bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Safety perceptions in university campuses: the role of environment
Authors: Huang Dengkai , Ceccato Vania , Kyttä Marketta
Published: May 2022

This study reports the variation in safety perceptions of university students (N = 196 university students) on university campuses in South China, focusing on the risk of crime and traffic incidents. Using a public participation geographic information system, we explore potential links between students’ perceptions and campus characteristics. We conclude that environmental cues associated with the risk of crime victimisation (e.g. lack of natural surveillance) are more often linked to poorer safety perceptions than those linked to the risk of traffic conditions. Although half of the students declare feeling safe on campus, their perception varies by individual characteristics, frequency of use, and daily experiences. Inspections of campuses environments using a door-to-door perspective are advised when safety becomes an integral part of sustainability planning of universities worldwide.
Cultural, economic, and symbolic value of the enset crop in Sebat-Bet Guraghe, Southwest Ethiopia: a qualitative study
Authors: Wondimu Habtamu , Kebede Ashenafi
Published: May 2022

Enset, with its starch-rich corm and pseudostem, is a staple meal for over 20 million Ethiopians, although it is almost unknown outside of a small production zone in southern Ethiopia. As a result, to fill a gap, this study investigates the Gurage people of Ethiopia’s socially constructed indigenous knowledge in producing and consuming the enset plant and its economic, cultural, and symbolic representational value, which has received little attention from several authors. In achieving the study’s stated objectives, a qualitative research approach was used, allowing the researchers to investigate the lived experiences of the local people. Although secondary data sources were used to analyze the discussion in this study, primary data was predominantly used. This primary data was collected through observation, key informant interviews, casual conversations, and focus group discussions. We found that the Gurage people are somewhat different from other enset cultivating societies in enset cultivation and transplantation. According to the study’s findings, enset is a factor in wealth stratification. Despite the previous studies, we discovered that enset plays a significant role in socializing the study people in various ways. Based on the study’s findings, the researchers recommend a more in-depth study focusing on the medicinal, disease or frost tolerance, pest and pathogen incidence importance of the enset plant in Chaha Woreda.
Icing diagnosis model for wind turbine blade based on feature optimization and 1D-convolutional neural network
Authors: Yang Xiyun , Huang Xinxin , Gao Xiaxiang , Zhang Yanfeng
Published: May 2022

Wind turbines located in high humidity and high altitude areas are often accompanied by blade icing, which adverses the operating efficiency and even causes safety accidents. Early identification of blade icing will help improve the operating efficiency of the wind turbine. This paper proposes an icing diagnosis method for wind turbine blades based on feature optimization and the one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN). First, feature optimization is achieved by feature selection and feature reconstruction. The XGBoost algorithm is used to calculate the importance of each feature and select the features comprehensively that reflect blade icing. Second, the important features related to blade icing are reconstructed by using the deviation principle to extract the deviation information of features accurately when blades ice. Finally, the features screened by XGBoost and the reconstructed features are combined into the final feature set as the input of the 1D-CNN, which takes the temporal and spatial characteristics of data into account, to diagnose the icing state of blades. The method is validated on the data set collected from a real wind farm. The experimental results show that the proposed icing diagnosis method for wind turbine blades is superior to the traditional deep learning methods. It is favorable to improve the efficiency of wind turbine operation and maintenance.
Exploring the solution strengthening effect of 33 alloying elements in Pt-based alloys by high-throughput first-principles calculations
Authors: Yu Wei , Chong Xiaoyu , Gan Mengdi , Wei Yan , Zhang Aimin , Wang Yingwu , Feng Jing
Published: May 2022

Pt-based alloys are the candidate for high-temperature materials due to their inoxidizability, but the disadvantage is their low strength. The solution strengthening effect of 33 alloying elements on Pt-based alloys is systematically explored for the first time by means of first-principles calculations in this work. It is found that the strengthening ability of alloying elements (Th, La, Ce, Zr, Hf, Ta, W, Nb, and Y) commonly used in Pt-based alloys is validated. Moreover, the potential alloying elements with a stronger strengthening effect are excavated, e.g., Cr, V, Mn, Mo, Ti, Sc, Tc, and Re. Among them, the strengthening effect of rare elements (RE = Th, La, Ce, and Y) mainly originate from larger lattice misfit, while the other alloying elements gain their high strengthening potentials due to larger modulus misfit caused by larger electronegativity difference between alloying elements (Zr, Hf, Ta, Nb, V, Sc, Tc, and Re) and Pt or higher inherent shear modulus of alloying elements (W, Cr, Mn, and Mo). In addition, the strengthening effect of alloying elements under 1/3 of the absolute melting temperature of Pt is effectively predicted by the Labusch model combined with quasiharmonic approximation and quasistatic approximation. These findings are greatly beneficial to the guidance composition design of the new Pt-based superalloys.
Do-it-yourself rheometry
Authors: Hossain M. T. , Ewoldt Randy H.
Published: May 2022

