bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Different Trading Strategy Applicability to Cryptocurrency Market
Authors: Zhou Tonglin
Published: January 2025

Since cryptocurrency trading and regulatory mechanisms are not yet mature, and there are few studies on the applicability of various trading strategies, it is necessary to conduct research on cryptocurrency market trading strategies to promote its healthy development. To this end, using the commonly used historical price data of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin, the strategies of pairs trading, momentum trading, and grid trading are applied to analyze their trading characteristics, explore their applicability, and put forward relevant suggestions. The research results show that each trading strategy has its applicable market environment, and the trading strategy should be reasonably selected according to the market situation. Pairs trading uses cryptocurrency pairs with strong correlations to select a reasonable trading range according to their residual swings trend. Its trading volatility and yield are low but relatively stable. Momentum trading is suitable for highly volatile cryptocurrencies. The Moving Average Convergence and Divergence (MACD) and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) can be comprehensively applied to effectively reduce the number of momentum transactions and improve the accuracy of price swings trend prediction. Grid trading can achieve stable and considerable returns in a market with long-term strong volatility, but transactions are more frequent. The number and size of grids should be dynamically adjusted according to the value and volatility of cryptocurrencies and combined with market changes.
Global Economic Governance Mechanisms: Coordination Pathways Between Market Activities and Public Policies
Authors: Lai Zirui
Published: January 2025

This paper explores the pivotal role of global economic governance mechanisms in coordinating market activities and public policies, as well as strategies to promote sustainable development and effective international cooperation in the context of globalization. However, the globalization of market activities has introduced new governance challenges, particularly in the areas of environmental protection, social responsibility, and the digital economy. This paper analyzes the roles and limitations of current major international public policy frameworks, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as regional cooperation mechanisms like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), in promoting trade liberalization, financial stability, and sustainable development. Furthermore, it delves into ways to optimize these existing mechanisms to better address emerging economic challenges, particularly in the realms of the digital economy and cross-border data flows. Finally, the paper proposes policy recommendations for constructing new mechanisms of global economic governance, emphasizing multilateral cooperation and the introduction of innovative mechanisms, and calls for a more flexible and effective global governance system to tackle the increasingly complex challenges of the global economic environment.
Research on Optimization Design of Intelligent Aircraft
Authors: Zhao Qingqing , Ma Ding , Wang Xinyu
Published: January 2025

Demand analysis and concept research of intelligent deform-able aircraft, overall and subsystem design technology of intelligent deform-able aircraft. From the perspective of basic scientific problems and bottleneck technologies, the main problems lie in two aspects, namely: aerodynamics, flight mechanics and flight control of deform-able aircraft, deform-able structure, drive and deformation control. The connotation of intelligent deform-able aircraft, deform-able technical indicators, deform-able materials and structures, and cost-effectiveness analysis. Technical difficulties for each performance indicator mentioned above, some novel technologies and methods are used to improve the performance of cross-medium aircraft, which are mainly divided into variable wing technology, variable blade technology, variable density technology and structural buffer technology.
Industry Prosperity and Stock Return: Evidence from China’s Real Estate Industry
Authors: Sun Liufang
Published: January 2025

The influencing factors of capital asset pricing have been a hot topic in academic research, yet the practice of incorporating industry prosperity into factor models for quantitative analysis is limited. By creating a new factor based on the National Real Estate Climate Index and adding it to the Fama-French three-factor model (FF3), this study focuses on China’s real estate sector and examines the impact of industry prosperity on capital asset pricing. Empirical findings from the real estate sector of China’s A-share market include: (1) The FF3 shows good applicability, with a positive market premium, a negative size premium and a negative value premium; (2) A rise in industry prosperity has a significant negative impact on the excess returns for the next period on low book-to-market stocks and large-cap stocks with a medium book-to-market ratio; (3) Industry prosperity has some interactive effects on the FF3 factors. The objectives of this study are to fill the research gap, to support investment strategy optimization, and to serve as a guide for policy practices.
The impact of Internet media on the stock market
Authors: Cong Kexin
Published: January 2025

Since mankind has entered the information age, the amount of information has increased exponentially. The Internet has emerged and easily permeated into people's daily lives, influencing the way people obtain information. Information is an important basis for investors' decision-making. Internet information affects the behavior of investors through social media and online news, and then has an impact on the entire stock market. This paper reviews relevant literature and focuses on the impact of Internet media on the stock market.
Chinese Nobel Laureate Mo Yan and Red Sorghum
Authors: Tian Peidong
Published: January 2025

