bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STRENGTH AND BEHAVIOUR OF LIGHTWEIGHT FERROCEMENTAERATED CONCRETE SANDWICH BLOCKS
Authors: Memon Noor Ahmed , Sumadi Salihuddin Radin , Ramli Mahyuddin
Published: July 2024

Results of an experimental investigation on sandwich blocks fabricated using lightweight aerated concrete encased in a ferrocement box are presented in this paper. The primary variables investigated are the type of wire mesh; chicken and square wire mesh, and number of wire mesh layers in the ferrocement box. The response variables considered include compressive strength, overall unit weight and failure mode. The results are compared with control block specimens made solely of the aerated concrete. The results showed significant increases in compressive strength due to the encasement of aerated concrete. Overall, the unit weight of the sandwich blocks comply with the specifications for lightweight structural components. The ferrocement encasement changes the otherwise brittle failure mode of aerated concrete into a ductile one.
FLOOD FORECASTING USING FGM MODEL IN CHINDWIN RIVER BASIN
Authors: Win Zin Win , F. Nestmann F. Nestmann , J. Ihringer J. Ihringer
Published: July 2024

The present research work deals with flood forecasting in Chindwin River basin which is situated in Northern West of Myanmar under available hydro-meteorological data. Flood is one of the natural disasters which occur in Myanmar every year. Flood forecasting and issues of flood warnings are the effective ways to reduce damages. The goal of the study has been to initiate operational flood forecasting. This research applied Flussgebietsmodell (FGM) which is originally developed by the Institute of Hydrology and Water Resources Planning (IHW) of the University of Karlsruhe, Germany. FGM model is an event-based rainfall-runoff model. Model parameters are runoff coefficient, unit hydrograph parameters and routing parameters. Unit hydrograph is determined using linear cascade model. The effective precipitation is routed to the outlet through a linear transfer function that is assumed to be time invariant. Flood from each subbasin is calculated by means of effective rainfall convoluted with a unit hydrograph. Flood routing is done by Kalinin - Milyukov method. The two important parameters, when predicting a flood hydrograph, are the time to peak discharge and the magnitude of the peak discharge. It was found that the FGM model has been able to predict this information with acceptable accuracy. The model performs quite well especially for the floods where relation between rainfall and runoff is good. The numerical verification criteria used in model calibration are Nash efficiency and coefficient of variation of the residual of error. Model efficiencies obtained in calibration periods are good efficiency. In this study, it is seen that the diagnosis performs well. Therefore, the FGM model is generally considered to be suitable for flood forecasting in Myanmar catchments.
PRACTICAL METHOD FOR ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF SLENDER REINFORCED CONCRETE COLUMNS SUBJECTED TO BIAXIAL BENDING AND AXIAL LOAD
Authors: T.Bouzid T.Bouzid , K. Demagh K. Demagh
Published: July 2024

Reinforced and concrete-encased composite columns of arbitrarily shaped cross sections subjected to bi axial bending and axial load are commonly used in many structures. For this purpose, an iterative numerical procedure for the strength analysis and design of short and slender reinforced concrete columns with a square cross section under biaxial bending and an axial load by using an EC2 stress-strain model is presented in this paper. The computational procedure takes into account the nonlinear behavior of the materials (i.e., concrete and reinforcing bars) and includes the second order effects due to the additional eccentricity of the applied axial load by the Moment Magnification Method. The ability of the proposed method and its formulation has been tested by comparing its results with the experimental ones reported by some authors. This comparison has shown that a good degree of agreement and accuracy between the experimental and theoretical results have been obtained. An average ratio (proposed to test) of 1.06 with a deviation of 9% is achieved.
PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE CONTAINING HIGH VOLUME PALM OIL FUEL ASH: A SHORT-TERM INVESTIGATION
Authors: A.S.M. Abdul Awal A.S.M. Abdul Awal , Abubakar Shehu Ibrahim
Published: July 2024

Utilization of pozzolanic materials in concrete works is increasing, and this trend is expected to continue in the years ahead because of technological advancement and the desire for sustainable development. This study presents some experimental results on the behaviour of high volume palm oil fuel ash (POFA) in concrete. Concrete specimens containing 50, 60 and 70% POFA were made at various water-cement ratios of 0.38, 0.42 and 0.48 with superplasticizer content of up to 2%. Workability in terms of slump and strength properties were studied, and compared with that of concrete containing 100% OPC as control. It has been found that the workability of high volume POFA concrete was quite satisfactory with superplasticizer while the development of strength at all ages of 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days were lowered than that in concrete with OPC alone. Among the curing methods the water curing has been found to produce the best result. The short-term investigation reveals that high volume palm oil fuel ash has good potentials in the production of concrete.
EFFECT OF SODIUM CHLORIDE ON THE WETTING INDUCED COLLAPSE STRAIN OF SOILS
Authors: Bahloul Ouassila , Abbeche Khelifa , Bahloul Azeddine , Halitim Amor
Published: July 2024