We describe the structure and outcomes of a course project for do-it-yourself (DIY) rheometry. Although the project was created in response to the shelter-in-place orders of the COVID-19 pandemic, the student learning outcomes were so positive that we have continued implementing the project even when students have access to laboratory rheometers. Students select an interesting complex fluid, collect qualitative visual evidence of key rheological phenomena, and then produce their own readily available flows that they quantitatively analyze to infer rheological properties, such as yield stress, extensional viscosity, or shear viscosity. We provide an example rubric, present example student project outcomes, and discuss learning outcomes that are achieved with DIY measurements.
Study on the radial sectional velocity distribution and wall shear stress associated with carotid artery stenosis
Authors: Song Zhiyong , Zhu Pengrui , Yang Lianzhi , Liu Zhaohui , Li Hua , Zhu Weiyao
Published: May 2022

Atherosclerosis is an important cause of cardiovascular disease. The wall shear stress (WSS) is one of the key factors of plaque formation and dislodgement. Currently, WSS estimation is based on the measurement of the blood velocity gradient. However, due to the lack of flow field measurements in carotid stenosis vessels, the two distribution forms (parabolic and non-parabolic) commonly considered in numerical simulations could cause WSS estimates to differ by more than 40%, which could seriously affect the accuracy of mechanical analysis. This study applied three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to create an experimental model of real-structure carotid arteries. Microparticle image velocimetry was adopted to comprehensively measure blood velocity field data at the stenosis location, providing experimental validation of numerical simulation (Fluent; finite volume method) results. Then, the flow field was simulated at a normal human heart rate (45–120 beats per minute). The radial sectional velocity exhibited a plateau-like distribution with a similar velocity in the central region (more than 65% of the total channel width). This study provides an accurate understanding of the WSS at the carotid stenosis location and proposes a reliable method for the study of flow fields under various blood flow conditions.
Effects of number of electric vehicles charging/discharging on total electricity costs in commercial buildings with time-of-use energy and demand charges
Authors: Ghosh Avik , Zapata Mónica Zamora , Silwal Sushil , Khurram Adil , Kleissl Jan
Published: May 2022

Electric vehicle (EV) penetration has been increasing in the modern electricity grid and has been complemented by the growth of EV charging infrastructure. This paper addresses the gap in the literature on the EV effects of total electricity costs on commercial buildings by incorporating V0G, V1G, and V2B charging. The electricity costs are minimized in 14 commercial buildings with real load profiles, demand, and energy charges. The scientific contributions of this study are the incorporation of demand charges, quantification of EV, and smart charging electricity costs and benefits using several representative long-term datasets, and the derivation of approximate equations that simplify the estimation of EV economic impacts. Our analysis is primarily based on an idealized uniform EV commuter fleet case study. The V1G and V2B charging electricity costs as a function of the number of EVs initially diverge with increasing charging demand and then become parallel to one another with the V2B electricity costs being lower than V1G costs. A longer EV layover time leads to higher numbers of V2B charging stations that can be installed such that original (pre-EV) electricity costs are not exceeded as compared to a shorter layover time. Sensitivity analyses based on changing the final state of charge (SOC) of EVs between 90% and 80% and initial SOC between 50% and 40% (thereby keeping charging energy demand constant) show that the total electricity costs are the same for V0G and V1G charging, while for V2B charging, the total electricity costs decrease as final SOC decreases.
Physically and chemically smooth cesium-antimonide photocathodes on single crystal strontium titanate substrates
Authors: Saha Pallavi , Chubenko Oksana , Gevorkyan Gevork S. , Kachwala Alimohammed , Knill Christopher J. , Sarabia-Cardenas Carlos , Montgomery Eric , Poddar Shashi , Paul Joshua T. , Hennig Richard G. , Padmore Howard A. , Karkare Siddharth
Published: May 2022

The performance of x-ray free electron lasers and ultrafast electron diffraction experiments is largely dependent on the brightness of electron sources from photoinjectors. The maximum brightness from photoinjectors at a particular accelerating gradient is limited by the mean transverse energy (MTE) of electrons emitted from photocathodes. For high quantum efficiency (QE) cathodes like alkali-antimonide thin films, which are essential to mitigate the effects of non-linear photoemission on MTE, the smallest possible MTE and, hence, the highest possible brightness are limited by the nanoscale surface roughness and chemical inhomogeneity. In this work, we show that high QE Cs3Sb films grown on lattice-matched strontium titanate (STO) substrates have a factor of 4 smoother, chemically uniform surfaces compared to those traditionally grown on disordered Si surfaces. We perform simulations to calculate roughness induced MTE based on measured topographical and surface-potential variations on the Cs3Sb films grown on STO and show that these variations are small enough to have no consequential impact on the MTE and, hence, the brightness.
The stable behavior of low thermal conductivity in 1T-sandwich structure with different components
Authors: Zhou E , Wu Jing , Shen Chen , Zhang Hongbin , Qin Guangzhao
Published: May 2022