Since his childhood, Mo Yan has lived in "Gaomi Dongbei Township", the land where he was born and raised. Therefore, he loves this land passionately and deeply. At the same time, he also has the traditional concept of human reverence and respect for the earth. And "Gaomi Northeast Township" also went to the world with his award, so that the world's eyes are focused on China, focusing on this place that he is familiar with, then, what happened on this land that makes Mo Yan so attached to this land, what makes the world fascinated by this land. Today, with this mystery in mind, we approach Mo Yan and his Red Sorghum.
Exploring the Influence of Integrating the Essence of Traditional Chinese Culture into Teacher’ s Comprehensive Art Education
Authors: Yang Ruoqing , Shen Ye
Published: January 2025

The excellent traditional Chinese culture has a long, extensive and profound history. It has been a rich source of nourishment and valuable wealth for the continuous growth and growth of the Chinese nation, and also a spiritual guarantee for us to build cultural identity and enhance cultural confidence. As normal students in the new era, it is necessary for us to deeply understand the great significance of Chinese traditional culture for teacher’s comprehensive art education. This requires us to actively respond to the call of the country, take the excellent Chinese traditional culture into art education as our own duty. Moreover, it also might be a good idea for us to actively explore the essence of Chinese traditional culture, the practical value of integrating the essence of Chinese traditional culture into teachers’ comprehensive art education, as well as how the essence of Chinese traditional culture influences the formation and development of teachers’ comprehensive art education ideology.
Analysis of the Effective Path of Home-School Cooperation in Special Education Based on the Background of “Internet+”
Authors: Xiong Jiaxing
Published: January 2025

Under the background of “Internet Plus”, special education home-school cooperation is facing new challenges and opportunities. As an indispensable part of the education system, the importance of special education is self-evident. However, there are still many problems in home-school cooperation in terms of information transmission, interaction mode, personalized education needs and technology application. By analyzing these problems and exploring the application path of Internet technology in home-school cooperation, this paper proposes measures such as constructing an information sharing platform, innovating home-school interaction modes, developing personalized education programs, and strengthening technology application and training, aiming to provide an efficient and sustainable development mode for home-school cooperation in special education. These measures not only help to improve the overall quality of special education, but also effectively promote close cooperation between home and school, creating a better environment for the growth of children with special needs.
Study on the Application of Service-Learning Theory to Social Practice in Chinese Universities
Authors: Wei Dong , SARMIENTO EMILY F.
Published: January 2025

This study discusses the application of service-learning theory in social practice in Chinese universities. By analyzing two typical case studies from Nankai University and Sichuan University, it reveals the ways of applying service-learning theory in Chinese university social practice, the implementation path and its positive effects on college students, universities and communities. The results show that the application of service-learning theory in Chinese social practice not only significantly improves college students' academic understanding and sense of civic responsibility, but also demonstrates positive results in cultivating college students' practical skills, interpersonal skills, and teamwork spirit and so on. At the same time, the university and the community have achieved two-way reciprocity. This study further points out that the application of service-learning theory to social practice can make up for the current problems of single content, weak reflection, and unsatisfactory results of social practice programs in Chinese universities. Based on this, the study proposes specific recommendations to promote the integration of service-learning theory and social practice, including emphasizing the education of civic responsibility, increasing social support, and strengthening the effective application of reflection mechanisms, which provide a new theoretical basis and practical strategy for improving the quality of social practice education in Chinese universities.
Construction of a "Four-in-One" Extracurricular Practice Education System for Landscape Design Majors
Authors: Xu Xuhui
Published: January 2025

The paper analyzes the current state and issues of practice-oriented education in landscape design majors, and based on theories, principles, and methods related to practice-oriented education, it elaborates on the basic situation, development trends, and advantages of the "four-in-one" practice-oriented education system, which integrates party construction, social practice, competitions, and traditional culture and arts. It summarizes the experience and significance of the practice-oriented education system as a model for landscape design majors, providing a reference for related professional educators to construct practice-oriented education systems and engage in research on practice-oriented education.
Research on diversified fund allocation strategy
Authors: Hu Yiling
Published: January 2025

Money management is crucial in investing and is an important risk management tool. It can affect the magnitude of an investor's loss from a number of perspectives, including the reasonableness of position management, the effectiveness of capital allocation, the setting of stop-loss strategies, the degree of diversification of investments, and the regular evaluation and adjustment of capital flows. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the capital allocation issue in money management. Through a decade-long history of back-testing and evaluation of multiple indicators, this paper analyzes and compares three different methods of capital allocation. The methods mainly include the equal allocation of funds method, the profitability preference method, and the risk adjustment method. The results show that the Profit Preferred Method performs best in terms of strategy return and risk-adjusted return, while the Risk-Adjusted Method excels in the control of maximum retracement and is suitable for risk-averse investors. Despite the lower returns of the equal distribution method, its stability is still attractive.
Curriculum Design based on Outcome-Based Education Concept: A Case Study of the C Programming Course
Authors: Bao Dongmei , Ariunjargal Lkhagva
Published: January 2025

