies are discussed, showing each is suited to particular segments, and how together they fulfill the needs of the automotive market. <<ETX>>
Unprocessed milk as a source of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains

Staphylococcus aureus is the most relevant pathogen of animal mastitis and milk-related intoxications. Its presence in directly sold milk is rather not to be expected if strict udder health management and regular microbiological control of raw milk are performed. In this one-year survey, we present the results of monthly microbiological testing of milk from vending machines in Croatia for S. aureus and its multi-drug resistance. Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 27.58% of the samples. Among 60 tested isolates from 10 farmers, a total of 41 isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent (68.33%). A Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index of 0.2 or higher had 48.8% of the resistant isolates, which is considered a high-risk potential for the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The majority of the isolates were resistant to penicillin and ampicillin followed by ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, and kanamycin. The results impose the need for improving the control measures in the raw milk distribution chain focused on MAR risk reduction.
Uncertainty Communication Solution in Neutrosophic Key

This book is a collection of six papers on Communication interpreted in a neutrosophic key, written by the editors (Florentin Smarandache, Bianca Teodorescu and Mirela Teodorescu) and other academics (Daniela Gifu, Alice Ionescu, Simina Badea, Mădălina Strechie and Mihaela-Gabriela Păun), discussing about scientific uncertainty and argumentative employment of paradox, examining the neutrosophic role of the translator and the neutrality in legal translation, investigating some mentalities and communication strategies in ancient civilizations, scrutinizing the metamorphosis of feelings into between-realityconscience and neutro-reality in Camil Petrescu’s novels, or surveying the implications of Neutrosophy in Aesthetics, Arts, or Hermeneutics.
Materials Characterization and Microelectronic Implementation of Metal-insulator Transition Materials and Phase Change Materials

Abstract : Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a metal-insulator transition (MIT) material, and germanium telluride (GeTe) is a phase change material (PCM), both of which undergo several orders of magnitude increase in electrical conductivity from room temperature to their transition temperatures. They are candidates for many important technologies, including ultra-fast electronic memory, optical switches and filters, and active layers in terahertz metamaterials, among others. The physical mechanisms causing the phase transitions in these materials are explained and investigated experimentally. These materials were incorporated into six types of microelectronic devices, which were designed, fabricated, and tested at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). Additionally, these materials were investigated by materials characterization methods spanning the majority of the electromagnetic spectrum. The results show a most suitable applicability to electronic radio frequency (RF) switches, terahertz (THz) modulators, and phase change random access memory (PCRAM). Simple RF switches had 2 dB insertion losses and 30 dB of isolation, THz transmittance modulation of up to 99.5%, and PCRAM cells with threshold electric fields of approximately 1 V/ m.
Managerial Accounting: Concepts and Empirical Evidence

The 5th edition of "Managerial Accounting: Concepts and Empirical Evidence," by Dr. Lawrence A. Gordon (the Ernst & Young Alumni Professor of Managerial Accounting in the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland) and published by McGraw-Hill, is leading the way in showing the impact of the new information economy on managerial accounting. Although maintaining its grounding in economic concepts, this new edition of the book has explicitly integrated discussions on the Internet, e-commerce, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and Internet-based (often called dot-com) firms into such managerial accounting topics as profit planning, activity-based costing, pricing decisions and performance measures. For example, in the chapter on financial performance measures, the reader finds a discussion on how the traditional link between accounting earnings and market value needs to be reconsidered for Internet-based firms. In addition, relevant websites are provided on the inside of the back cover of the book. Furthermore, supplementary material is easily accessed and downloaded via the Internet. Like earlier editions, the fifth edition of the book is still intended to be a text with a "research flavor. " As such, the book is primarily intended for a first-year MBA/MS course in managerial accounting. The book is also appropriate for a first course in managerial accounting for talented undergraduate students. By focusing on the book's more quantitative material (including Appendices), strategy/organizational change material, and the references to empirical studies, the book would be appropriate for a graduate level, as well as undergraduate level, advanced managerialaccounting course. Earlier editions of the book have also been very successfully utilized in executive development programs and the new edition should be even more appropriate for such use due to its emphasis on the new information economy. For more information about this book, check out the author's home page at the University of Maryland (http: //www.rhsmith.umd.edu/accounting/lgordon/).
An Experimental Evaluation of Torque Sensor Based Feedback Control of Combustion Phasing in an SI-engine