Designing materials with low thermal conductivity (κ) is of demand for thermal protection, heat insulation, thermoelectricity, etc. In this paper, based on the state-of-the-art first-principles calculations, we propose a framework of a 1T-sandwich structure for designing materials with low κ. The 1T-sandwich structure is the same as the well-known transition metal dichalcogenide but with light carbon atoms in the middle plane. Using different atoms to fill the outer positions, a few novel two-dimensional materials are constructed as study cases, i.e., Mg2C, Janus MgBeC, Be2C, and Mo2C. With a systematic and comparative study, the κ are calculated to be 3.74, 8.26, 14.80, and 5.13 W/mK, respectively. The consistent values indicate the stable behavior of low κ in the 1T-sandwich structure, being insensitive to the component. Our study would help design advanced functional materials with reliable heat transfer performance for practical applications, which reduces the influence of unavoidable impurities.
Accurate equation of state of rhenium as pressure scale up to 130 GPa and 3200 K
Authors: Xian Yunting , Xiang Shikai , Liu Lei , Chen Junxiang , Luo Yin
Published: May 2022

The equations of states (EOSs) of inert metals are generally used as pressure scales in a high-pressure experiment. However, the thermodynamic model and the method used to constrain the parameters of the EOSs of these metals may cause pressure deviations of up to 7% at 100 GPa and room temperature, and even higher at higher pressures and higher temperatures. In this study, we provide a new approach for obtaining accurate EOS of inert metals. First, we use a set of thermodynamic models, within the quasi-Debye framework, to describe the thermodynamics. Second, both the volume vs pressure data from the shock compression experiment and the volume vs sound velocity data from the static compression experiment are used to constrain the parameters in the EOS formula. In the fitting process, a weighted least-square method based on the uncertainty of these data is used. The calculated Grüneisen parameter shows a strong dependence not only on volume but also on temperature. The variation of the Grüneisen parameter of Re can increase by up to 7% per 103 K under the same volume, which means the previous temperature-independent approximation of the Grüneisen parameter may cause an underestimate of the pressure at high temperature. The pressure–volume–temperature EOS of Re up to 140 GPa and 3200 K is established, which can be used as a high-pressure and high-temperature pressure gauge in the future.
Bonding properties of molecular cerium oxides tuned by the 4f-block from ab initio perspective
Authors: Chen Ziyong , Yang Jun
Published: May 2022

Probing chemical bonding in molecules containing lanthanide elements is of theoretical interest, yet it is computationally challenging because of the large valence space, relativistic effects, and considerable electron correlation. We report a high-level ab initio study that quantifies the many-body nature of Ce–O bonding with the coordination environment of the Ce center and particularly the roles of the 4f orbitals. The growing significance of the overlap between Ce 4f and O 2p orbitals with the increasing coordination of Ce atoms enhances Ce–O bond covalency and in return directs the molecular geometry. Upon partial reduction from neutral to anionic ceria, the excessive electrons populate the Ce-centered localized 4f orbital. The interplay between the admixture and localization of the 4f-block dually modulates bonding patterns of cerium oxide molecules, underlying the importance of many-body interactions between ligands and various lanthanide elements.
Diagrammatic quantum Monte Carlo toward the calculation of transport properties in disordered semiconductors
Authors: Wang Yu-Chen , Zhao Yi
Published: May 2022

A new diagrammatic quantum Monte Carlo approach is proposed to deal with the imaginary time propagator involving both dynamic disorder (i.e., electron–phonon interactions) and static disorder of local or nonlocal nature in a unified and numerically exact way. The establishment of the whole framework relies on a general reciprocal-space expression and a generalized Wick’s theorem for the static disorder. Since the numerical cost is independent of the system size, various physical quantities, such as the thermally averaged coherence, Matsubara one-particle Green’s function, and current autocorrelation function, can be efficiently evaluated in the thermodynamic limit (infinite in the system size). The validity and performance of the proposed approach are systematically examined in a broad parameter regime. This approach, combined with proper numerical analytic continuation methods and first-principles calculations, is expected to be a versatile tool toward the calculation of various transport properties, such as mobilities in realistic semiconductors involving multiple electronic energy bands, high-frequency optical and low-frequency acoustic phonons, different forms of dynamic and static disorders, and anisotropy.
Highly sensitive real-time detection of phase change process based on photonic spin Hall effect
Authors: Tang Tingting , Tang Yujie , Bi Lei , Kang Tongtong , Liang Xiao , Qin Jun , Li Jie , Luo Li , Li Chaoyang
Published: May 2022