Collapsible soils are unsaturated soils which present the potential for large strains and complete change to the whole particle structure after wetting with or without loading. These soils are characterized with loose structures composed of silt to fine-sand-size particles. Collapsible soils are deposited in arid and semi-arid regions. Due to the expansion of human activities, these regions are occupied aggressively leading to the use of large quantities of water which create favorable conditions for soil collapse. The soils failure leads to severe damages and large distresses to man-made structures. The experimental study on reconstituted soil in laboratory consists of the evaluation of the effect of a saline solution of sodium chloride at different, water content and levels of compaction energy on the collapsible potential. The method used is based on oedometer tests with variation of the vertical stress. The study clearly reveals the influence of the salt concentration on the change of microstructural characteristics of the reconstituted soil and reduction of the collapse potential .
THE EVALUATION OF CHANGES IN PERMEABILITY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GYPSEOUS SOILS THROUGH LEACHING IN SOUTHERN MASHHAD,IRAN
Authors: Asghari Somaye , Ghafoori Mohammad , Tabatabai Salman
Published: July 2024

Solubility is the main problem of gypseous soils. In dry state, these soils are resistant and have good engineering properties. However, when saturated by rainwater or rising groundwater table, the minerals in these soils are washed out, making the structures built on them prone to subsidence. In the recent decades, buildings constructed in southern area of Mashhad Metropolitan, Iran, have been widely faced with this problem. Since permeability and chemical composition of these soils are varying in time due to the solubility of gypsum, the current study is an effort to determine hydraulic and chemical properties of the soluble soils of the area and their changes throughout the leaching process. Seven soil samples with different gypsum contents were selected from the area for analysis in four major groups of tests including physical tests (grain size analysis, Atterberg limits and specific gravity), chemical tests (chemical analysis of soils, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electrical Conductivity (EC), and leaked water chlorine), hydraulic tests (permeability and solubility) and statistical analysis to determine the depth of maximum gypsum and sulfate ion concentration. Changes in the mentioned parameters were investigated through a 5-day leaching process. In the early stages of the tests, high variability was observed in permeability coefficient and concentration of minerals in the soil. These changes were gradually decreased and tend to constant values.
SIMULATION OF SEDIMENT YIELD AT THE UPSTREAM WATERSHED OF JEBBA LAKE IN NIGERIA USING SWAT MODEL
Authors: Adeogun Adeniyi Ganiyu , Sule Bolaji Fatai , Salami Adebayo Wahab
Published: July 2024

In this study, we focused on the applicability and suitability of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) embedded in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) environment in the prediction of sediment yield of a watershed (12,992km2 ). The watershed is drained by Rivers Niger, Kontagora, Awun and Eku and is located at the upstream of Jebba Reservoir in north central Nigeria . SWAT was run daily for 26 years (1985 to 2010 ) using climatic data representing three weather stations located within the watershed. The model was calibrated and validated using measured flow data from 1990 to 1995. Also due to the unavalilability of observed sediment data for the area, sediment samples were collected from three locations in the watershed from May to December, 2013 using suspended sediment sampler USDH-2A. The sediment samples were analysed and used to spatially calibrate and validate the model. The model was statistically evaluated using coefficient of determination, R 2 and Nasch-Sutcliffe Efficiency, NSE. Evaluation of the model revealed that it performed satisfactorily for stream flow and sediment yield predictions in the watershed. The model predicted the annual sediment yield in the watershed as 255.8 tons/ha/yr producing about 8.31x 109 tons of sediment between 1985 and 2010. Sediment concentration (mg/l) in the reach during the period of simulation showed that the highest sediment concentration was obtained in subbasins 29, 20 and 19 with values 446.3, 376.8 and 365.4 mg/l respectively. However, lowest sediment concentration occurred in subbasin 73 with a value of 108.6 mg/l. The results from the study showed that a properly calibrated SWAT embedded in GIS environment is suitable for modelling the hydrology and predicting the sediment yield in a watershed. In the light of this, SWAT can be adopted by water engineers and hydrologists in Nigeria and other sub sahara Africa countries in the region as a decision support tool to assist policy makers in achieving sustainable sediment and water management at watershed level.
PUSHOVER ANALYSIS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BUILDING WITH VERTICAL SHEAR LINK STEEL BRACES
Authors: Hosseini Seyed Hamed , Abu Bakar Suhaimi , Bagherinejad Kamyar , Hosseinpour Emad
Published: July 2024

In recent decades, steel cross bracing has been used as a conventional method to retrofit concrete buildings. Most of the cases utilized concentric steel braces system. However, studies concerning the behavior of RC frames with eccentricity steel bracing are quite limited. In this research, three types of structures incorporating special moment frames, RC structure with invert V braces and RC structures with vertical link beams with different stories were modeled through SAP 2000 and analyzed by considering nonlinear static analysis (pushover). Results revealed that invert Y steel braces (vertical shear links) system is an alternative way to construct a ductile structure with great lateral stiffness. It was also found that the axial force in braces is controlled by the behavior of the vertical link beam.
INVESTIGATION OF PALM KERNEL SHELL AS PARTIAL REPLACEMENT FOR AGGREGATE IN ASPHALTIC CONCRETE
Authors: Oyedepo Olugbenga Joseph , Olanitori Lekan Makanju , Olukanni Ebenezer Omoniyi
Published: July 2024