Feedback control of combustion phasing based on a crankshaft integrated torque sensor was developed for a spark ignited five cylinder engine. A cylinder individual measure for combustion phasing, called 50% torque ratio, is extracted from the torque signal and used by a spark advance controller. The estimated torque ratio is based on a simplified estimation algorithm where torsional resonances in the crankshaft are neglected, thus limiting the operating range up to a maximum of about 2000 rpm. The torque ratio measure has been compared with the existing measure 50% burned mass fraction, and proven to be a reliable measure for combustion phasing. The spark advance controller has been evaluated by using internal EGR changes as combustion disturbances and an examination of its cylinder balancing properties was performed.
The Design Of Large Integrated Optical Components: An 8X8 Switch Array

We have developed effective techniques for the design and fabrication of large and complex integrated optical components in lithium niobate. The application of these techniques to the design of an 8x8 space switch array suitable for switching broadband traffic in an optical fibre network is discussed. We consider system constraints on wavelength, loss and crosstalk. The implications of using different switch architectures both on the chip and when interconnecting multiple chips to form larger switch networks are studied. The design of the component has been optimised within the constraints of the integrated optical technology and the packaging and interconnection of the device, taking the system requirements fully into account. Flexible techniques for mask coding and mask production are described. We have measured fully functional switch arrays with switching voltages of 25V and optical loss of 5.5dB.
Measuring food safety culture: Insights from onsite foodservice operations

Despite the significant contribution of organizational culture research to the scientific literature in other research fields, studies investigating the culture needed to foster food safety practices remain scarce. Of the works that have been published, most have been at a conceptual level, and little is known about the development of measurement scales to assess food safety culture in onsite foodservices, one sector of foodservice. This study aimed to develop a measurement scale to assess food safety culture and tested this scale in two types of onsite foodservices, namely hospitals and schools. A mixed methods approach was used and included two research phases. In phase one, four focus groups were conducted with foodservice employees, who held non-supervisory positions, to explore factors in the workplace that helped and prevented employees from following food safety practices. Nine themes emerged as follows: 1) leadership, 2) communication, 3) self-commitment, 4) management system and style, 5) environment support, 6) teamwork, 7) accountability, 8) work pressure, and 9) risk perceptions. These themes were then used in item scale development. In phase two, a survey was conducted with foodservice employees to test and validate the developed measurement scale. A total of 582 useable survey responses were obtained and subjected to factor analysis with six factors extracted: management and coworkers support, communication, self-commitment, environment support, work pressure, and risk judgment. The six-factor structure of food safety culture showed a satisfactory level of reliability and validity. Further analysis of the survey data showed employees' perceptions on certain factors of food safety culture were significantly different across gender, age group, years of foodservice experience, time worked at current workplace, work status, and whether or not employees received food safety training. Significant differences were also found in employees' perceptions based on their workplace management system, operation type and size. Areas of strength and potential improvement of food safety culture were identified. Significant differences in employees' perceptions can guide development of interventions that support safe food handling practices in onsite foodservices. Further research is needed to confirm and validate the application of the food safety culture scale in other types of onsite foodservices.
Energetic behavior of soft magnetic materials fed by inverter supply