This study, grounded in the principles of Outcome-Based Education (OBE), presents the design and implementation of a practical course syllabus for the C Programming Language within an industry-university collaboration framework. The syllabus development emphasizes the core tenets of "student-centered learning, outcome orientation, and continuous improvement." By aligning curriculum design with market demands, adopting effective teaching methodologies, and establishing a robust evaluation system, the syllabus addresses students' practical needs and professional aspirations, ensuring the comprehensive achievement of course objectives. The study incorporates process evaluation via the PTA platform and summative evaluation through system development projects, employing Rubric scoring criteria to holistically assess students' programming knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The findings reveal that the syllabus design and pedagogical approach significantly enhance students' competencies in programming, providing valuable insights and a reference model for talent cultivation in software engineering education.
Exploring the Performance of the CNN-LSTM Model in Stock Prediction
Authors: Zhao Xiuze
Published: January 2025

Stock prediction in the financial market helps investors formulate investment strategies. However, the stock prediction has the characteristics of high dimension and high noise, and traditional linear models have difficulty meeting this demand. Therefore, it is necessary to use deep learning algorithms with stronger processing power for prediction. This paper combines the advantages of convolutional neural network (CNN) in feature extraction and the advantages of long short-term memory network (LSTM) in large-time scale relationship prediction to construct a CNN-LSTM hybrid network. In order to evaluate the performance of the model, this paper selects the closing price of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) 50 index in the past five years for experimental prediction. This hybrid model was compared with the ARIMA model and a single neural network, and it was found that the prediction results were more accurate, only lower than the LSTM model, but the interpretability of the prediction results was lower, only higher than the CNN model. This paper can provide ideas for the improvement of CNN-LSTM in the field of prediction. It also provides a reference for investors to decide on investment strategies and create a healthier stock market.
Urban Flooding Disaster Risk Assessment Based on Combined Empowerment-Fuzzy Mathematics
Authors: Chen Yixuan
Published: January 2025

Purpose In recent years, flooding disasters have occurred frequently in major cities, in order to improve urban safety and reduce flooding disaster losses. With four urban areas in Zhengzhou City as the research object, it aims to provide a reference basis for the risk management and control of heavy rainfall and flooding disaster in Zhengzhou City. Methods From the four aspects of urban flooding disaster causative factor risk, sensitivity of the breeding environment, vulnerability of the disaster-bearing body and disaster prevention and mitigation capacity, 12 evaluation indicators were selected to construct the Zhengzhou city flood disaster risk assessment system. Based on the hierarchical analysis method (AHP) and entropy weight method (EWM) to get the weights of the combination of indicators, and using fuzzy mathematical analysis method to analyse the risk of urban flooding disaster. Results The assessment results were analysed to conclude that Jinshui District has the highest urban flood risk disaster as high risk, followed by Erqi District, Guancheng District and Zhongyuan District as medium risk, and Huiji District has the lowest risk as low risk. Conclusion Develop a set of flood risk assessment model, and accordingly draw a flood risk coefficient map of Zhengzhou City, and then derive the engineering and non-engineering measures to deal with the flood disaster in Zhengzhou City.
Research on the Matching of Academic Passion Levels of University Teachers in Different Positions in China
Authors: Sun Li , Malang Ma. Esperanza
Published: January 2025

This study aims to explore the differences in academic passion among university teachers in different types of positions and to verify whether the classification evaluation system advocated by the Ministry of Education of China can effectively identify the academic passion levels of teachers. A questionnaire survey yielded 373 valid responses from teachers at three universities in China. This study examined the influence of demographic factors, including gender, age, educational background, teaching experience, family income, and position type, on academic passion. Data analysis revealed significant differences in academic passion across various dimensions for teachers in different positions. Teaching-oriented teachers exhibited high levels of teaching passion, while research-oriented teachers showed more prominent research passion. Teaching and research-oriented teachers demonstrated a balance between the two. Additionally, factors such as age, degree, and years of teaching experience had significant effects on different dimensions of academic passion. The findings provide empirical evidence for the application of the classification evaluation system in identifying academic passion among university teachers and offer insights for optimizing education policies.
ESG and Carbon Neutrality Goals: Literature Review and Investment Strategy Analysis
Authors: Yan Songda
Published: January 2025

