Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear free vibrations of spinning functionally graded graphene reinforced cylindrical shells

The graphene nanoplatelet (GPL) is a two-dimensional single layer of carbon atoms with extraordinary mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, and can provide excellent reinforcement effects on the matrix when it disperses at a low concentration. Mechanical behaviors of graphene reinforced nanocomposites structures have attracted tremendous interests due to their potential applications in engineering fields. Nonlinear free vibration behaviors of novel functionally graded nanocomposite spinning cylindrical shells reinforced with GPLs are studied where the weight fraction of GPLs varies through the thickness direction. Three different GPL distribution patterns are considered. The modified Halpin-Tsai micromechanical model and the extend rule of mixture are employed to determine effective values of position-dependent elastic moduli, mass density and Poisson's ratio. Based on the Donnell's nonlinear shell theory, the nonlinear partial differential equations of motion for the cylindrical shell are formulated by using the Hamilton's principle with the effects of centrifugal and Coriolis forces as well as the spin-induced initial hoop tension taken into account. A set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations are derived by employing the Galerkin approach. Parametric studies of weight fractions, geometrical sizes and distribution patterns of GPLs, spinning speeds and travelling wave numbers on the linear and nonlinear natural frequencies for the nanocomposite cylindrical shell are conducted. Results show that the effective stiffness of the cylindrical shell can be significantly increased by adding small amounts of graphene into the metal matrix. GPLs with a larger surface area but less single graphene layers are preferred nanofillers as they offer the best structural performance of the nanocomposite cylindrical shell
Using of GIS Technology for Conservation of the Ottoman Bathroom and Its Urban Surrounding in Qena—Egypt

The Bathroom area in Qena city is suffering from urban, social and economic problems, which affects negatively on one of the most important Islamic buildings (the Ottoman Bathroom). In the present study, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technique has been chosen for evaluating the current state of the Ottoman Bathroom and its urban surrounding that is situated within Qena city. Three categories of the evaluating were carried out, the urban, economic, and social status of the environment urban of the Bathroom. Monitoring and analysis of spatial and descriptive data were carried on the surrounding of the Bathroom through design the spatial database; the results of the study indicated that the residential buildings have been suffering from severe damage. The samples were collected from different places of the Bathroom, investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with EDX analytical methods, and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The previous results were indicated that there is a crystallized salt in bricks pores, micro-cracks, and loss in the internal structure of the building materials. The conservation plan included on many steps: 1) documentation of the building and its urban surrounding; 2) monitoring of deterioration symptoms of the building, urban deterioration symptoms of the surrounding; 3) the conservation plan and adaptive reuse of the Ottoman Bathroom.
Reverse time migration of ground‐penetrating radar with full wavefield decomposition based on the Hilbert transform

The conventional reverse time migration of ground‐penetrating radar data is implemented with the two‐way wave equation. The cross‐correlation result contains low‐frequency noise and false images caused by improper wave paths. To eliminate low‐frequency noise and improve the quality of the migration image, we propose to separate the left‐up‐going, left‐down‐going, right‐up‐going and right‐down‐going wavefield components in the forward‐ and backward‐propagated wavefields based on the Hilbert transform. By applying the reverse time migration of ground‐penetrating radar data with full wavefield decomposition based on the Hilbert transform, we obtain the reverse time migration images of different wavefield components and combine correct imaging conditions to generate complete migration images. The proposed method is tested on the synthetic ground‐penetrating radar data of a tilt‐interface model and a complex model. The migration results show that the imaging condition of different wavefield components can highlight the desired structures. We further discuss the reasons for incomplete images by reverse time migration with partial wavefields. Compared with the conventional reverse time migration methods for ground‐penetrating radar data, low‐frequency noise can be eliminated in images generated by the reverse time migration method with full wavefield decomposition based on the Hilbert transform.
Identification of optimal single date for rice crop discrimination and relationships between backscatter and biophysical parameters using RISAT-1 hybrid polarimetric SAR data