Phase change materials, such as vanadium dioxide (VO2) and Titanium dioxide (Ti2O3) have received extensive attention because of the dramatic changes in their intrinsic properties during phase transitions. However, due to the rapid transition rate and wide dynamics, monitoring of processes is challenging. Previous detection methods are lack of speed and simplicity and require multiple interventions, which largely introduce human factors influencing the results and make it difficult to guarantee the accuracy and visualization. In this paper, the photonic spin Hall effect is used for real-time detection and highly sensitive analysis of the phase transition process of VO2 films. By incorporating with quantum weak measurement, the photonic spin-Hall shift acts as the pointer, and the phase transition process of VO2 is characterized effectively. The high measurement resolution with 63 S/(m μm) is achieved due to weak-value amplification. In our scheme, it does not involve any mechanical adjustment of optical components, thus enabling real-time, visual, non-contact detection of dynamic phase transition processes.
Discharge summary medication list accuracy across five metropolitan hospitals: a retrospective medical record audit
Authors: Wembridge Paul , Rashed Saly
Published: May 2022

Objective To determine the accuracy of discharge summary (DS) medication lists across a broad cross-section of hospital inpatients and to determine what factors may be associated with errors in this document. Methods A retrospective medical record audit was undertaken at five metropolitan hospitals that utilise an electronic medication management system (eMMS) at the point of discharge. Four hospitals utilised an eMMS for inpatient medication management, with the fifth utilising the paper-based National Inpatient Medication Chart (NIMC). Any inpatients discharged during the first week of February, May, August and November 2020 and February 2021 were included if they received both a DS and either a pharmacy-generated patient-friendly medication list or interim medication administration chart. Results Eight-hundred and one DSs were included, of which 525 (66%) had one or more medication errors and 220 (27%) had one or more high-risk medication errors. A higher proportion of patients with polypharmacy (five or more medications) had one or more errors compared to patients without polypharmacy (67% vs 54%, P < 0.01). DSs generated from the site with paper NIMCs were less likely to have one or more errors when compared to sites using an inpatient eMMS (58% vs 68%, P < 0.01). Age, sex, language spoken and preparing the DS post-discharge were not associated with differing rates of errors. Of the 2609 individual medication errors (390 high-risk errors), the most common types were ‘omitted drug or dose’ (34%) and ‘unnecessary drug’ (33%). Conclusion Medication errors in the DS are common and more likely to occur in patients with polypharmacy.
Preventing wildfires with fire permits in rural Edson, Alberta
Authors: McGee Tara K. , Cabling Ludwig Paul B.
Published: May 2022

Background Fire used for agriculture has many benefits, but can cause wildfires if prevention activities are unsuccessful. Aims The aim of this study was to examine fire permit use and safe burning practices by rural residents in the Edson Forest Area, Alberta, Canada. Methods In total, 269 rural landowners completed a mail survey designed to identify how they use fire, their awareness of wildfire risk, fire experience, fire permit use and safe burning practices. Key results Most respondents used fire on their property, and all were aware of the local wildfire risk, but there was little recognition that using fire for agricultural purposes contributes to wildfires in the area. Many respondents were taking steps to prevent a fire from escaping, but some used fire without obtaining a permit. Those who had seen a wildfire in the Edson Forest Area were more likely to take measures to prevent a wildfire from escaping, and more likely to apply for a fire permit. Conclusions This research contributes to knowledge about rural landowners’ fire use, wildfire prevention activities and fire permit use. Implications Future research should confirm how wildfire experience affects fire permit use and safe use of fire by rural residents.
Electrically MHD Casson nanofluid flow and entropy exploration under the influence of the viscous dissipation, radiation, and higher-order chemical reaction
Authors: Ganesh G Raghavendra , Sridhar W , Al-Farhany Khaled , Ahmed Sameh E
Published: May 2022

The current study aims at studying the viscous dissipation and chemical reaction of higher-order Casson nanofluid flow and entropy exploration along with MHD and electric field influences. The PDE guiding the model is transformed into nonlinear ODE by applying adequate similarity transformations. Further, the equations are worked out using the Keller Box method. The influence of several parameters

β
,

H
a
,

E
r
,

K
r
,

N
t
,

N
b
,

S
c
,

E
c
,

Pr
,

R
d

is observed by constructing velocity, temperature, and concentration graphs using MATLAB. It is observed that entropy shows a rising tendency in the case of radiation parameter, Eckert number, decays for Casson parameter, temperature raises for radiation, Eckert parameters, and decays for Casson parameter. Velocity profiles decay for the Casson parameter. Also, local parameters skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood numbers are calculated for Casson parameter, which is a function of Hartmann, number, Brownian motion parameter, thermophoresis parameter, which is a function of electric field parameter.
Unusual slow energy relaxation induced by mobile discrete breathers in one-dimensional lattices with next-nearest-neighbor coupling
Authors: Xu Bin , Zhang Jun , Zhong Wei , Xiong Chi , Xiong Daxing
Published: May 2022