Against the backdrop of escalating global climate change and the pressing urgency to mitigate environmental impacts, achieving carbon neutrality has become a critical focus in transitioning to a sustainable low-carbon economy on a global scale. Within this context, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks play an increasingly recognized and essential role in supporting low-carbon economic development across various sectors. This paper systematically reviews the role of ESG in achieving carbon neutrality, exploring its effectiveness not only in selecting low-carbon enterprises but also in facilitating the development of robust low-carbon investment strategies. Through a comprehensive literature review, it reveals how ESG frameworks enable companies to undertake low-carbon transformation initiatives and delves into the application of relevant investment tools, assessing their significant contributions to carbon neutrality goals. Additionally, this paper addresses the persistent challenges faced by ESG frameworks, including issues of standardization, transparency, and accountability, and proposes future research directions alongside actionable suggestions to improve the ESG framework to better support the global pursuit of carbon neutrality and a more sustainable future.
THE VALUE OF NIKOLAI MARR’S WORK “FROM A SUMMER TRIP TO ARMENIA” FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF PHILOLOGY AND RELEVANCE
Authors: Dolukhanyan A.
Published: January 2025

Marr’s work “From a Summer Trip to Armenia” is one of the early works of the specialist in Armenian Studies and is a valuable and relevant study in the field of Armenian studies.

The scientist calls on philologists to pay special attention to the cuneiform inscriptions preserved on ancient facilities of Armenia, as well as to those works that we find in handwritten books stored in monastery libraries. N. Marr, being a passionate defender of the “History of Armenia” by Movses Khorenatsi, tries to make a number of corrections to the already published copy of Khorenatsi’s work, based on the handwritten copy which he had at his disposal. N. Marr emphasized the role and significance of facts in science, the obviousness of what was seen and read.

He cites valuable facts concerning the apocryphal works “The Childhood of Christ” and “The Vision of the Virgin Mary”, which were widely popular in Armenian medieval manuscripts. The explanations regarding the title of the books “Voskeporik” (encyclopedias), widespread in medieval Armenia, deserve special attention.

Marr made the original vision of Gregory the Illuminator (the Enlightener), which was created in the V century, the legacy of medieval Armenian Studies, drawing parallels with similar works of Slavic culture.

Marr was the first in the field of Armenian Studies to address the theme of the confrontation between the soul and the body in medieval Armenian literature. A memorable fact from the biography of the great scientist is known: in order to be admitted to work at the Chair of Armenian Studies at the University of St. Petersburg, N. Marr passed an exam in the Armenian language and literature, the Zend (Avestan) language, the Persian language and literature, Sanskrit, the history of Armenia, as well as the history of the peoples considered to be Aryans.
PROBLEMS OF NATIONAL EXISTENCE AND THE FATE OF ARMENIANS IN HOVHANNES ERANYAN’S “ARCHI” NOVEL
Authors: Khachikyan G.
Published: January 2025

The purpose of the article is to study the national ontological problems raised in Hov. Yeranyan’s “Archi” novel and to identify the characteristics of the Armenian people depicted in it. The novel is remarkable both for its structure and for its themes and ideas. It has a two-dimensional developing plot. Episodes of the 44-day Artsakh war are depicted in one plot through the image of the narrator, and the events of 1915 are presented in a parallel plot. Forced evacuation and mass killings of the population of Yerznka and its environs by the Turks and the Kurds. At the center of events is the fates of the family members and relatives of the Armenian merchant Asatur Hovsepyan. The plot lines are united by the uniqueness of the solution to national ontological problems and the fates of the heroes determined by them.

In the novel, the author does not offer final solutions to the problems discussed, but through impressive artistic scenes and characters, a number of significant and unique themes are raised that are vital to the social and national life of Armenia, which are rarely discussed in our modern literature.
THE CHARACTER OF ARSHILE GORKY (VOSTANIK ADOYAN) IN THE FICTION SET OF THE BIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL
Authors: Khachikyan G.
Published: January 2025

The purpose of the article is to present the image of Arshile Gorky as the main character of the biographical novel by the Armenian diaspora writer S. Vahagn’s “Arshile Korki” (within the framework of the writer’s favorite literary method). This is realism, understood in a new way, guided by which the author created an artistic image of the American artist of Armenian origin Arshile Gorky — Vostanik Adoyan (1902-1948), a representative of the abstract expressionist movement, who received international recognition among experts. S. Vahagn is considered to be one of the main figures in the history of the Armenian diasporan literature (G.Sevan).

Depicting the human and creative fate of A. Gorky in the biographical novel, the author, on the one hand, showed the tragic consequences of the Genocide of Western Armenians in 1915 through those who survived the massacre and settled in the United States, and revealed the national and individual self-affirmation of the famous artist in a foreign environment on the other hand, the basis for the manifestation of original creative abilities. In this process, perhaps, one can emphasize the factor of the anthropological Armenoid type of the Armenian personality as a whole, which is capable of uniquely withstanding trials. The main task of S. Vahagn was to reveal the peculiarities of the manifestation of the Armenian essence. S. Vahagn’s novel “Arshile Gorky” is a valuable achievement not only in the writer’s work, but also in the field of the Armenian diaspora and the modern Armenian biographical novel in general.
Enhancing Water Level Prediction through a Hybrid Feature Selection Approach
Authors: Tshireletso Thalosang , Ouma Yashon , Moalafhi Ditiro , Anderson George
Published: January 2025

