Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INFORMATION SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT LIFE CYCLE

NTRODUCTION In today’s technologically challenged competitive environment an effective information system is critical to the success of a business. The performance of such information system is vital to its success. The performance of an implemented information system is many times the single most important aspect of an information system for a business. However, the measurement of an information systems’ performance is elusive and is sometimes overlooked during the actual system development cycle. SDLC has following phases – planning, analysis, design, implementation, support and maintenance. 1 The measurement of the systems’ performance is restricted to the implementation phase of the traditional system development life cycle (SDLC). The measurement tools are designed to measure the performance of applications or the subsystems only. These tools are thus burdened with the task of evaluating the entire systems’ performance for which they are not equipped. To make matters worse the rigidity of the process does not allow the systems programmer/analyst to easily incorporate the changes suggested by the outcome of performance measurement. The problem is that the cost to incorporate changes suggested by the outcomes of the performance measurements increases as the SDLC advances. This is because the stages of SDLC will have to be repeated to implement the desired changes. Boehm (1981) supports the contention of adverse financial implications of such changes at later stages in the SDLC. We examine SDLC and focus on its performance measurement phase. The paper evaluates various performance measurement tools and their role in the implementation phase of the SDLC. We recognize the importance of performance of the information system and suggest a performance cycle parallel to the SDLC starting with the planning phase. Specifically, the paper suggests the
Use of silicon and GaAs pixel detectors for digital autoradiography

Solid state detectors made of Si (4.8/spl times/8 mm/sup 2/) and GaAs (6.4/spl times/8 mm/sup 2/) pixel matrices bump-bonded to the Omega2 and Omega3 electronic read-out systems, developed at CERN for H.E. P. experiments, have been used to obtain autoradiographic images of clusters of human epithelial cells and DNA fragments separated via electrophoresis, both labeled with /sup 32/P. The system has shown a good minimum detectable activity per unit area of 2.10/sup -4/ cps mm/sup -2/, and has proved linear for count rate in the range 0.2-20 cps, typical of autoradiography. The pixel dimensions are 75/spl times/500 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ (Si-Omega2) and 50/spl times/500 /spl mu/m/sup 2/(GaAs-Omega3), respectively. We are able to clearly localize clusters of cells which have incorporated the radioactive tracer and DNA fragments on an electrophoretic gel on paper (blots).
A new control law of bilinear DC-DC converters developed by direct application of Lyapunov

The state space averaging models of boost, buck-boost and Cuk converters are shown to be bilinear systems. Because of the difficulties in analyzing such bilinear systems, most of the previous work dealing with such converters in the state space are confined to the discussions of their linear approximated systems (small signal model). A new control law based on the bilinear large signal models, not linearly approximated, is proposed for achieving the output regulation of these converters. The control law is derived from directly applying the Lyapunov stability theory to the bilinear large signal models, so that the closed loop systems possess excellent output properties, some of which are illustrated by numerical simulations. >
A small biped entertainment robot

We propose a small biped entertainment robot, SDR-3X (a prototype Sony Dream Robot) which enables the motion entertainment, i.e., entertaining people with its controlled dynamic motion performances. Some of the new key technologies have been developed to realize the SDR-3X. One is the newly developed robot actuator named intelligent servo actuator (ISA). The ISA is the trine-actuator composed of a motor unit, a built-in control unit and a gear unit. The ISA features dynamic and high power output from a small, lightweight actuator. Another technology is the whole body coordinated dynamic motion control method. It realizes stable biped walking and stable whole-body dynamic motion performances.
Phyllochron, and root system development of six strawberry cultivars with different photoperiodic flowering responses

Bare-root strawberry plants produced in Patagonia accumulate more reserves in the main crown, which allows their immediate development after transplantation. Due to the dependence on these bare-root plants, Brazilian producers use early cultivars, which start the leaves emission and the flower buds differentiation in advance, since these bare-root plants do not always arrive within the estimated time for planting in southern Brazil. The objective of the work was to investigate whether six strawberry cultivars, produced in a greenhouse, differ in their phyllochron, and root system development. Six cultivars were tested, arranged in a randomized block design, with four replications. Bare-root plants were cultivated in soil in a greenhouse. The phyllochron was evaluated by counting the number of leaves, weekly, from the beginning of leaf emission (from the main crown) until the appearance of the first fruit. The roots were digitized by a scanner and the images analyzed by the WinRHIZO® software. ‘Camarosa’ cultivar was considered the earliest to start fruiting, as it had the lowest phyllochron value (69.93ºC day-1 leaf-1), while the cultivar ‘San Andreas’ was the latest (166.67ºC day-1 leaf-1). ‘Albion’ and ‘Aromas’ presented the highest total root length in relation to the other cultivars. In conclusion, the six strawberry cultivars analyzed in this study, with different photoperiodic classifications regarding flowering, differ in relation to their morphophenological performance. In the growing conditions of southern Brazil, phyllochron study indicates that ‘Camarosa’ cultivar is the earliest and ‘San Andreas’ cultivar is the latest. ‘Albion’ and ‘Aromas’ cultivars are more compact plants, with greater potential for the development of the root system.
A novel method to achieve zero-voltage regulation in buck converter