We study the energy relaxation process in one-dimensional (1D) lattices with next-nearest-neighbor (NNN) couplings. This relaxation is produced by adding damping (absorbing conditions) to the boundary (free-end) of the lattice. Compared to the 1D lattices with on-site potentials, the properties of discrete breathers (DBs) that are spatially localized intrinsic modes are quite unusual with the NNN couplings included, i.e. these DBs are mobile, and thus they can interact with both the phonons and the boundaries of the lattice. For the interparticle interactions of harmonic and Fermi–Pasta–Ulam–Tsingou-β (FPUT-β) types, we find two crossovers of relaxation in general, i.e. a first crossover from the stretched-exponential to the regular exponential relaxation occurring in a short timescale, and a further crossover from the exponential to the power-law relaxation taking place in a long timescale. The first and second relaxations are universal, but the final power-law relaxation is strongly influenced by the properties of DBs, e.g. the scattering processes of DBs with phonons and boundaries in the FPUT-β type systems make the power-law decay relatively faster than that in the counterparts of the harmonic type systems under the same coupling. Our results present new information and insights for understanding the slow energy relaxation in cooling the lattices.
Frequency-shifted nano-particle sizing using laser self-mixing interferometry under linear current tuning
Authors: Wang Cuo , Kou Ke , Yan Jian
Published: May 2022

In addition to the traditional physical quantities (such as displacement, distance, velocity and vibration) detection that has been widely researched and reported, laser self-mixing interferometry (SMI) has shown great potential in nano-particle sizing during the last two decades, primarily depending on the incoherent stochastic superposition of the laser beam’s interaction with each particle in the illuminating volume. Particle diameter can be determined from the power spectra of self-mixed signals through Lorentz fitting. SMI particle sensing using laser diodes (LDs) always adopts direct current (DC) driving, so the spectrum peak occurs around zero-frequency and merely exhibits the right-hand half. Some other particle sensors using solid-state lasers (SSLs), however, prefer to employ a pair of acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) as frequency shifters, which pronouncedly increase the complexity and the cost of the whole measurement system. In this letter, linearly injected current is applied to a LD to achieve laser frequency tuning and conveniently shift the concerned Lorentz peak to any specified spectrum position, which simplifies the measurement setup and greatly avoids the influence of DC or low-frequency disturbance. The technique proposed is beneficial to developing low-cost, compact and precise SMI particle sensors or instruments.
Slot implementation on second iteration of fractal log periodic dipole antenna for UHF band application
Authors: Rosmin Muhammad Hafeez , Rahim Mohamad Kamal A , Yaziz Nur Syahirah , Iqbal Muhammad Naeem , Ayop Osman , Kamarusshahrin Muhammad Amir Haziq , Zubir Farid
Published: May 2022

In this paper, the design of the second iteration of Log Periodic Fractal Koch Antennas (LPFKA) with and without slot implementation is designed for Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band applications. The slot implementation is applied on each of the radiating elements to reduce the antenna’s size and to prevent the shifting of a lower frequency to a higher frequency. The antenna is operated at a frequency between 0.5 GHz and 9.0 GHz. The Computer Simulation Technology (CST) software was used to design and simulate the antenna. The performance of the antenna such as reflection coefficient, radiation pattern and gain have been analyzed. The antennas have been fabricated using an FR4 laminated board with a dielectric constant of 4.6, tangent loss of 0.019, and a thickness of 1.6mm. The results show a positive outcome, with a stable radiation pattern over the operational bandwidth and a reflection coefficient of less than -10 dB for the designed frequency.
Cylindrical Dielectric Lens Antenna for 5G Mobile Base Station
Authors: Ansarudin F , Yamada Y , Kamardin K
Published: May 2022

A wide range new technologies such as millimetre wave, massive MIMO technology, multi beam base station antenna are required in the fifth-generation (5G) mobile system. For multi beam base station application, a dielectric lens antenna is selected due to capabilities of achieving excellent radiation patterns in a wide angular range by applying the lens shaping method. A cylindrical structure is suitable for a lens antenna installation on the base station pole. In this paper, a cylindrical dielectric lens antenna is proposed and multi beam radiation patterns are investigated through the calculations by an electromagnetic simulator (FEKO) at the operating frequency of 28 GHz. As a result, good multi beam radiation patterns are achieved in the scanning angle from 0°to 30° with total gain reduction around 5dBi and antenna efficiency of about 95.9%.
Coupled-cluster calculation of neutron matter equation of state
Authors: Mishev Stoyan
Published: May 2022

We present a relation between the density and pressure of pure neutron matter derived from numerical calculations based on a truncated coupled cluster model using a simple bare nucleon-nucleon interaction in the Minnesota potential form. The obtained relationship exhibits well-known behaviour only at low densities ≲ 0.08 fm−3 and diverges from the supported by observations data equations of state at higher densities. Our results are compared with those derived from efective feld theory using realistic NN forces.
Feasibility Study of Simultaneous Measurement of Multiple Parameters from a Single Monolithic Scintillator Crystal Using the Geant4 Simulation Toolkit
Authors: Ivanov S , Toneva Zh
Published: May 2022

A feasibility study for the construction of a minimal multi-parameter detector module from a single monolithic CeBr3 scintillator crystal and a SiPM matrix that is capable of simultaneously measuring deposited energy, position of particle interaction and time characteristics was performed by simulation and direct measurements.