Accurate prediction of water levels (WL) is essential for various applications, from flood management to environmental monitoring. In this study, an enhanced approach to feature selection tailored for water level prediction models is presented. Our method integrates Mutual Information and Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation (RFECV), augmented by the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), to systematically evaluate and refine subsets of features. Mutual Information facilitates the identification of relevant feature dependencies, while RFECV iteratively eliminates less informative features to optimize predictive accuracy. The inclusion of NSGA-II further enhances the selection process by considering multiple conflicting objectives simultaneously, such as maximizing R2 score and minimizing the number of selected features, RMSE, and MAE. Through extensive experimentation and validation on real-world datasets, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our hybrid feature selection approach in capturing intricate relationships within the data, leading to significantly improved predictive performance in water level prediction models.
Investigation of Performance of Copper Slag and Ore Tailings Novel Trial Self-compacting Concrete Mixtures
Authors: Fidler Annabelle , Oyejobi Damilola Oyewumi
Published: January 2025

A non-conventional concrete with the properties of flow-ability, filling-ability, and passing-ability without any need for mechanical compaction but flow under self-weight is known as self-compacting concrete. This study developed trial mixtures for self-compacting concrete (SCC) using locally available waste products. The copper slag and ore tailings from Bamangwato Concessions Limited Mine in Selebi-Phikwe, Botswana were used as source of fine aggregate, and fines substitute. Eight mix proportions were developed with the quantities of cement, granite, copper slag, ore tailings and water-cement ratio as variables. The mix proportions were developed in accordance with recommendations from American Concrete Institute (ACI 237R-07) and fresh SCC properties (flow ability, passing ability, filling-ability, and segregation) were performed to assess the performance of the mixes. It was observed that the range of slump flow values were between (500 – 750 mm), V-funnel values (1.46 – 7.46 s), passing-ability of (0.76 – 1.0). The hardened properties of SCC (strength and density) were between 8.1 and 33.3 MPa, and 2093 to 2406 kg/m3) respectively. It could be concluded that SCC produced from mine wastes (copper slag and ore tailings) is found suitable for the use in unreinforced and normal concrete applications.
Efficacy of Direct SPT-Based Pile Design Methods in Residual Soils of Southern Africa
Authors: Masilo Tshepo , Dithinde Mahongo
Published: January 2025

Direct SPT-based pile design methods are very popular these days despite the fact that many of such methods are based on small databases of pile load tests. Due to the dependence of soil behaviour on geological setting and site specific conditions, it is possible that some of the methods do not produce good prediction of pile capacity. Accordingly this paper presents the evaluation of two SPT-based pile design methods in residual soils against a pile load test database from the Southern African region. The methods include the (i) Franki-SA method reported in Byrne et al. (1995) and (ii) Decourt Method (1995). The pile load tests consist of 26 cases of bored piles in residual soil with each case accompanied by SPT measurements. The SPT measurements were used to calculate the predicted capacity in accordance with the procedure for each of the two methods while the pile load tests were used to determine the measured capacity. The findings of the evaluation indicate that the Decourt method is more reliable and accurate than the SA method. The poor performance of the SA methods suggests further studies to develop specific calculation factors for base and shaft capacities in residual soils.
The Use of Machine Learning Approach to Predict Pile Capacity in Non-Cohesive Soils
Authors: Palalane Lesego , Dithinde Mahongo
Published: January 2025

Existing theoretical and empirical pile design methods cannot accurately model the complex interaction between piles and soil. Consequently, there is a growing trend towards utilizing machine learning techniques to better capture the nonlinear soil-pile interaction. This paper aims to predict the capacity of bored piles in cohesionless soils using a machine learning approach. The machine learning algorithm was trained using a database of 18 bored pile cases in non-cohesive soils and validated with a separate dataset of 8 bored piles in cohesionless soil. Moreover, the performance of the machine learning method was compared with that of a traditional pile design method (i.e., SA-SPT method) in Southern Africa. The evaluation was based on the ratio of measured capacity to predicted capacity (Qm/Qp) statistics and the coefficient of determination (R2). The results showed an R2 of 0.89 for the machine learning method compared to 0.85 for the SA-SPT method, indicating the superior accuracy of the machine learning approach in predicting pile capacity.
Geotechnical characterization of the Manyana black cotton soils in Botswana
Authors: Marumo Mompoloki Ndala , Lebitsa Gabatsoswe , Malumbela Goitseone
Published: January 2025