The function control law for a buck converter is derived to achieve zero voltage regulation of the output voltage. A new method to retrieve the low frequency component of the inductor voltage is proposed and analyzed. The stability of the closed loop system using a proportional and differential controller is analyzed. The effect of the supply voltage and load current disturbance is also studied. The analysis, computer simulation by PSPICE and experimental results illustrate that excellent performance can be achieved by the function control law. >
Hydrodynamic Coefficients for a Sloped Cylinder in Cross Waves

A wave tank test was conducted with a circular cylinder mounted on a sloped foundation. The cylinder was 6in in diameter and was instrumented to measure the local load on the cylinder and the foundation load. The test was designed to investigate the effect of the boundary slope, wave angle of attack and cylinder/boundary gap on the hydrodynamic loads on the cylinder. This paper describes the hydrodynamic coefficients, e.g., inertia, force and lift coefficients for the cylinder placed at right angles to the waves as a function of the cylinder gap, foundation slope and Keulegan-Carpenter (KC) parameter. The test results are limited to low values of KC.
Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism in obesity research

Obesity is a global health problem associated with many comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes and cancer. The number of individuals with overweight and obesity have increased dramatically within the past few years. Given the worldwide cost of an obesity pandemic, it is crucial to understand molecular pathways and identify novel factors that regulate fat storage in humans. In recent years, Caenorhabditis elegans has been widely used to investigate metabolic and neuroendocrine mechanisms involved in the regulation of energy metabolism. In this review, we describe similarities in fundamental signalling pathways regulating fat accumulation between nematodes and mammals. Like in humans, fat storage in C. elegans depends on the interaction of genetic and environmental factors such as diet, microbiota and ambient temperature. Despite many challenges, the simplicity of use, relatively short lifespan, genetic conservation and availability of many valuable experimental techniques make C. elegans an attractive and useful model organism in obesity research.
Using Axiomatic Design and TRIZ in (re)Designing of Product Architecture Toward Upgradable Products

The movements to personalized products and up-to-date technology speed up the time of products become obsolete (partially obsolete) before the end of their life. Thus, the capability to design product more flexible is the key competitive factor leads to secure product cost and extend the product life time. In this paper, the (re)design methodology that leans on Axiomatic design and TRIZ has been developed and implemented to enhance flexibility of a product meeting customer’s requirements and support future change. The paper shows, through a case study, how the flexible are created for specific industrial product: electric towing vehicle.
Do We Need Resource Reservation

Reservation reservation has been a very controversial issue among academic scholars and network operators. This paper examines the question of whether or not the Internet is better off with resource reservation from several aspects. An analytical model shows that reservation-capable networks provide better performance for real-time traffic than that in best-effort-only networks. A study on today’s Internet traffic volume, bandwidth pricing, and network topology indicates that network heterogeneity could become a significant problem that prevents ISP’s from delivering predictable services to end users. Finally, we look into some of the potential network applications, and conclude that supporting resource reservation is a key to the deployment of those applications. We don’t claim that we have given a definite proof on the necessity of resource reservation, and that the data we have collected represents today’s traffic condition in all ISP networks. However, we believe our results provide strong evidences that network over-provisioning has its limitation, and reservation protocols can be implemented and deployed with manageable impact on network’s scalability and on router’s overall performance. We hope that such evidence can foster more research on Internet reservation protocols.
A study on project success factors in large construction projects in Vietnam

Large construction projects are inherently complex and dynamic. A comprehensive answer on how to manage such projects successfully is difficult to provide. This paper expounds on the success factors for large construction projects in Vietnam. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from practitioners. Factor analysis was employed to categorize these success factors perceived by 109 respondents from 42 construction‐related organizations. Factor analysis uncovered that these success factors can be grouped under four categories, here titled the four COMs: comfort, competence, commitment, and communication. The result can be used as a guideline to successfully handle construction projects in Vietnam as well as in other countries, especially in the emerging economies in Asia and the rest of the world.
The Study of Stress Distribution on Meniscus Using 3D Finite Element Model