The results show that the detector module can operate successfully with characteristics that are close to the limits of the physical detector and that such minimal modules can potentially be used on micro- and nano-satellite platforms .
Streambank and floodplain geomorphic change and contribution to watershed material budgets
Authors: Noe G B , Hopkins K G , Claggett P R , Schenk E R , Metes M J , Ahmed L , Doody T R , Hupp C R
Published: May 2022

Stream geomorphic change is highly spatially variable but critical to landform evolution, human infrastructure, habitat, and watershed pollutant transport. However, measurements and process models of streambank erosion and floodplain deposition and resulting sediment fluxes are currently insufficient to predict these rates in all perennial streams over large regions. Here we measured long-term lateral streambank and vertical floodplain change and sediment fluxes using dendrogeomorphology in streams around the U.S. Mid-Atlantic, and then statistically modeled and extrapolated these rates to all 74 133 perennial, nontidal streams in the region using watershed- and reach-scale predictors. Measured long-term rates of streambank erosion and floodplain deposition were highly spatially variable across the landscape from the mountains to the coast. Random Forest regression identified that geomorphic change and resulting fluxes of sediment and nutrients, for both streambank and floodplain, were most influenced by urban and agricultural land use and the drainage area of the upstream watershed. Modeled rates for headwater streams were net erosional whereas downstream reaches were on average net depositional, leading to regional cumulative sediment loads from streambank erosion (−5.1 Tg yr−1) being nearly balanced by floodplain deposition (+5.3 Tg yr−1). Geomorphic changes in stream valleys had substantial influence on watershed sediment, phosphorus, carbon, and nitrogen budgets in comparison to existing predictions of upland erosion and delivery to streams and of downstream sediment loading. The unprecedented scale of these novel findings provides important insights into the balance of erosion and deposition in streams within disturbed landscapes and the importance of geomorphic change to stream water quality and carbon sequestration, and provides vital understanding for targeting management actions to restore watersheds.
Study of the additives for polymeric materials by cheminformatics methods
Authors: Bărbulescu A , Barbes L , Dumitriu C S
Published: May 2022

This article analyzes the structures of some antioxidants, UV stabilizers, and inhibitors utilized to improve the polymeric materials’ functionalities using Cheminformatics tools implemented in the R software. Based on their properties, the dendrograms are drawn, and the molecules are classified in clusters, utilizing hierarchical clustering and the k-means algorithm.
Monthly precipitation field generation at Sulina (Romania)
Authors: Bărbulescu A
Published: May 2022

Nowadays, climate change is one of the most important threads for civilization. Having the origin mainly in the anthropic activity and intensive use of the environmental resources, climate change affects the ecosystems and the population lives. Changes in precipitation volume and cycles severely affect agriculture and food security. Therefore, building meteorological forecasting is important for planning agricultural works and water management. In this respect, this article attempts to create an image of the future precipitation evolution in the northern part of Dobrogea, a region more and more affected by extreme meteorological events - long drought periods, followed by high precipitation amounts.
Structural design of the radar station of “Besna Kobila” Serbia
Authors: Besevic M , Vojnic Purcar M , Kozaric L , Bursac S
Published: May 2022

The location of the new radar station facility is located at the top of the Besna Kobila mountain in Serbia at an altitude of approximately 1904 m. The construction of the building is reinforced concrete. The building consists of ground floor and first floor with technical and other areas. From the 2nd to the 6th floor there is a communication central reinforced concrete core. At the level of the 6th floor, a platform was formed for storing equipment and supporting the antenna dome with a diameter of R = 15. The total height of the building with a dome is H = 37.0 m. Horizontal floor structures are in the form of reinforced concrete slabs supported on reinforced concrete walls 20 (30) cm thick, columns of different dimensions, and a system of reinforced concrete beams of different cross section. The vertical construction consists of load-bearing reinforced concrete columns, external and internal concrete walls. In the central part of the building, there is a staircase in the form of reinforced concrete slabs with a thickness of d = 16 cm, as well as reinforced concrete elevator core with a square base of approximately 560.0 cm. The calculation of the structure is performed for loads from its own weight, constant loads from the materialization of the object, loads from the equipment and for payloads: from snow and wind and seismic loads of intensity IX. The basic load of the dome is the wind according to the average speed of 70.0 m / sec (according to the measured data). The foundation of the building is on a reinforced concrete slab and reinforcements-capitals under the columns.
Soil stabilisation with hydraulic binders
Authors: Chiorean A G , Vasile M D , Nagy A C , Hies N M
Published: May 2022