The Manyana Village is divided into two types of soils. The center of the village is covered with sand that overlays clays from weathered dolerite whilst the eastern side is covered with exposed clays. Houses constructed on the eastern side of the village are prone to severe cracking attributed to the black cotton soils. The paper hints at shrink-swell mechanism of black cotton soils as a possible explanation for the cracking observed on the houses. Three laboratory methods of identifying and characterizing expansive soils are discussed followed by use of Dynamic Cone Penetration (DCP) in field-testing as well as use of indicator tests and particle sizing in the laboratory. The experimental results have shown a high field moisture content of (18 to 27%) in the eastern part of the village which was three times larger than moisture content at the village center. The clays had a plasticity index range of 12% to 30% with a clay content of 21% to 47% whilst the sandy areas were non-plastic with a clay content of at most 4%. The clay minerals identified from the samples tested were vermiculite, illite, kaolinite and montmorillonite. The soil samples from the village had low potential expansiveness whilst most samples on black cotton soil had a medium to high potential of expansiveness. The bearing capacity estimated from DCP data at depths of 1m throughout the village were 72 kPa to 275 kPa under dry conditions. A draft plasticity index map of Manyana village was produced based on the results of the investigation, the next step is to investigate the effectiveness of different soil stabilization methods for this area and taking in to consideration cost, durability and environmental impact.
Evaluation of the Compressive Strength and Sorptivity of Pozzolanic Concrete Containing Calcined Termite Mound
Authors: Ikumapayi Catherine Mayowa , Arum Chinwuba , Arum Victor , Omoyajowo Michael Olamide , Omotayo Oluwafemi Oluwademilade , Ohwofasa Ogaga Junior
Published: January 2025

Pozzolans have long been established as viable materials for the partial replacement of cement in concrete. However, the extent to which they can be used is still under investigation. Pozzolans do not in themselves have cementitious value but can react chemically with calcium hydroxide and moisture to produce cementitious compounds. Pozzolanic concretes have been reported to have varied properties in term of compressive strength and durability properties which need to be ascertained. This research focuses on Calcined Termite Mound (CTM) and its influence on the compressive strength and sorptivity of concrete. Several tests were carried out to ascertain the physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of CTM and conventional concrete constituents. Some of these tests include bulk density, setting time, aggregate crushing value (ACV), aggregate impact value (AIV), slump test, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), sorptivity, and compressive strength tests. Compressive strength tests results for concrete containing Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and CTM cement blends show that CTM has higher silica content compared to OPC and can be classified as Class-N pozzolans It is also richer in calcium oxide. The study also reveals that CTM has an optimum replacement level of 5% with strength of 13.4 MPa at 28 days, which is higher than the 12.4 MPa of control concrete. Also, the result of sorptivity test for OPC-CTM blended concrete gave lower resistance to sorptivity. Regression models were developed to predict the compressive strengths of OPC-CTM concrete as a function of % replacement level and curing age.
Estimation of Water Demand for the Rural Population in the Angolan Part of the Iishana System
Authors: Chiweyengue André M. , Serrão Pires Evanilton E. , Afis Busari, O. , Katte Valentine Yato , Johannes Petrina , Fahrenberg Monique , Reinhardt-Imjela Christian , Schulte Achim , Jüpner Robert
Published: January 2025

The Iishana is a shallow, low-slope channel system located in the Cuvelai basin (Southern Angola and Northern Namibia), characterised by drought and flood cycles due to erratic climate variability. The knowledge gap regarding the actual water needs in the area, the number of residents within the system, the seasonal influence of cattle migration, and poor socio-economic conditions, make the population even more vulnerable to droughts. The main objective of this study is to estimate the water demand by the rural population on the Angolan side of the Iishana system, attempting to fill the knowledge gap. To reach the demand estimates, a mathematical procedure within a GIS environment was used, in QGIS 3.32.2 software, relating population gridded and meteorological data to make the necessary calculations. In 2023, it estimated consumption for intake and personal hygiene of 4.7 Mm3, 6.3 Mm3 for 2033, 8.4 Mm3 for 2043 and 11.3 Mm3/year for 2053. In recent years there have been rainfall records throughout the Iishana system, at an average of 518 mm/annum, but high temperatures accelerate water evaporation. Due to the topographical conditions, the waters are drained by gravity to the south of the basin (Republic of Namibia), causing a greater shortage in the dry season on the Angolan side, the study targets the estimation of water demand and the concept of rainwater harvest and sustainable water infrastructure to supply safe drinking water to equalise water demand and reduce vulnerability to climate change. These early findings may provide a basis for developing sustainable water infrastructure and use plans to improve the livelihoods of the resident population within the basin.
Investigation into the Source of Self-Hardening of Calcrete
Authors: Mmopa Kehnny Kenanao , Dithinde Mahongo
Published: January 2025