Palm kernel shell (PKS) is used as a partial replacement for fine and coarse aggregates in asphalt. Crushed palm kernel shell (CPKS) and PKS were added at 20, 40, 50, 60 and 80% by weight of total aggregates to partially replace the fine and coarse aggregates in asphaltic concrete. Properties such as aggregate impact value, aggregate crushing value, bitumen penetration test and Marshall Stability test were performed in accordance with ASTM D 6927 â€“ 06. From the analysis, CPKS has a stability value of 1,033kg at 20% replacement, 660kg, 646kg, 566kg and 528kg at 40%, 50%, 60% and 80% replacements respectively; while, PKS has a stability value of 2,860kg at 20% replacement, 2,398kg, 2,343kg, 2,156kg and 2,123kg at 40%, 50%, 60% and 80% replacements respectively. Comparing with ASTM D448-12, PKS can be used as alternative material for coarse aggregate for light, medium and heavy traffic roads while, 20% of CPKS can be used as fine aggregates in heavy traffic road and 60% in medium traffic roads. It is therefore recommended that this agro-based product can be used as partial alternate material in asphaltic concrete to reduce the cost of construction.
TRANSPORTATION OF BED LOAD AND ITS FORMATION FOR INBANK FLOW: A PHYSICAL MODELLING APPROACH
Authors: Jumain Mazlin , Ibrahim Zulkiflee , Ismail Zulhilmi , Harun Sobri , Makhtar Md Ridzuan , Abd Rahman Mohd Suhaimi , Zaini Nor Atiah , Samsudin Mohd Fuad , Tajol Anuar Muhd Zubair
Published: July 2024

Floods hit various states in Malaysia and caused damage to properties, infrastructures, human suffering and even loss of lives. Frequent flood incidents and soil erosion are reported which lead to sedimentation problems in the drainage and river systems due to urbanisation. It is important to understand the sedimentation process and the behaviour of bed forms in the water course for post-flood events. However, it is risky and dangerous to conduct field study during occurrence of flooding. Laboratory study has been chosen as an alternative to fulfill the objectives. Experimental investigations on the bed load transport and bed forms in rectangular open channels have been undertaken. Small and large scale physical models are used in the laboratory. The effects of flow on mobile sandy bed channel and bed load transportation are studied by using a modified flumes with an asymmetric straight compound channel. However, the findings on rate of transport and bed formation for non-flooding cases are presented in this paper. It is found that the bed formation profiles for both channels are different due to scale and flume characteristics. The bed forms, erosion and deposition processes are significantly influenced by the water velocity in the channel. The bed forms observed for large flume are repeating ripples and dunes; meanwhile variable of ripples are observed in small flume.
PROPERTIES OF MORTAR REINFORCED WITH NATURAL HORSE HAIR AND KENAF FIBRES
Authors: Mohd.Sam Abdul Rahman , Usman Jamilu , Akbar Saberali , Mohd.Yusoff Idris
Published: July 2024

Cement based materials such as concrete and mortar are widely used in construction industry. One of the drawbacks of concrete or mortar is its low tensile strength that will affect cracking. Thus, enhancing its tensile strength using short fibres is beneficial in reducing problems caused by cracks. This study highlights the effects of natural horse hair and kenaf fibres with different curing conditions on the properties of mortar. Three different curing conditions were employed namely, water curing, air curing and 7-days in water and thereafter dry curing. The mortar samples, cubes and prisms, were tested in compression and flexure at the ages of 3, 7 and 28 days. In addition, the water absorption, fibre surface and mode of failure of the samples were also recorded and analysed. The experimental results show that the inclusion of horse hair and kenaf fibres enhanced the flexural strength but reducing the workability of the mortar. The horse hair mortar recorded higher flexural and compressive strengths compared to kenaf fibre mortar. However, the effect of fibres on the compressive strength was not significant in which the control sample recorded higher compressive strength compared to horse hair and kenaf fibre mortars. In addition, the water absorption for kenaf fibre was higher than horse hair due to its porous microstructure. It was recorded also that the samples with natural horse hair and kenaf fibres failed in a ductile manner compared to control sample due to the bridging effect of the fibres that able to hold the matrix together.
ANALYTICAL STUDY OF SHELL THICKNESS VARIATION MODELS FOR NATURAL DRAUGHT COOLING TOWER ON VERTICAL PILE FOUNDATION
Authors: Krishna N.V. Vamsee , Mohana Rao K. Rama
Published: July 2024

Natural Draught Cooling Tower (NDCT) is an important and essential structure in nuclear and thermal power stations as it contributes both to the energy efficient output and balance to an environment. From the structural point of view, high rise concrete structure is subject to various dynamic loads in an unfavorable way. Wind loading is important in NDCT design for structural safety, elastic stability, vibration properties and the initiation of concrete cracking in comparison to other structures. The behavior change of NDCT due to the variation of shell thickness when NDCT rested on a vertical pile foundation is very interesting. Therefore, the objective of the present paper is to briefly present the finite element modeling and analytical study of NDCT with twenty-seven different types of shell thickness models for the same height of NDCT. Each model is identified based on the separate case number from 1 to 27, and FEM analysis was carried out using Staad Pro-V8i software considering gravity loads, wind load. Further, design wind pressure at different levels along the height of NDCT was calculated as per IS 875 (part 3) 1987 code after applying Interference factor (IF) of 1.573. Due to the lack of wind study findings, the IF was considered as 1.573 while the maximum value of IF was 1.43 as per BS: 4485 (1975). Distribution of wind pressure at each level of NDCT in the circumferential direction was as per IS11504-1985. The overall study identified optimum shell thickness varying models to obtain the optimum foundation as well as super-stable structure. Further, the comparison was made between the guest and peak factor method and found that wind load due to gust factor method was critical and therefore recommended.
COMPRESSIVE AND FLEXURAL BEHAVIOR OF POZZOLAN FROM PUMICE-CEMENT MORTAR
Authors: Oseni O. Oseni O. , Audu M. Audu M.
Published: July 2024