The energetic behavior of several samples of soft magnetic materials excited by inverter voltage supplies has been analyzed. The iron losses increasing due to nonconventional voltage supply such as inverter-fed induction motors have been considered. Square wave and pulse-width-modulated (PWM) inverter voltages have been selected as the excitation waveforms for the samples under test. Extensive experimental results on medium- and high-quality grain oriented silicon steel and amorphous alloy wound cores are presented. A detailed description of the testing procedure is also reported. The results allow one to estimate the percentage of the iron losses increasing the nonsinusoidal supply. Comparison with the results obtained with sinusoidal supply gives useful indications to electromagnetic device designers about the derating factor to be used in devices fed by static power sources. <<ETX>>
Steady and unsteady dynamics of an azimuthing podded propulsor related to vehicle maneuvering

While the implementation of azimuthing propulsors powered by interna l electric motors (often called “podded propulsors”) into the commercial ship market ha s been swift, the understanding of their hydrodynamics through research, particularly in t he area of maneuvering performance, has been very limited. This thesis research investigates the steady and unsteady dynamic maneuvering forces associated with an azimuthing podded propulsor, and provides supporting the oretical insight toward understanding their mechanisms and prediction. Because of th wide range of potential applications of azimuthing podded propulsion in the marine field, dynami c force phenomena applicable to maneuverability of both large and small scale vehi cles are investigated. These include quasi-steady vectored maneuvering forces, of importance to al l maneuvering vehicles or ships, as well as unsteady or transient maneuvering forces, whi ch have more significance to the maneuverability of smaller vehicles, particularly for preci sion control applications. The ultimate goal of the research is to provide a comprehensive understanding of t he maneuvering forces associated with an azimuthing podded propulsor, such that future maneuveri g and control applications, and computational fluid dynamics studies in the field, can be appropria tely focused. The research efforts are focused in four main areas. F irst, a number of relevant dynamic models for the maneuvering of a surface vehicle with an azimuthi ng propulsor are developed. Second, an extensive test program measures and characterizes t he nature of quasi-steady vectored maneuvering forces associated with a podded propulsor in azimuth to ±180° for the entire range of forward propeller speeds, as well as unsteady or transien t ma euvering forces due to rapid changes in azimuth angle or propeller rate. This test program is imed at quantifying the steady and unsteady parameters associated with the developed dynamic models . Third, two flow visualization techniques are utilized to visualize, document , a d correlate the helical wake characteristics, velocities and forces for both quasi-steady an unsteady propulsor states. A new fluorescent paint flow visualization technique is developed a nd applied for small, moderate and
Alternative Water Conservation Policy Tools for Oklahoma Water Systems Final Report

As the Comprehensive State Water Plan moves toward making recommendations, an evaluation of viable, practical, and politically acceptable water conservation policy tools is needed. Experts agree that the pressure on Oklahoma’s water supply may increase due to population growth, environmental regulations, climate change, and several other factors. With continuing competition among water consuming municipalities to secure their water supplies, and pressure from the rapidly growing urban complex in North Texas, every option will be needed to conserve Oklahoma’s water resource. Although there is increasing experience around the U. S. with crisis-oriented drought response tools, most of this experience has not been shared, or evaluated, or packaged as conservation policy tools. The research will evaluate such tools and bring them out for consideration and evaluation as part of the Water Plan.
Online Prediction of Temperature and Stress in Steam Turbine Components Using Neural Networks

Considered here are Nonlinear Auto-Regressive neural networks with exogenous inputs (NARX) as a mathematical model of a steam turbine rotor used for the on-line prediction of turbine temperature and stress. In this paper on-line prediction is presented on the basis of one critical location in a high pressure steam turbine rotor, according to power plant common measurements, i.e., turbine speed, turbine load as well as steam temperature and pressure before turbine control valve. In order to obtain neural networks that will correspond to the temperature and stress the critical rotor location, an FE rotor model was built. Neural networks trained using the FE rotor model not only have FEM accuracy, but also include nonlinearity related to nonlinear steam turbine expansion, nonlinear heat exchange inside the turbine and nonlinear rotor material properties during transient conditions. Simultaneous neural networks are algorithms which can be implemented in turbine controllers. This allows for the application of neural networks to control steam turbine stress in industrial power plants.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Scale for developmental dyslexia screening: evidence of validity and reliability.