Calcrete has been used as road construction material in Botswana for a very long time even though it is classified as marginal or sub-standard material (AFCAP/MOZ/091, 2012). Some calcrete has proved to perform exceptionally well past the road design life and this has been attributed to a property termed self-stabilisation. However, the science behind self-stabilization of some calcrete deposit is not yet fully understood. Accordingly, this paper presents preliminary results of an investigation undertaken to determine the sources of self-stabilization of calcrete deposits. Calcrete samples were collected from borrow pits along Francistown – Nata road. The samples were subjected to a series of laboratory tests including soil indicator tests, standard California Bearing Ratio, California Bearing Ratio following wetting and drying cycles, Compaction, Petrification Degree, X-ray fluorescence and X-Ray Diffraction for types of minerals present. Preliminary results indicate that calcrete would only have potential for self-stabilisation if it can absorb an amount of water equal to its volume of voids. This allows the solution and deposition of orthoclase minerals to take place. It is concluded that self stabilisation depicted by some calcrete is attributed to their unique mineralogical composition of orthoclase.
Geotechnical Innovations for Seismic-Resistant Urban Infrastructure
Authors: Firoozi Ali Akbar , Firoozi Ali Asghar
Published: January 2025

As urban areas continue to expand into seismically active regions, the imperative for developing earthquake-resistant infrastructure has never been greater. This paper presents a comprehensive examination of innovative geotechnical engineering solutions aimed at enhancing the resilience of urban infrastructure against seismic threats. It explores cutting-edge approaches including advanced base isolation techniques, soil liquefaction mitigation strategies, and the incorporation of shape memory alloys (SMAs) in foundation systems. Through detailed case studies, such as the Tokyo Skytree, Christchurch's soil stabilization projects, and the San Francisco Bay Bridge retrofit, the effectiveness, adaptability, and sustainability of these solutions are demonstrated. The paper conducts a comparative analysis of these technologies based on cost, implementation feasibility, and seismic mitigation effectiveness, and assesses their sustainability in the context of urban development. Despite facing challenges such as high initial costs and the need for specialized expertise, the potential of these technologies to significantly improve the safety and sustainability of urban environments is clear. The study concludes with a call for continued innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and proactive policymaking to foster the widespread adoption of these critical advancements. This research not only contributes to the academic field but also provides practical insights for engineers, urban planners, and policymakers striving to build more resilient cities in the face of increasing seismic risks.
Prediction of Compressive Strength and Design Parameters of C30/37, C35/45 and C40/50 Concrete Classes by ANN
Authors: Kars Fatma , Ozcan Giyasettin , Gulbandilar Eyyup , Kocak Yilmaz
Published: January 2025

The quality of concrete used in the construction sector is increasing day by day with ready-mixed concrete production. The quality of concrete is directly related to its compressive strength and the related tests are labor-intensive and time-consuming. Therefore, different artificial intelligence-based models are used to predict the compressive strength of concrete. In this study, compressive strength and design parameters of concrete classes C30/37, C35/45 and C40/50 were predicted by ANN model. A total of 240 compressive strength results obtained from concretes produced in a ready-mixed concrete plant for the construction of columns, beams, decks and stairs. 70% of these data were used for training and remaining 30% of data were reserved for testing. The prediction accuracy of the ANN model was evaluated by R2, MAPE and RMSE statistical methods. According to results, the compressive strengths of concrete classes C30/37, C35/45 and C40/50 could be predicted with errors of -0.70%, 1.25% and 0.17% for 7 days and 0.99%, 0.03% and -0.69% for 28 days, respectively. Depending on the design parameters, it was found that prediction performance could be made with almost 100% accuracy for all concretes except high-performance superplasticizer admixture. As a result, it was concluded that ‘very good’ or ‘high accuracy’ predictions can be made with ANN models.
Condition Assessment of Metsimotlhabe River Bridge using Non-Destructive Testing and Non-Contact Procedure
Authors:   Department of Civil Engineering, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana, Kgafela Mosala P. , Adewuyi Adekunle P. ,   Department of Roads, Ministry of Transport & Public Works, Gaborone, Botswana
Published: January 2025