The need to find alternative cementitious material in concrete works is inevitable because of high cost of cement. Pumice ash is a possible material that could be used as partial or total replacement for cement provided the compressive and flexural properties of the concrete from it meet the ACI/ASTM specifications. This paper present the chemical composition of pumice ash and the mechanical properties of pozzolan from pumice ash. It showed how the partial replacement of cement with pumice powder (ash) affects the compressive and flexural properties of the pozzolanas from pumice-cement mortar. 50g of pumice was collected to make five samples for the chemical analysis. The samples were crushed and grounded to powdered form. Chemical analysis of the pumice ash sample was carried out using the X-ray florescence (XRF Spectra IQ) technique. For the mechanical properties of the mortar from pumice powder, three samples of cubes and three samples of beams were made from pumice ash mortar at 5 %, 10 % and 15 % replacement of cement. The compressive and flexural strengths of the cubes and beam samples were determined in accordance with ASTM C 109 and C 348 respectively. The results showed that combination of Silicon Oxide, Aluminum Oxide and Iron Oxide of the pumice ash is 78.86 % which is greater than 70 %, the minimum requirement of a good pozzolan manufacturing of blended cement should meet. It was observed that the compressive and the flexural strengths of the mortar increased with age but decreased with increase in percentage of pumice ash in the mortar. At 28 days, the compressive stress of 0, 5, 10 and 15 % replacement were 58.4, 35.2, 31.2 and 30.0 N/mm2. Similarly, the flexural strengths of 0, 5, 10 and 15 % replacement were 9.71, 6.90, 6.55 and 6.20 N/mm2 at 28 days. The mortar mix can be classified as type M (ASTM C 109) which is applicable in construction of moderate loading walls and structures.
TESTING THE ACCURACY OF SEDIMENT TRANSPORT EQUATIONS USING FIELD DATA
Authors: Hydar L. Ali Hydar L. Ali , Mohammed Thamer Ahamed , Yusuf Badronnisa , A. Aziz Azlan
Published: July 2024

In order to recommend the equations that can accurately predict sediment transport rate in channels, selected sediment transport equations (for estimating bed load and suspended load) are assessed using field data for 10 rivers around the world. The tested bed load equations are Einstein, Bagnold, Du Boys, Shield, Meyer-Peter, Kalinskie, Meyer-Peter Muller, Schoklitsch, Van Rijin, and Cheng. Assessment show that Einstein and Meyer-Peter Muller equations have the least error in their prediction compared with the other tested equations. Based on the field data, each of Einstein and Meyer-Peter Muller equations gave the most acurate bed load estimations for three rivers while Schoklitsch equation and Du boys equation gave the most accurate bed load estimations for two rivers and one river repectively. The lowest values of Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) were obatined from the applying Einstein equation for estimating bed load for Oak Creek River and these values were found to be 0.02 and 0.04 respectively. On the other hand, the tested equations for predicting suspended load are Einstein, Bagnold, Lane and Kalinske, Brook, Chang, Simons and Richardson, and Van Rijin. Among the above tested equations, assessment show that Bagnold, Einstein and Van Rijin gave the most accurtae estimation for the suspended load. The lowest values of Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) were obatined from applying Bagnold equation and these values were found to be 0.012 and 0.015 respectively.
ANALYZING SINGLE BARRETTES AS RIGID SUPPORT BY COMPOSED COEFFICIENT TECHNIQUE
Authors: El Gendy Mahmoud , Ibrahim Hassan , El Arabi Ibrahim
Published: July 2024

Most of soil structure interaction methods for analyzing large-section supports such as barrette foundation modeling the barrette and surrounding soil using 3D FE model. In which, the model leads to a large finite element mesh of a large system of linear equations to be solved. In this paper, a Composed Coefficient Technique (CCT) is adapted for analyzing barrette. The technique takes into account the 3D full interactions between barrette and the surrounding soil. Due to the high rigidity of the barrette relative to the surrounding soil, a uniform settlement along the barrette height can be considered. This enables to compose the stiffness coefficients of the soil matrix into composed coefficients, which consequently leads to a significant reduction in the soil stiffness matrix. The validity and the examinations presented in this research work were carried out with an application for analyzing barrette by CCT. This analysis can be extended for modeling the nonlinear behavior of single barrette and barrette-raft. In which, the barrette can be treated as single unit having a uniform settlement.
DOWNSCALING OF DAILY AVERAGE RAINFALL OF KOTA BHARU KELANTAN, MALAYSIA
Authors: Noor Muhammad , Ismail Tarmizi
Published: July 2024