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of articular cartilageand meniscus that most experience in aged and obesity, always tend to grow up. Such bone surface degenerated will beirregular and has bone to grow called osteophyte. At moment making activities, the pain and the deformation of the knee joint are occurred thatcause decreasing quality of life. The deterioratedmeniscus has to encountersgradually changing the structureuntil it is not able to support the body weight. This paper proposes the preliminary studyof the knee jointbehavior, especially the meniscus during stand. Three dimensions (3-D) finite element (FE) model of the knee joint has constructed. This model consisted of femur, tibiaand meniscus without fibula.The external load were determined in each body weight and appliedon femur to evaluate maximum von-mises stress on the meniscus.The stress distribution on meniscus always occurs while exist the external load on the femur. The tendency of association between the external load and maximumstress was corresponding to that of the other author.
Dissatisfaction and office productivity

Examines the question of whether people′s productivity in offices is affected by environmental conditions, such as heat, lighting, ventilation and noise. Findings point to individuals′ perception that uncomfortable working conditions affect their productivity. However, difficulties in measurement of tasks and study being too small and unrepresentative lead to uncertain conclusions. Outlines features of best possible buildings and suggests they will contain satisfied and productive occupants.
ESTRUTURA DE PROPRIEDADE E MITIGAÇÃO DAS EMISSÕES DE GASES DO EFEITO ESTUFA

Esse trabalho investiga o impacto da estrutura de propriedade nas decisões que afetam a mitigação de emissões de gases do efeito estufa (GEE). Esta pesquisa tem como base a teoria da agência e assume a hipótese de que a adoção de estratégias climáticas corporativas é influenciada pela estrutura de propriedade da empresa. Foram analisadas empresas brasileiras de capital aberto que realizaram seu inventário de emissão de GEE entre os anos de 2010 e 2018. Realizou-se análise descritiva e foram processadas estimações por dados em painel de efeitos aleatórios e, como variável dependente, utilizou-se o logaritmo natural da razão entre emissões de GEE e receita bruta. Resultados econométricos indicam que um maior percentual de ações nas mãos de investidores institucionais favorece a redução de emissões de GEE. No caso de propriedade de ações da empresa nas mãos de diretores executivos e de investidores ativistas, não foi identificada uma relação significante com a redução de emissões de GEE. A pesquisa reforça a importância de tipos de estrutura de propriedade em decisões que proporcionam incentivos para enfrentar o aquecimento global.
An implementation of a neural network based load forecasting model for the EMS

This paper presents the development and implementation of an artificial neural network (ANN) based short-term system load forecasting model for the energy control center of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Insights gained during the development of the model regarding the choice of the input variables and their transformations, the design of the ANN structure, the selection of the training cases and the training process itself are described in the paper. Attention was paid to model accurately special events, such as holidays, heat-waves, cold snaps and other conditions that disturb the normal pattern of the load. The significant impact of special events on the model's performance was established through testing of an existing load forecasting package that is in production use. The new model has been tested under a wide variety of conditions and it is shown in this paper to produce excellent results. Comparison results between the existing. regression based model and the ANN model are very encouraging. The ANN model consistently outperforms the existing model in terms of both average errors over a long period of time and number of "large" errors. The ANN model has also been integrated with PG&E's Energy Management System (EMS). It is envisioned that the ANN model will eventually substitute the existing model to support the Company's real-time operations. In the interim both models will be available for production use. >
A generic accounting model to support operations management decisions

Information systems are generally unable to generate information about the financial consequences of operations management decisions. This is because the procedures for determining the relevant accounting information for decision support are not formalised in ways that can be implemented in information systems. This paper describes a formalised procedure, which is based on the following theoretical propositions: (i) cost behaviour is described on the basis of a company's contracts for purchasing and selling resources, and (ii) hierarchical relationships between decisions are recognised, because some decisions have to be made earlier than others. Earlier decisions determine the feasible alternatives for later decisions (e.g. through constraints in available production capacity or components), and the plans that supported the earlier decisions serve as instructions for later decisions. The procedure can be implemented in information systems to provide accounting information in case later decisions deviate from these instruc tions (within the limits of the real-world constraints) because new information becomes available.
Application of Fitts' Law to Foot-Pedal Design