Abstract Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors operate in all weather conditions and have a great potential for agricultural applications. Its usefulness in rainy (kharif) season during cloud cover when optical data cannot provide information is proven. The SAR images were used to discriminate cropped area, specifically rice cropped area using temporal images. These temporal images are costly and analysis intensive. The selection of date or growth stage is crucial part while using single date polarimetric SAR images for rice crop mapping. In this study, a single date was identified from a set of imagery during the rainy season for accurate rice mapping using C-band Radar Imaging Satellite-1 (RISAT-1) hybrid polarimetric data. The single optimal date imagery was selected by understanding the scattering mechanism, backscattering response and crop-based canopy architecture. The backscatter values and scattering mechanism of rice varying with growth stages were studied. The backscatter was low at transplanting stage and then as the crop grows, its backscatter increases. The saturation of backscatter was observed when the crop reaches harvest stage. At transplanting and harvest stages, odd and volume scattering dominates than double bounce scattering. Double bounce scattering was dominant at vegetative stage than other scattering mechanisms due to near vertical orientation of rice canopy and the crop height also reached maximum stage. Temporal variations of backscatter and sensitivity of backscatter to Leaf Area Index (LAI) were analyzed, and found that the relationship between backscatter and LAI showed good correlation. The analysis of multidate SAR data reflected good performance for LAI quantification and identification of optimal date for rice crop discrimination.
“More Challenging than I Expected but More Satisfying”: Exploring the Experiences of New Heads of Independent Schools and the Leadership Skills They Employ

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Simulating Crop Evapotranspiration Response under Different Planting Scenarios for Irrigation Water Management under Climate Change: A Review

ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 09 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com Setting up water-saving irrigation strategies is a major challenge farmer‟s face, in order to adapt to climate change and to improve water-use efficiency in crop productions. However, there is an increasing need to strategize and plan irrigation systems under varied climatic conditions to support efficient irrigation practices while maintaining and improving the sustainability of groundwater systems. To guide the allocation of water resources in the region, it is beneficial to ascertain the effects of changing the crop planting pattern on water saving and farmland water productivity for irrigation water management. Modelling crop evapotranspiration (ET) response to different planting scenarios irrigation water management in a subtropical climate plays significant role in optimizing crop planting patterns, resolving agricultural water scarcity and facilitating the sustainable use of water resources. We evaluated the changes in water savings in irrigation water management projects and resources, the irrigation water productivity and the net income water productivity under different planting scenarios. Crop production can increase if irrigated areas are expanded or irrigation is intensified, but these may increase the rate of environmental degradation. Since climate change impacts on soil water balance will lead to changes of soil evaporation and plant transpiration, consequently, the crop growth period may shorten in the future impacting on water productivity. Crop yields affected by climate change are projected to be different in various areas, in some areas crop yields will increase, and for other areas it will decrease depending on the latitude of the area and irrigation application. Existing modelling results show that an increase in precipitation will increase crop yield, and what is more, crop yield is more sensitive to the precipitation than temperature. If water availability is reduced in the future, soils of high water holding capacity will be better to reduce the impact of drought while maintaining crop yield. With the temperature increasing and precipitation fluctuations, water availability and crop production are likely to decrease in the future. If the irrigated areas are expanded, the total crop production will increase; however, food and environmental quality may degrade. The results indicate that the efficiency of irrigation has increased by 15~20%, while considering drainage, as compared with conventional irrigation efficiency. Additionally, the adjustment of crop planting scenario can reduce regional evapotranspiration by 14.9%, reduce the regional irrigation volume by 30%, and increase the net income of each regional water area by 16%. The irrigation scenario analysis suggested that deficit irrigation is a “silver bullet” water saving strategy that can save 20–60% of water compared to full irrigation scenarios in the conditions of this review study. K e y w o r d s
Response of Coastal Water in the Taiwan Strait to Typhoon Nesat of 2017

The oceanic response of the Taiwan Strait (TWS) to Typhoon Nesat (2017) was investigated using a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave model (COAWST) verified by observations. Ocean currents in the TWS changed drastically in response to significant wind variation during the typhoon. The response of ocean currents was characterised by a flow pattern generally consistent with the Ekman boundary layer theory, with north-eastward volume transport being significantly modified by the storm. Model results also reveal that the western TWS experienced the maximum generated storm surge, whereas the east side experienced only moderate storm surge. Heat budget analysis indicated that surface heat flux, vertical diffusion, and total advection all contributed to changes in water temperature in the upper 30 m with advection primarily affecting lower depths during the storm. Momentum balance analysis shows that along-shore volume acceleration was largely determined by a combined effect of surface wind stress and bottom stress. Cross-shore directional terms of pressure gradient and Coriolis acceleration were dominant throughout the model run, indicating that the effect of the storm on geostrophic balance was small. This work provides a detailed analysis of TWS water response to typhoon passage across the strait, which will aid in regional disaster management.
Polarimetric Retrievals of Cloud Droplet Number Concentration: Towards a Better Understanding of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions

POLARIMETRIC RETRIEVALS OF CLOUD DROPLET NUMBER CONCENTRATION: TOWARDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF AEROSOL-CLOUD INTERACTIONS Kenneth Allan Sinclair A longstanding source of uncertainty within the climate system is our understanding of clouds and their response to aerosols. The resulting cloud optical property changes constitute the largest uncertainty in our understanding of 20th century climate change. Central to being able to monitor and better understand the effects aerosols composition, size and concentration have on cloud reflectivity are accurate observations of the cloud droplet number concentration. Cloud droplet number concentrations couple aerosol properties to changes in cloud brightness. In the first portion of this dissertation, I present the development and evaluation of two techniques for observing cloud properties. The first is a new method of observing cloud droplet number concentration that uses polarimetric measurements and requires relatively few assumptions. The theoretical derivation is first presented followed by a method of implementation using NASA’s airborne Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP). I use data obtained during the North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES). Comparing cloud droplet number concentration retrievals with in situ measurements made by a cloud droplet probe during NAAMES shows strong agreement between measurements over a range of meteorological conditions and cloud types. Multilayered clouds are ubiquitous within Earth’s atmosphere, yet detecting their presence and height has been a longstanding challenge for passive remote sensing instruments. Retrieving the cloud top height is also an important part of the droplet concentration retrieval,
Improving Steady CFD to Capture the Effects of Radial Mixing in Axial Compressors

The axial compressors of power-generation gas turbines have a high stage count, blades with low aspect ratios and relatively large clearances in the rear section. These features promote the development of strong secondary flows. An important outcome deriving from the convection of intense secondary flows is the enhanced span-wise transport of fluid properties mainly involving the rear stages, generally referred to as “radial mixing”. An incorrect prediction of this key phenomenon may result in inaccurate performance evaluation and could mislead the designers during the compressor design phase. As shown in a previous work, in the rear stages of an axial compressor the stream-wise vorticity associated with tip clearance flows is one of the main drivers of the overall span-wise transport phenomenon. Limiting it by circumferentially averaging the flow at row interfaces is the reason why a steady-state analysis strongly under-predicts radial mixing. To properly forecast the span-wise transport within the flow-path, an unsteady analysis should be adopted. However, due to the high blade count, this approach has a computational cost not yet suitable for industrial purposes. Currently, only the steady-state full-compressor simulation can fit in a lean industrial design chain and any model upgrade improving its radial mixing prediction would be highly beneficial for the daily design practice. To attain some progresses in RANS model, its inherent lack of convection of stream-wise vorticity must be addressed. This can be done by acting on another mixing driver, able to provide the same outcome, that is turbulent diffusion. In particular, by enhancing turbulent viscosity one can promote span-wise diffusion, thus improving the radial mixing prediction of the steady approach. In this paper, this strategy to update the RANS model and its application in simulations on a compressor of the Ansaldo Energia fleet is presented, together with the model tuning that has been performed using the results of unsteady simulations as the target.
Volcanological context of the Bouillante high temperature geothermal system, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles

The hydrothermal manifestations of Bouillante area (Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles) motivated a geothermal survey in the sixties. Nevertheless, the heat source of the Bouillante hydrothermal system is still debated: (i) local magma body, (ii) magmatic source beneath the centre of the island or (iii) result from the deep circulation. Several arguments support the first hypothesis and the definition of a specific volcanic series, the « Bouillante chain », according to the following characteristics: ➢ location: small monogenic volcanoes are scattered along the Caribbean coastline, on- and off-shore; ➢ structural control: volcanic centres have developed at the junction of two regional tectonic systems, the NNW-SSE trending Montserrat - Les Saintes fault and the sub-E-W trending Marie-Galante’s grabens system; ➢ dynamics: their products often result from a magma - water interaction between, either in an external or internal hydromagmatism; ➢ petrology: specific magmatic trend reached an extreme (rhyolitic) level by crystal fractionation. The links between the Bouillante chain and contemporary / neighbouring other Guadeloupe volcanic formations (Les Mamelles domes, Axial chain, Caraïbes mountains, Grande Découverte volcano) are discussed but partly remain to be specified.
The large-scale meteorological condition during the critical stage of Mesoscale Convective Complexes (MCCs) over Indian Ocean