Downscaling Global Circulation Model (GCM) output is important in order tounderstand the present climate as well as future climate changes at local scale. In this study,Random Forest (RF) was used to downscale the mean daily rainfall at Kota Bahru meteorologicalstation located in Kelantan Malaysia. The RF model was used to downscale daily rainfall fromGCM of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), BCC-CSM1.1. The potentialpredictors were selected using stepwise regression at grid points located around the study area.Quantile mapping was used to remove the bias in the prediction. The results showed that the RFmodel was able to establish a good relation between observed and downscaled rainfall. TheQuantile mapping was found to perform well to correct errors in prediction. The statisticalmeasures of performance of downscaling and bias correction approaches show that they are ableto replicate daily observed rainfall with Nash-Schutclif efficiency greater than 0.75 for all themonths. It can be concluded that RF and Quantile mapping are reliable and effective methods fordownscaling rainfall.
DETERMINATION OF THE CRITICAL BUCKLING LOADS OF EULER COLUMNS USING STODOLA-VIANELLO ITERATION METHOD
Authors: I.O. Ofondu , E.U. Ikwueze , C.C. Ike
Published: July 2024

The Stodola-Vianello iteration method was implemented in this work to determine the critical buckling load of an Euler column of length l with fixed end (x = 0) and pinned end (x = l), where the longitudinal axis is the x-direction.The critical buckling loads were found to be variable, depending on the x-coordinate. Integration and the Rayleigh quotients were used to find average buckling coefficients. First iteration gave relative errors of 4% using integration and 2.5% using Rayleigh quotient.Second iteration gave average relative errorsless than 1% for both the integration and the Rayleigh quotients. Better estimates of the critical buckling loads were obtained using the Rayleigh quotient in the Stodola-Vianelloâ€™s iteration.
WASTEWATER CHARACTERIZATION AND SEQUENCING BATCH REACTOR OPERATION FOR AEROBIC GRANULAR SLUDGE CULTIVATION
Authors: Basri Hazlami Fikri , Nor Anuar Aznah , Ab Halim Mohd Hakim
Published: July 2024

Studying the possibility of forming aerobic granules on real domestic sewage was a logical step in the scaling-up process and development of Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) technology. It was noted that influent wastewater composition and Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) operation cycle time are important factors that can influence the formation of AGS. Therefore, this study aims to determine the suitability of influent wastewater from Bunus Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for AGS cultivation and then propose a proper SBR operation cycle time. In this study, wastewater characterization was done for the influent of wastewater treatment plant located in Bunus, Kuala Lumpur. The result was then analysed and compared with previous research to determine the suitability of AGS cultivation. The information on SBR from previous studies were also gathered to propose SBR operation cycle time that suit the Bunus WWTP influent. The findings indicate that the wastewater can be characterized as low strength domestic wastewater with low organic and nutrients content. The values of related parameters in this study have shown that influent wastewater of Bunus WWTP is suitable for cultivating AGS. For the proposed SBR operation, the cycle time is 3h, which consist of 60 min (fill), 110 min (aerate), 5 min (settle), and 5 min (discharge), respectively.
IDENTIFYING KEY FACTORS OF COMMUTER TRAIN SERVICE QUALITY:AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS FOR DHAKA CITY
Authors: Nowshin Mowrin Anika , Hadiuzzaman Md. , Barua Saurav , Rahman Md. Mizanur
Published: July 2024

Commuter train is a viable alternative to road transport to ease the traffic congestion which requires appropriate planning by concerned authorities. The research is aimed to assess passengersâ€™ perception about commuter train service running in areas near Dhaka city. An Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) model has been developed to evaluate service quality (SQ) of commuter train. Field survey data has been conducted among 802 respondents who were the regular user of commuter train and 12 attributes have been selected for model development. ANFIS was developed by the training and then tested by 80% and 20% of the total sample respectively. After that, model performance has been evaluated by (i) Confusion Matrix (ii) Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and attributes are ranked based on their relative importance. The proposed ANFIS model has 61.50% accuracy in training and 47.80% accuracy in testing.Â  From the results, it is found that 'Bogie condition', 'Cleanliness', â€˜Female harassmentâ€™, 'Behavior of staff' and 'Toilet facility' are the most significant attributes. This indicates that some necessary measures should be taken immediately to recover the effects of these attributes to improve the SQ of commuter train.Â
A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE USE OF NEUTRAL CARBON AND BIO-OIL WASTES ON WARM MIX ASPHALT CONCRETE
Authors: Attahiru Yusuf Babangida , Mohamed Azman , Paramesvaran K. , Mohd Ramli Raimi , Mohd Kamaruddin Nurul Hidayah , Ibrahim Abubakar , Umar Kabiru Dangoma , Allami Jabir , Sanda Bashir Yahaya
Published: July 2024