PURPOSE To investigate the empirical validity and reliability of a screener for risk of developmental dyslexia (DD) by elementary school teachers. METHODS The scale was tested with 12 teachers who answered questions about their students (95 students total, all in the third year of elementary school); the students, in turn, performed reading and writing tasks which were used to investigate the association between screening scores and performance. The following analyses were carried out: (1) factor analysis; (2) internal consistency; (3) relationship between each scale item and the construct of interest, as measured by item response theory (IRT); (4) correlation of each scale item with external variables (reading and writing tests); and (5) the temporal stability of teachers' evaluations. RESULTS The analyses showed: (1) one factor was extracted; (2) strong internal consistency - the items in the scale are good indicators for screening of this construct; (3) items were monotonic (IRT), i.e., item variability is associated with one construct; (4) moderate Spearman correlation (11/17 items); (5) temporal stability - the result of screening did not vary over time. CONCLUSION This study shows evidence of validity and reliability of the proposed scale in its intended use of screening for developmental dyslexia. The percentage of children at risk for developmental dyslexia, according to the scale, was approximately 9%, which is in agreement with the international literature on the prevalence of dyslexia.
Modeling and control of airport departure processes for emissions reduction

Taxiing aircraft contribute significantly to the fuel burn and emissions at airports. This thesis investigates the possibility of reducing fuel burn and emissions from surface operations through a reduction of the taxi times of departing aircraft. Data analysis of the departing traffic in four major US airports provides a comprehensive assessment of the impact of surface congestion on taxi times, fuel burn and emissions. For this analysis two metrics are introduced: one that compares the taxi times to the unimpeded ones and another that evaluates them in terms of their contribution to the airport's throughput. A novel approach is proposed that models the aircraft departure process as a queuing system. The departure taxi (taxi-out) time of an aircraft is represented as a sum of three components: the unimpeded taxi-out time, the time spent in the departure queue, and the congestion delay due to ramp and taxiway interactions. The dependence of the taxi-out time on these factors is analyzed and modeled. The performance of the model is validated through a comparison of its predictions with observed data at Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS). A reduction in taxi times may be achieved through the queue management strategy known as N-Control, which controls the pushback process so as to keep the number of departing aircraft on the surface of the airport below a specified threshold. The developed model is used to quantify the impact of N-Control on taxi times, delays, fuel burn and emissions at BOS. Finally, the benefits and implications of N-Control are compared to the ones theoretically achievable from a scheme that controls the takeoff queue of each departing aircraft. Thesis Supervisor: Hamsa Balakrishnan Title: Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems
Snapshots of Hemodynamics: An Aid for Clinical Research and Graduate Education

Basics of Hemodynamics. - Viscosity. - Law of Poiseuille. - Bernoulli's Equation. - Turbulence. - Arterial Stenosis. - Resistance. - Inertance. - Oscillatory Flow Theory. - Law of Laplace. - Elasticity. - Compliance. - Cardiac Hemodynamics. - Cardiac Muscle Mechanics. - The Pressure-Volume Relation. - The Pump Function Graph. - Cardiac Work, Energy and Power. - Cardiac Oxygen Consumption and Hemodynamics. - Cardiac Power and Ventriculo-Arterial Coupling. - The Coronary Circulation. - Assessing Ventricular Function. - Arterial Hemodynamics. - Wave Travel and Velocity. - Wave Travel and Reflection. - Waveform Analysis. - Arterial Input Impedance. - The Arterial Windkessel. - Distributed Models and Tube Models. - Transfer of Pressure. - Mechanotransduction and Vascular Remodeling. - Blood Flow and Arterial Disease. - Integration. - Determinants of Pressure and Flow. - Comparative Physiology. - Appendices. - Times and Sines: Fourier Analysis. - Basic Hemodynamic Elements. - Vessel Segment. - Wave Speed and Characteristic Impedance. - Basic Aspects. - Books for Reference. - Symbols. - Units and Conversion Factors.