This study analyzed the large-scale meteorological condition during Mesoscale Convective Complexes (MCCs) over the Indian Ocean. The MCCs were identified by infrared satellite imagery using an algorithm that combined information about cloud coverage, eccentricity, and the cloud lifetimes of MCCs. The data used were a combination of satellite data and reanalysis data, while the Brightness temperature (TBB) was obtained from the MTSAT IR1 satellite data. The results of this study showed that, in general, the initial stage of the MCC was characterized by strong low-level convergence and vertical convection, and largely driven by the convergence of the moisture flux in the lower troposphere. The mature stage of the MCC was characterized by weak surface convergence, strong upper-level divergence, and a shortwave ridge in the mid- and upper levels. Where there was strong surface divergence, the decay and dissipation stages were very similar, and the surface convergence left the system. The movement of most MCCs resulted from the combined contributions of advection and the propagation of surface convergence. Results from this research showed that these large convective systems tended to be formed in the vicinity of the terminus of a low-level jet that transported moist and warm air to the originating regions of the MCCs. Shortwave troughs and baroclinic zones were associated with MCC development.
A BIO-INSPIRED FINGERTIP: 3D Printed Surface Patterns and Their Role in Surface Friction: An Experimental Study

In the field of prostheses, significant developments have been accomplished so far in low-cost prosthetic limbs using 3D printing technology. However, when it comes to prosthetic hands, 3D printed prosthetic hands are still limited in their grasping ability, such as the adaptability to the shape of an object and a sufficient pinch force level for practical use. The goal of this experimental study is to engineer a bio-inspired surface structure to improve the grip action of prosthetic hands. The low-cost FDM 3D printing technology in combination with the flexible material, Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) 95A, was evaluated for this purpose. 3D printed surface (deformable) patterns were printed on top of a flat, rigid surface. The 3D printed patterns consisted of pillars or lines with varying thickness d, tip thickness D, wavelength λ, and curvatures α that were combined into different patterns. The frictional characteristics of the 3D printed patterns were assessed for nine different test scenarios, i.e. three different loads FN against three different countersurfaces. Despite the small differences in the static coefficient of friction μs of the 3D printed patterns, some consistent trends were found. First, μs increases with increasing thickness d. Second, μs increases with increasing wavelength λ up to a point in which the decrease of number density of the 3D printed features decreases the overall friction. Third, μs increases for pattern curvatures with peaks in the opposite direction, such as wave or circular patterns. Lastly, μs decreases under increasing normal load FN. The surface patterns were tested on the fingertips of a 3D printed prosthetic hand. The fingertips were assessed using the Box and Blocks Test (BBT), in which the pattern with the highest score displayed an ~70% increase in the number of blocks moved, compared to the original rigid fingertip of the 3D printed prosthetic hand in question. Further research and development are essential, especially for the FMD 3D print process of small dimensional printing in combination with flexible materials. Nevertheless, the proposed fingertip pattern demonstrated a first step towards future improvements of the grip action of low-budget 3D printed prosthetic hands using soft fingertip patterns.
Approach for Evaluating LID Measure Layout Scenarios Based on Random Forest: Case of Guangzhou—China

Currently, with the rapid development of many cities, water problems, such as water logging and water quality deterioration, occur inevitably. Thus, sponge city construction and low impact development (LID) utilization have become more important worldwide. However, previous works have failed to address the problem of selecting an optimal LID measure layout scenario by simultaneously considering various evaluation indices without subjective factors. In this study, we applied a new and outstanding statistical classifier, random forest, to aid in addressing this conundrum. It was tested on a case study in LiWan district, Guangzhou city. The following conclusions were drawn. (1) To some extent, LID measures are capable of reducing water discharge and generation of pollutants. (2) Excluding subjective factors, random forest can select an optimal LID measure layout scenario when simultaneously considering multiple indices. This study proposed a novel and effective means to evaluate the hydrologic effects of LID measures when constructing sponge cities and provided a guide for optimizing LID layouts.
Kinematic characteristics of grip force in patients with cervical spondylosis

Objective: The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate sensory disturbance in cervical spondylosis using grip force and investigate the relationship between the grip force and upper extremity function. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Eleven cervical spondylosis patients with paresthesia conducted grip and lift tasks using a precision grip with the tips of the thumb and index finger on either side. The sum of the grip force used during the first four seconds was calculated and defined as the total grip force. The cutaneous pressure threshold of the fingers, the pinch power, the grip power and three subtests of the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function (STEF) were also assessed. Correlations between the total grip force and cutaneous pressure threshold, pinch power, grip power, and STEF subtest times were evaluated. Results: We found that the total grip force correlated with the cutaneous pressure threshold (p