Waste materials can be used to produce cement concrete, asphalt concrete, block concrete, and other construction materials. This has been known for more than 30 years in the field of civil engineering. To allay ecological concerns, several nations are currently researching the reprocessing of neutral carbon and bio-oil wastes (NC&BoWs). These wastes are sustainable, but because of their large volume of landfill disposal, which has detrimental effects on the ecosystem and its inhabitants, they are starting to become quite worried for the ecosystem. Therefore, this study provides a comprehensive review of the use of NC&BoWs on warm mix asphalt (WMA) concrete to lessen our worries about the environment. Numerous investigations have been conducted to enhance various WMA technologies. These three technologies such as foaming, chemical, and organic enhance the structural behavior of WMA concrete and lower the viscosity of the asphalt binder. A bibliometric analysis shows that only 26 out of the 168 articles related to this study were published by Scopus between 2012 and 2023. Full-length articles accounted for 100.0% of Scopus publications, and it seems that not a single review article was accepted and published by Scopus. Based on the subject area, the fields of engineering, materials sciences, and physics and astronomy published 50.0%, 43.5%, and 6.5% of the Scopus articles, respectively. Consequently, the findings suggested that further reviews are necessary to verify NC&BoWs' ongoing efficacy in WMA concrete
CENTRIFUGAL MODELLING : A REMEDY OF SCALING ERROR EFFECT IN GEOTECHNICAL MODELLING ?
Authors: Nazir Ramli
Published: July 2024

Serious scaling effect has been overlooked since the concept of modelling technique was introduced. Even though dimensional analysis is the best tool when relating the model-prototype however, the scaling of stresses needs yet to be justified. This paper demonstrates the presence of scaling effect by comparing 3 model studies based on a centrifugal and conventional small model test using sand as an embedment media. This enables potential errors in direct extrapolation of the latter to field scale to be evaluated.
Environmental Hydraulic Impacts of River Diversions into An Impoundment
Authors: Ibrahim Zulkiflee
Published: July 2024

The Drainage and Irrigation Department, Malaysia (DID) is planning on flow diversions of Gombak and Batu Rivers into an ex-mining Batu pond as one of flood mitigation measures in the urbanizing Klang River basin. The pond will also be used for recreational activities during non-flooding period. An impact study on the pond has been carried out using a 2-D hydrodynamics and water quality model which concentrates on the transport of total suspended solids (TSS). Active flow activities and pollutant transport take place mostly in the southern region of the pond resulting the water to be unfit for the designated use.
Hexachord Solmization in the Classroom: A Revival of Old Practices
Authors: Ijzerman Job
Published: July 2024

This article proposes the practice of hexachord solmization as a component of a "histor ically informed" theory curriculum for early-music students. Many theory treatises and singing manuals from the sixteenth century and before start with a discussion of the gam ut, hexachords, the
Guidonian hand, and solmization syllables. This strongly suggests that hexachord solmization was one of the principles of contemporary music education. Analyses of musical excerpts demonstrate that a hexachord is a meaningful melodic unit rather than a random set of six tones. Its solmization
syllables illuminate the inherent tonal relations around the semitone mi–fa ; furthermore, they represent expressive tone qualities in themselves—for instance, the bright mi versus the soft fa. The hexachord sys tem was still in use in eighteenth-century Italy,
apart from some adjustments with regard to the emerging major-minor tonality. Most likely, young apprentices at Italian conserv atories learned the syllables before they could read the pitches. Sets of solfeggi produced by the conservatory masters for their pupils show how plain solmization
patterns form the basis of the melodic art of the period. In the classroom today, hexachord solmization offers both a useful tool for a non-verbal mode of musical understanding and a starting point for melodic improvisation.
Antonio Bernacchi ((1685‐1756): An Unconventional Singing Teacher
Authors: Anzani Valentina
Published: July 2024

The castrato Antonio Bernacchi was a leading practitioner in the musical world of the early eighteenth century. A pupil of Francesco Antonio Pistocchi, he became a successful virtuoso on the stages of Italy, Germany, and England. Later in his career, he gathered a large group of students
around him—many of whom became famous in the next generation—and was princeps of the renowned and influential Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna for two consecutive terms. Bernacchi’s role as a pedagogue was praised by coeval authors and in subsequent literature in such a
way that the well-known eighteenth-century singer and teacher became commonly viewed as the very epitome of a singing teacher. He was also considered, along with Padre Giambattista Mancini, as the main representative of the Bolognese singing school, the very existence of which this essay will
challenge.
A Perspective on Democratizing Mechanical Testing: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Advance Sustainable Material Adoption and Decentralized Manufacturing
Authors: Athanasiou Christos E. , Liu Xing , Gao Huajian
Published: July 2024

Democratized mechanical testing offers a promising solution for enabling the widespread adoption of recycled and renewably sourced feedstocks. Locally sourced, sustainable materials often exhibit variable mechanical properties, which limit their large-scale use due to tight manufacturing specifications. Wider access to mechanical testing at the local level can address this challenge by collecting data on the variable properties of sustainable feedstocks, allowing for the development of appropriate, uncertainty-aware mechanics frameworks. These frameworks are essential for designing custom manufacturing approaches that accommodate variable local feedstocks, while ensuring product quality and reliability through post-manufacturing testing. However, traditional mechanical testing apparatuses are too costly and complex for widespread local use by individuals or small, community-based facilities. Despite promising efforts over the past decade to develop more affordable and versatile testing hardware, significant limitations remain in their reliability, adaptability, and ease–of-use. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) present an opportunity to overcome these limitations by reducing human intervention, enhancing instrument reliability, and facilitating data interpretation. AI can thus enable the creation of low-cost, user-friendly mechanical testing infrastructure. Future efforts to democratize mechanical testing are expected to be closely linked with advancements in manufacturing and materials mechanics. This perspective paper highlights the need to embrace AI advancements to facilitate local production from sustainable feedstocks and enhance the development of decentralized, low-/zero-waste supply chains.
Electromechanical Responses of a Piezoelectric Semiconducting Nanoplate With the Steigmann–Ogden Surface
Authors: Li Xiaobao , Zhan Chunxiao , Xu Yang
Published: July 2024