Two experiments on reciprocal foot tapping between pedals showed that a modified version of Fitts' Law can predict movement time for a variety of pedal sizes and separations. Using a relationship between times for reciprocal tapping and single movements found for hand movements, the present results predict closely the movement times obtained under specific conditions by earlier researchers. When pedals are at minimum safe separation it is concluded that pedal widths and direction of movement have only a slight effect on movement time.
Preventative Aspects of Muscle Displacement in the Running Athlete

In respect to human movement, especially at high intensities, the body is subjected to vibratory phenomena that can have an influence in the aspects of prevention and performance. This is mainly due to the fact that the human body is endowed with good elasticity along with a good capacity for elastic reuse, unlike the hard and inelastic surfaces and structures with which it often comes in contact with. The impact or the meeting between two different structures from the point of view of both the elasticity and the ability to deform determines the vibrations that are transmitted on the more elastic structures in the form of waves with amplitude and frequency, forcing the latter to find a way to dampen them with the aim of reducing the “noise” in the system. An example of this is the runner who, by running on a more rigid surface, can experience vibrational forces up to 4-5 times his or her body weight, starting in the lower extremities, at each landing phase, and consequently increasing exponentially in those structures that are close to the contact areas. A negative consequence from this type of running can be seen visually with the discoloration in the calf musculature and is suggested that the increase of vibrations during impact with ground may be one of the causes of retrocalcaneal exostosis, or
Student Acceptance of Web-based Learning for Universities in Thailand

According to the revolution of the information technology that has been changing quickly. this paper is to study student acceptance of web-based learning for universities in Thailand. Population in this study is bachelor's students selected from Faculty of Science and Technology in 10 universities with plenty of usages of web-based learning and have offered web-based learning system more than 1 year. Quantitative methods are employed and UTAUT theory is applied as technology acceptance model. Research findings are as follows: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and behavioral intention to use have relationship to usage behaviour with a model fit and regression weight significantly supporting hypotheses (p<0.05).
Compensation Alternatives for Power Sharing Mismatch in Multiport DC–DC–AC Converters

This article proposes several alternatives for the compensation of power sharing errors in the coupling dc bus of multiport dc–dc–ac converters. The case of study consists in a multiport converter used for the interconnection of an ac grid-tied converter, a battery, a supercapacitor, and a regenerative dc load. A distributed control system, where the central controller computes the load power sharing between the battery and the supercapacitor modules and local controllers for the power control at each converter port, is implemented. The sharing mechanism requires a precise measurement or estimation for the required load and port power. However, due to measurements errors or control action deviations, the real power share can differ from the estimated one, and hence, a power mismatch is produced. Those mismatches are absorbed by the dc-link voltage, which is assumed to be controlled by the grid-tied converter. However, considering power restrictions in the grid-tied converter, the differences in the power sharing can compromise the system operation and stability. This article includes an analytical study for the converter operation under saturation conditions and proposes three compensation methods, which are compared by simulation and experimental results. The proposed methods allow for the stable operation of the system, even when large errors in the power sharing are considered.
A Novel Permanent Magnet DC Motor and Sensorless Electrical Drive System

This work describes a brushless permanent magnet motor in which the stator field is produced from coils wound onto individual stator teeth and energized from a commutation system that is self-controlled directly from the stator coil transient electrical characteristics. This concept allows flexibility to optimize the performance of the motor while eliminating the need for a separate rotor position sensor to control commutation. The system has been designed as the first step toward the integration of the drive system inside the motor itself, which promises a compact, optimized motor/drive unit with low electromagnetic emission properties. This work describes a prototype system developed to provide a practical demonstration of the commutation scheme and presents the circuits used and sample waveforms obtained.
Attenuation correction for PET using count-limited transmission images reconstructed with median root prior

Quantitative PET studies require the computation of the attenuation correction factors (ACFs) for compensating the body attenuation effect in the emission data. Short acquisition times for transmission are desired, because of patient comfort and movement elimination. In practice, long acquisition times are used, due to the statistical noise of count-limited scans. In order to reduce the noise, the median root prior (MRP) iterative reconstruction method was used for reconstruction of short-acquisition-time transmission images. Using these images, the ACFs were generated for correction of emission data. The new approach allows for scan times of 2 min or less, which is desirable for quantitative whole-body PET studies. The new method is object-independent and robust, because no smoothing of the scan data or segmentation of the images are used.