The lack of a good foundation ground layer in some areas that could be used for construction proposes is a common problem all over the world. Today, more and more researches are focused on finding new solutions to improve the soil parameters in order to obtain a stabilized foundation layer. Finding an optimal admixture between the local soils, needed for construction purposes, hydraulic binders and the precise amount of water, may be the future of a revolutionary discovery in this field. The experimental study based on the admixture of a sandy silty clay with hydraulic binders from the Viacalco© [1] range, produced by Carmeuse Romania, in a percentage of 2%, 4% and 6% led to a significant improvement of the geotechnical parameters of the soil. The aim of this experimental study is to determine the optimal binder mixture in order to improve local soils and to obtain low investment costs.
Separating function of timber floor and wall assemblies
Authors: Dârmon R
Published: May 2022

The basic concern on the fire compartmentation is focused on to limit the spread of the fire and smoke outside of the room of the fire origin. Where the fire compartmentation is required, the elements forming the boundaries of the fire compartment should be designed and constructed in such a way that they maintain their separating function during the relevant fire exposure [1]. The general accepted method for assessing the fire resistance of a structural or non-structural member is the full-scale testing of the fire performance, however, several calculation methods for verification of the separation function of timber assemblies can also be used in order to prove compliance with the code regulations [2].
The study on flexible manufacturing system in building decoration stone processing
Authors: Du F , Zhao M , Zhang P
Published: May 2022

Stone materials are widely used in interior and exterior decoration design and public facilities construction. They are one of the essential materials in the construction and decoration field. With the increase in demand of the personality and quality of the decoration materials, intelligent manufacturing of stone processing must be required. With the development of manufacturing technology, especially the rapid development of automatic control technology, CNC machining technology and industrial robot technology, flexible manufacturing technology (FMI) have been used. In the paper an intelligent flexible processing system of stone is designed, which is composed with CNC processing tool, material transmission and storage system, computer control system and stone processing process monitoring system. It can realize fully automatic and intelligent flexible production from building stone processing, stone handling, comprehensive waste treatment, tool optimization and computer control. The calculation method of optimal equipment layout is explained and the field layout of each unit of FMS is given. The purpose of this project is to improve the intelligent level of building decoration stone processing through flexible manufacturing technology and increase production efficiency and material utilization as well as to satisfy needs of diversified product.
Numerical case studies about two-dimensional SHS joints with symmetrical and asymmetrical top-connection
Authors: Heinemann P , Isopescu D N , Maxineasa S G
Published: May 2022

Hollow section steel profiles are widely used for industrial purpose. Next to circular hollow section, which are set to for example offshore constructions, squared hollow section profiles have many advantages. The profiles are lightweight, have got a high rotational stiffness and in contrast to circular profiles, squared profiles can be welded more easily without having multiplanar welding radii. The weakest point of columns with two or more members is the node. Due to the geometrical heterogeneity and the imperfection due to the process of welding it is a complex part to calculate.

This paper is about a numerical case study of a full-overlapped squared hollow section joint. A focus is the influence of the inclination angle on the maximum stresses and deflection in the ultimate limit state. The analysis is split into symmetrical and asymmetrical structures. The aim is to figure out the influence of the inclination angle on the stability of the joint.
Hempcrete - modern solutions for green buildings
Authors: Lupu M L , Isopescu D N , Baciu I-R , Maxineasa S G , Pruna L , Gheorghiu R
Published: May 2022

It is widely established that the building industry has a negative impact on the environment and a significant influence on the phenomena that contribute to climate change. Traditional construction materials, such as cement, contribute considerably to environmental pollution. Given the enormous quantity of energy and materials used by the construction sector, this industry must adopt more sustainable practices. Nowadays, an increasing number of natural building materials are used in the structural component or the insulation of buildings. As a result, natural construction materials may be a superior alternative to accomplish this goal. This article discusses the features and applications of hempcrete in the building industry. Hempcrete is a sustainable material composed of industrial hemp, lime as a binder, and water. Due to hemp’s porous structure, it has deformation capacity, sound-absorbing qualities, better hygrothermal properties than conventional concrete, and, depending on the proportions of hemp, lime, and water, fire resistant capabilities due to the presence of lime.
Studies on sliding stabilization solutions of a built site in a residential area
Authors: Măntulescu M , Tuns I
Published: May 2022

The paper presents a case study performed on a site for residential buildings, arranged by terracing on a sloping ground. The built site, subject to investigations, shows an obvious state of degradation downstream, manifested by the development of concentric cracks, penetrated deep, as a result of displacements/rotations produced in the massif of soil susceptible to sliding. The analyzed comparative solutions aim at achieving mechanical barriers developed in dep, taking the tensile efforts through reinforced soil works and improving the shear resistance of the soil.
Validation of elastic wave arrival detection method based on use of sparse matrix computation
Authors: Nakamura K , Kobayashi Y , Oda K , Shigemura S , Ikebata K
Published: May 2022