Piezoelectric semiconductors (PSCs) find widespread applications in smart electronic devices due to their unique combination of piezoelectric and semiconductive properties. With the increasing demand for smaller and more efficient electronic devices, the performance of their components needs to be carefully optimized, especially when they are scaled down to nanoscale sizes. Pioneering studies have demonstrated that surface elastic properties play a significant role in determining the mechanical performance of nanoscale materials and structures. Therefore, it is important to comprehensively investigate the effects of surface elasticity, including surface residual stress, surface membrane stiffness, and surface bending stiffness, on the electromechanical responses of a PSC nanoplate. Additionally, it is crucial to examine the influence of flexoelectricity at the nanoscale. Our results demonstrate that surface elastic properties predominantly impact mechanical performance, while the flexoelectric effect plays a more prominent role in electric field and redistribution of charge carriers. In particular, the significance of surface bending rigidity, which was often overlooked in previous literature, becomes pronounced when the thickness of a PSC nanoplate is less than 7 nm. Furthermore, the dependence of natural vibration frequency on surface elastic moduli, flexoelectricity, and size is, respectively, explored. The redistributions of electric potential and charge carriers across the cross section are also evidently affected. Our findings provide valuable insights for improving the performance of electronic devices that utilize nanoscale PSCs.
Immediate myeloid depot for SARS-CoV-2 in the human lung
Authors: Magnen Mélia , You Ran , Rao Arjun A. , Davis Ryan T. , Rodriguez Lauren , Bernard Olivier , Simoneau Camille R. , Hysenaj Lisiena , Hu Kenneth H. , Maishan Mazharul , Conrad Catharina , Gbenedio Oghenekevwe M. , Samad Bushra , Consortium The UCSF COMET , Love Christina , Woodruff Prescott G. , Erle David J. , Hendrickson Carolyn M. , Calfee Carolyn S. , Matthay Michael A. , Roose Jeroen P. , Sil Anita , Ott Melanie , Langelier Charles R. , Krummel Matthew F. , Looney Mark R.
Published: July 2024

In the pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, epithelial populations in the distal lung expressing Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) are infrequent, and therefore, the model of viral expansion and immune cell engagement remains incompletely understood. Using human lungs to investigate early host-viral pathogenesis, we found that SARS-CoV-2 had a rapid and specific tropism for myeloid populations. Human alveolar macrophages (AMs) reliably expressed ACE2 allowing both spike-ACE2–dependent viral entry and infection. In contrast to Influenza A virus, SARS-CoV-2 infection of AMs was productive, amplifying viral titers. While AMs generated new viruses, the interferon responses to SARS-CoV-2 were muted, hiding the viral dissemination from specific antiviral immune responses. The reliable and veiled viral depot in myeloid cells in the very early phases of SARS-CoV-2 infection of human lungs enables viral expansion in the distal lung and potentially licenses subsequent immune pathologies.
Accelerated, high-quality photolithographic synthesis of RNA microarrays in situ
Authors: Kekić Tadija , Milisavljević Nemanja , Troussier Joris , Tahir Amina , Debart Françoise , Lietard Jory
Published: July 2024

Nucleic acid photolithography is the only microarray fabrication process that has demonstrated chemical versatility accommodating any type of nucleic acid. The current approach to RNA microarray synthesis requires long coupling and photolysis times and suffers from unavoidable degradation postsynthesis. In this study, we developed a series of RNA phosphoramidites with improved chemical and photochemical protection of the 2′- and 5′-OH functions. In so doing, we reduced the coupling time by more than half and the photolysis time by a factor of 4. Sequence libraries that would otherwise take over 6 hours to synthesize can now be prepared in half the time. Degradation is substantially lowered, and concomitantly, hybridization signals can reach over seven times those of the previous state of the art. Under those conditions, high-density RNA microarrays and RNA libraries can now be synthesized at greatly accelerated rates. We also synthesized fluorogenic RNA Mango aptamers on microarrays and investigated the effect of sequence mutations on their fluorogenic properties.
Recurrent inhibition refines mental templates to optimize perceptual decisions
Authors: Jia Ke , Wang Mengxin , Steinwurzel Cecilia , Ziminski Joseph J. , Xi Yinghua , Emir Uzay , Kourtzi Zoe
Published: July 2024