A process of in-service infrastructure health assessment using non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) techniques is crucial for prompt, accurate and quantitative identification of damage in civil infrastructure. The aim of this study was to assess the structural performance of Metsimotlhabe River Bridge through NDT&E and load testing techniques. Schmidt rebound hammer was utilized to determine the compressive strength of the bridge, total station was used to monitor the profile of the bridge girder level for differential deformation, and a non-contact global positioning system (GPS) technology was employed to measure the dynamic displacement of the bridge under random operational traffic loading conditions. Finally, the dynamic behavior of the bridge was evaluated based on displacement, strain and acceleration response data. There was a perfect linear correlation between rebound number and compressive strength of concrete from different contact surfaces. The compressive strength of the bridge superstructure from random sampling was 39.48 N/mm2 (CoV = 19.22%). The normal distribution of the bridge levels at the northern and southern levels depicted differential displacement that indicated torsional deformation. The displacement of the bridge girder was simultaneously monitored at the supports, quarter-spans and mid-span using GPS technology. The results showed functional elastomeric bearings at the supports, perfect correlation at the quarter spans and maximum dynamic flexural displacement of 21.5 mm at the mid-span. The modal decomposition acceleration and displacement response data produced the first three flexural modal frequencies of 6.44 Hz, 9.10 Hz and 19.56 Hz. It can be concluded that while the bridge was in good condition in terms of its compressive strength, elastomeric bearings and fibre strain, the differential displacement at the northern-southern edges of the bridge was a clear indication of torsional deformation of the superstructure.
Strand 1: Pedagogy and Design
Authors: Banks Sheena , McConnell David , Graebner Celia
Published: January 2025

With the recent national initiatives around lifelong learning, particularly the National Grid for Learning, we are seeing in the United Kingdom the opening up of a broad consultation around educational change in which we can begin to draw on the experiences of the many networked learning pilot programmes scattered across various sectors of education and training.
Strand 3: Networked Learning For Professional Development
Authors: Banks Sheena , McConnell David , Graebner Celia
Published: January 2025

The papers in Strand 3 look at the range of opportunities Information and Communication Technologies provide for continuing professional development. The papers suggest that "professional development" can be viewed from at least two perspectives: -the use of networked learning in the provision of continuing professional development courses - the professional development of teachers, lecturers and others in the paradigm shift towards the use of networked learning. Many of the papers offer views on both these perspectives.
Strand 4: Networked Learning in Community Development and Economic Regeneration
Authors: Banks Sheena , McConnell David , Graebner Celia
Published: January 2025

This Strand is concerned with how networked lifelong learning can increase access and broaden participation in lifelong learning for the wider community - for learners wherever they are. Examples in this Strand address good practice both in UK and international contexts. Papers discuss fundamental issues around the potential of ICT to improve access to lifelong learning: how technology can be provided for the wider community in cost-effective and sustainable forms, how the needs of lifelong learners can be met in the provision and design of ICT for lifelong learning. What type of technology is appropriate for lifelong learning and how can ICT literacy tools be developed which enable lifelong learners to perceive their benefits and effectively use them. The NIACE paper has investigated a number of case studies to identify relevant approaches co raising individual awareness of ICT. The Internet Express initiative in Merseyside describes how mobile internet facilities have contributed to the widespread availability of technology.
Distribution of Temperature and Salinity on Fishing Zone in The Regional Fisheries Management of Indonesia (WPP-RI) 573
Authors: Wahyudi Andri , Ginanjar Martin Anjar , Alfaris Lulut
Published: January 2025

The Fisheries Management Republik Indonesia (WPP-RI) 573 encompasses strategic waters in the southern Indian Ocean of Indonesia, playing a critical role in global ocean circulation through the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). This study aims to examine the physical oceanographic characteristics, particularly sea surface temperature (SST), salinity, and marine ecosystem productivity in WPP 573, as well as the impacts of ITF variability on these parameters. Data utilized include SST, salinity, and current velocity obtained from satellite observations and numerical models. The analysis reveals that the ITF transports tropical water masses from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, significantly influencing the spatial and temporal distribution of temperature and salinity in the region.
Analisis Penggunaan Ragam Bahasa Generasi Z pada Film “Mencuri Raden Saleh”
Authors: Ahmad Ikfina Maryam , Gunawan Vania Indri , Gunawan Vania Indri , Rahmawati Ilga Nur , Anggraeni Natalia Desy
Published: January 2025

Language growth goes hand in hand with technological advances. Generation Z, a generation born and living in the modern era, has a different communication style, such as the use of new terms, a relaxed language style, and the habit of combining Indonesian with English. This study aims to analyze how Generation Z's language variety describes their communication characteristics, and how this language can strengthen the relationship between each character in the film Mencuri Raden Saleh. In this study, the researcher used a descriptive qualitative research method approach and focused on the object of new vocabulary or slang terms, loanwords, and the typical communication style of Generation Z. This film contains many interesting things that can be studied, one of which lies in the language style used, which reflects the way young people communicate. Based on sociolinguistic theory, the social identity theory of Henri Tajfel and John Turner, and the Sapir-Whorf linguistic relativity theory, this study explains that Generation Z's language variety shows their social identity, reflects the culture of this generation, and influences the way they think, interact, and form lifestyles. In the context of Generation Z, the language style they use often shows their cultural identity and preferences, one of which is the use of slang or a relaxed way of communicating. This analysis shows that non-standard language not only functions as a means of communication, but also as a means of building character