In the field of non-destructive investigations, the arrival time of the elastic waves is the important parameters to visualize the locations of the failures and/or elastic wave velocity distributions that are generally used for the soundness evaluation. The accuracy of the visualization depends on the accuracy of the arrival times, and it is demanded that the arrival times are detected automatically with required accuracy from huge amount of the elastic wave measurement data for the practical applications. In this paper, a method of the arrival time detection is proposed on the basis of the sparse matrix computation. The root mean square voltages in the noise of the wave form, is used as an index to separate the elastic waves between the noise and the signal, and the boundary of the index between the noise and the signal in the wave forms is determined in the sparse matrix. Therefore, the arrival times located in the boundary of the noise and it is detected by sparse matrix computations. The proposed method is verified on the model tests and compared with the conventional method, and it was confirmed that the proposed method detects more arrival time accurately in comparison with the conventional method.
Calculation algorithm and method for optimizing electricity consumption for the railway traction system
Authors: Popov A F , Fratu M
Published: May 2022

This article presents a calculation algorithm for establishing the electricity demand consumed by the railway electric traction system on a railway section, as well as methods for lowering power consumption and cost. In order to conceive the calculation algorithm, the following variables are taken into account: the number of trains in circulation on the section, the slope of the section, the train speed and the speed restrictions. For factors that substantially increase electricity consumption, but can be controlled, optimal values are computed using specific equations in the MATLAB program. The optimal values are implemented using the train’s timetable or a railway control system (SCADA). A decrease in power consumption of 5% can be expected with this method.
Optimal simulation and experimental research on the operation system of dumper of the stemming production line
Authors: Qi F L , Zhao Y Q , Zhang G Y , Tian J X
Published: May 2022

In order to further improve the running speed and stability of the feed truck in the mud production line, optimization simulation and experimental research on the running system of the feed truck were carried out. First, based on the analysis of the operating system of the material truck, Then, according to the experimental plan, an optimization experiment on the project site was carried out, and it was confirmed in a quantitative form that the operating efficiency and stability of the optimized truck operating system have been significantly improved. Finally, the experimental results are applied and analyzed, and a mathematical model that can be used in actual engineering is obtained, so as to reflect the actual engineering application value.
Using natural stone for buildings - an analysis of educational programs in Romania
Authors: Rusu D , Muntean R
Published: May 2022

The topic of sustainability is of utmost importance today, especially referring to construction industry - a sector that contributes with almost 40% to the global CO2 emissions. This subject comprises various areas of research and knowledge and one study cannot cover all of them; the studies are usually focusing on a restrained field starting from one of the sustainability characteristics. Some principles of sustainable development are referring to the use of natural products, using local raw materials, using traditional construction methods, and respecting the cultural heritage. Therefore, in this context, the use of natural stone could be a sustainable solution especially in communities that historically used stone as a building material. Considering the value which the use of natural stone in new and existing buildings could bring for a more sustainable society, the current study aims to explore how topics like use of natural stone, stone processing, stone restauration and others related to them are included in the educational programs and curricula of higher education and vocational education and training in Romania. The results are compared with the situation from other European countries in order to formulate some conclusions and recommendations.
Structural analysis and optimal retrofitting solutions for historical monument with masonry walls
Authors: Sococol I , Mihai P , Petrescu T C , Babor D T
Published: May 2022

”Braila Emergency County Hospital (ECH)” historical monument represents one of the main objectives of structural rehabilitation in both Braila county and Braila city. Thus, a structural strength verification for Pavilion B, Section 2, using ETABS software was performed, in order to find optimal retrofitting (rehabilitation) solutions. This analytical procedure proved to be beneficial and absolutely necessary, due to observations regarding the spatial contribution of masonry shear walls and finally the proper establishment of capable/design efforts. Following the structural calculation, it was concluded that the best solution would be to use composite materials for retrofitting a certain number of masonry shear walls, as classical retrofitting methods proved to be more expensive and structurally inefficient. Furthermore, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the solution to use composite materials is beneficial, as it would entail no personnel or patients to be evacuated during the rehabilitation works, i.e. the hospital being able to continue to operate.
Cement materials obtained by partial replacement of cement powder with brick powder
Authors: Zaharie A , Tintisan M L , Siomin A C , Manea D L , Pleşa M L
Published: May 2022

The current evolution of the construction materials manufacturing industry requires an increased focus on the quantities of raw materials used, this can be adjusted by obtaining new sustainable materials with low energy and raw material consumption. The negative impact of the exploitation of natural resources is felt both from the point of view of the population’s health and of the economic branch. Urban development and the progress of society have led to an uncontrolled increase in the amount of waste resulting from construction and demolition. Over the years it has been shown that waste can be reintroduced into the circuit for reuse. Waste reuse positively influences the regeneration of the environment and the improvement of economic resources. The waste used in this study is the brick powder type waste, this waste being part of the category of recyclable waste resulting from building, rehabilitation modernization and demolition of different constructions This article studies the mechanical characteristics at 3, 7 and 28 days, of a series of CSIV type millet recipes with brick powder waste. Brick powder can be used in building materials without depleting the consumption of raw materials and without degrading the environment.