Translating sensory inputs to perceptual decisions relies on building internal representations of features critical for solving complex tasks. Yet, we still lack a mechanistic account of how the brain forms these mental templates of task-relevant features to optimize decision-making. Here, we provide evidence for recurrent inhibition: an experience-dependent plasticity mechanism that refines mental templates by enhancing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)–mediated (GABAergic) inhibition and recurrent processing in superficial visual cortex layers. We combine ultrahigh-field (7 T) functional magnetic resonance imaging at submillimeter resolution with magnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate the fine-scale functional and neurochemical plasticity mechanisms for optimized perceptual decisions. We demonstrate that GABAergic inhibition increases following training on a visual (i.e., fine orientation) discrimination task, enhancing the discriminability of orientation representations in superficial visual cortex layers that are known to support recurrent processing. Modeling functional and neurochemical plasticity interactions reveals that recurrent inhibitory processing optimizes brain computations for perpetual decisions and adaptive behavior.
Field deployment of
Wolbachia
-infected
Aedes aegypti
using uncrewed aerial vehicle
Authors: Lin Ya-Hsun , Joubert Dirk Albert , Kaeser Sebastian , Dowd Cameron , Germann Jurg , Khalid Anam , Denton Jai Andrew , Retski Kate , Tavui Aminiasi , Simmons Cameron Paul , O’Neill Scott Leslie , Gilles Jeremie Roger Lionel
Published: July 2024

Over the past 50 years, there has been a marked increase in diseases like dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika. The World Mosquito Program (WMP) has developed an approach that, instead of attempting to eliminate vector species, introduces
Wolbachia
into native
Aedes aegypti
populations through the release of
Wolbachia
-infected mosquitoes. Using this approach, a randomized controlled study recently demonstrated a 77% reduction in dengue across a treatment area within Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Existing release methods use the ground-based release of mosquito eggs or adults that are labor-intensive, are logistically challenging to scale up, and can be restrictive in areas where staff safety is a concern. To overcome these limitations, we developed a fully automated mosquito dosing release system that released smaller cohorts of mosquitoes over a wide area and integrated it into an uncrewed aerial vehicle. We established the effectiveness of this system using an aerial mark, release, and recapture approach. We then demonstrated that using only the aerial release method, we can establish
Wolbachia
infection in a naive
Ae. aegypti
population. In both cases, the use of aerial releases demonstrated comparable outcomes to ground-based releases without the required labor or risk. These two trials demonstrated the feasibility of using an aerial release approach for large-scale mosquito releases.
Neural landscape is associated with functional outcomes in irradiated patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Islam Shajedul , Gleber-Netto Frederico O. , Mulcahy Collin F. , Glaun Mica D. E. , Srivastava Snigdha , Hunt Patrick J. , Williams Michelle D. , Barbon Carly E. , Spiotto Michael , Zhao Weilu , Adebayo Adewale , Akhter Shamima , Xie Tongxin , Debnath Kala Chand , Sathishkumar Hinduja Naidu , Myers Blake , Lothumalla Sahana , Yaman Ismail , Burks Jared K. , Gomez Javier , Rao Xiayu , Wang Jing , Woodman Karin , Mansour Jobran , Arenkiel Benjamin , Osman Kate L. , Haxton Chandler , Lever Teresa E. , Hutcheson Katherine A. , Amit Moran
Published: July 2024

The incidence of human papilloma virus–mediated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has increased over the past 40 years, particularly among young individuals with a favorable prognosis; however, current therapy often leads to unfortunate side effects, such as dysphagia. Despite the emphasis on dysphagia in previous studies, there is an important research gap in understanding the correlation between neuronal changes and patient-reported and functional outcomes in patients with OPSCC. To address this issue, we examined pathologic tissue samples from patients with OPSCC using multiplex immunofluorescence staining and machine learning to correlate tumor-associated neuronal changes with prospectively collected patient-reported and functional outcomes. We found that tumor enrichment of adrenergic (TH
+
) and CGRP
+
sensory–afferent nerves correlated with poorer swallowing outcomes. Functional electromyography recordings showed correlations between growing (GAP43
+
) and immature cholinergic (ChAT
+
DCX
+
) nerves and denervation patterns in survivors of OPSCC. A murine model of radiation-induced dysphagia further confirmed that immature cholinergic and CGRP
+
nerves were correlated with impaired swallowing. Preclinical interventional studies also supported the independent contributions of CGRP
+
and cholinergic (ChAT
+
) nerves to dysphagia in treated mouse models of OPSCC. Our results suggest that CGRP
+
and ChAT
+
neuronal signaling play distinct roles in tumor- and radiation-induced dysphagia in OPSCC and offer a comprehensive dataset on the neural landscape of OPSCC. These insights may guide early interventions for swallow preservation and the repurposing of neurology-related drugs, such as CGRP blockers, in clinical oncology and survivorship.
Make it a combo
Authors: Reed Steven G. , Carter Darrick
Published: July 2024

Adjuvants that combine TLR agonists and inflammatory agonists promote robust and durable vaccine responses (Bechtoldet al. and Arunachalamet al.).
A host of issues: pseudoreplication in host–microbiota studies
Authors: McKinnon Reish Hannah , Dewey Lindsey , Kirschman Lucas J.
Published: July 2024

Pseudoreplication compromises the validity of research by treating non-independent samples as independent replicates. This review examines the prevalence of pseudoreplication in host–microbiota studies, highlighting the critical need for rigorous experimental design and appropriate statistical analysis. We systematically reviewed 115 manuscripts on host–microbiota interactions. Our analysis revealed that 22% of the papers contained pseudoreplication, primarily due to co-housed organisms, whereas 52% lacked sufficient methodological details. The remaining 26% adequately addressed pseudoreplication through proper experimental design or statistical analysis. The high incidence of pseudoreplication and insufficient information underscores the importance of methodological reporting and statistical rigor to ensure reproducibility of host–microbiota research.