bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formation of company’s economic activity context in the strategic positioning process in emergent environment conditions
Authors: Voynarenko Mykhaylo , Dumanska Kathrin , Ponomaryova Nataliya
Published: May 2019

Analytical studies of theoretical and methodological aspects of company’s strategic positioning influenced by unpredictable factors of changeable environment are examined in the article. Justification of effective choice of strategic position is provided by the concept of formation of company’s economic activity context in emergent environment proposed by the authors. Problems of strengthening of company’s strategic position in conditions of changeable economic environment with undefined factors can be solved by means of the developed model of company’s economic activity context on the basis of methods of mathematical modeling. One of the advantages of the model implementation can be the usage of methodology of company’s strategic positioning in economic environment. The model elaborated by the authors implies a set of analytical-calculative aspects of testing and further implementation in strategic management practice. The given article proposes the first conceptual methodological stage of model of company’s economic activity context implementation. The obtained results of further adoption can be applied as element of strategic management of vertically integrated companies in conditions of emergent environmental challenges.
Analysis of regional development disparities in Ukraine with fuzzy clustering technique
Authors: Gorbatiuk Kateryna , Mantalyuk Olha , Proskurovych Oksana , Valkov Oleksandr
Published: May 2019

Disparities in the development of regions in any country affect the entire national economy. Detecting the disparities can help formulate the proper economic policies for each region by taking action against the factors that slow down the economic growth. This study was conducted with the aim of applying clustering methods to analyse regional disparities based on the economic development indicators of the regions of Ukraine. There were considered fuzzy clustering methods, which generalize partition clustering methods by allowing objects to be partially classified into more than one cluster. Fuzzy clustering technique was applied using R packages to the data sets with the statistic indicators concerned to the economic activities in all administrative regions of Ukraine in 2017. Sets of development indicators for different sectors of economic activity, such as industry, agriculture, construction and services, were reviewed and analysed. The study showed that the regional cluster classification results strongly depend on the input development indicators and the clustering technique used for this purpose. Consideration of different partitions into fuzzy clusters opens up new opportunities in developing recommendations on how to differentiate economic policies in order to achieve maximum growth for the regions and the entire country.
APIs and emerging economy - driving digital transformation through e-government
Authors: Trček Denis
Published: May 2019

Digital transformation is increasingly determining the development of societies through ubiquitous deployment of modern information technologies. One of the main drivers that are still not paid sufficient attention are application programming interfaces (APIs). These are not essential just for new services development and adoption, but have further reach and may result even in creation of new industries. Their importance is therefore not to be overlooked for further development, especially by taking into account that the main focus is still on developers (i.e. bottom-up approach). However, higher level business views (i.e. top-down approach) are to be considered in de facto and de iure APIs development, deployment and standardization processes, which is currently not the case. Therefore this paper presents a framework for facilitating APIs (services) evolution by considering top-down business views and their proper addressing. The approach builds on lessons learnt with complex services architectures, and their higher-level derivatives. In line with these lessons it defines implementation strategies at technological and business levels. The whole contribution is conceptualized around e-government services, because governments are key players in each and every economy, and their impact in digital transformation is therefore vital.
Optimizing the income of a crewing company in Ukraine
Authors: Ivashko Larysa , Zhuravlova Yuliya , Zhuravlova Tetiana
Published: May 2019

The article analyzes the status, trends and prospects of the development of the world labor market in the field of the maritime fleet, which makes it possible to determine that for this particular segment, characterized by stable dynamic development in the presence of significant reserves. The theoretical and practical aspects of formation and development of the market of crewing services in Ukraine are also covered. The paper considers such an important task as the selection of the optimal crew for ships' shipowners in order to maximize the income of the crewing company. The economic-mathematical model of optimization of the process of selection of crews of ships was constructed. In this case, the crewing company, which has completed the work on selecting the optimal crew, receives income as a percentage of the remuneration chosen through the model of the crew for the first month of his work. The more qualified this crew, the greater the income will receive a crewing company.
The digital marketing with the application of cloud technologies
Authors: Ivanov Mykola
Published: May 2019

In the article, the author provides an analysis of the state of the digital economy, when the dynamics of processes in the economy are quite high and a quick analysis of multidimensional data is required, where the strategy for the production of goods and market promotion, as well as pricing, depends on consumers. The author determined that the activity of modern trading platforms is aimed at the formation of the product range and its product range with the most advantageous characteristics of the product. These requirements have a direct impact on marketing strategy and pricing at the Internet-market. The author proposed the concept of building a digital marketing system based on the theory and practice of market segmentation, which takes into account many factors: geographical, costs, time, and others. The formation of similarities in consumption and pricing in the Internet market is the unifying factor in marketing research. In this concept, the author applied the method of assessing consumer efficiency, which is based on the use of rating estimates obtained on the basis of the ranking of expert opinion. Thus, the proposed concept and method for assessing consumer demand in the target market is aimed at the perspective management of trading platforms using cloud technologies.
Non-conventional renewable energy: comparative analysis of the prospects for the development of energy-economic complex of a state
Authors: Koniaieva Yelyzaveta , Dzoba Oleg , Hostryk Alexey , Lisova Oksana , Babenko Dariia
Published: May 2019

The article considers the levels of the energy-economic complex development in the field of non-conventional renewable energy on the example of two countries: Ukraine and Chile; carries out a comparative analysis of growth levels in the share of alternative energy sources in the energy sector of the states. The research determines dynamics and prospects of alternative energy in Ukraine; shows the periods of alternative energy share decreasing and increasing of the countries. Particular attention is paid to the expansion of international relations in the field of scientific and technical cooperation in the field of non-conventional renewable energy between countries. The article indicates and highlights potential solutions to increase the share of non-traditional renewable energy in the Ukrainian energy market.
Multiagent model of prices dispersion on the retail market of petroleum products
Authors: Galchynsky Leonid , Svydenko Andriy
Published: May 2019

In this study a multiagent model of behaviour of the dispersion of retail prices for petroleum products has been developed, depending on changes of external factors, in particular, sharp changes in wholesale prices. Therefore, there is a need for a model that would not only have the potential to test the existence of a price dispersion as a consequence of the specifics of competition in the market of petroleum products and consumer search strategies, but would have the ability to quantify the price variance as a consequence of the behaviour of individual market agents. The basis of the behaviour of market agents of this model is algorithms of price oligopolistic competition from traders and user price search strategies. Calibration models and verification of historical data of the Kyiv region, where they were previously established empirical data on the dispersion of prices showed a fairly good correspondence between the model and the actual data. In particular, the existence of a price pattern has been established at jump-like changes of wholesale prices. The presence of price strategy of buyers, which are based on the strategy of the base price, is shown. The coincidence of model and real data still needs to be improved.
Application of fuzzy logic approach for the determination of the integral index of the implicit impact of the higher education system on regional development (on the example of Ukraine)
Authors: Sotula Oksana , Denysenko Viktoriya
Published: May 2019

In this paper the theoretical and methodological aspects of the influence of the higher education system on the socio-economic development of the regions of Ukraine are considered. On the basis of fuzzy logic approach, we have calculated the integral index of the implicit impact (IIII = I4) of the higher education system on regional development. Regions are grouped by this indicator over time. The integral indicator allowed us to identify regions with the corresponding I4 of the higher education system at the regional level and compare them with other regions of Ukraine (identification of inter-regional imbalance). The analysis shows that there is no strategy for embedding the university in the local economy and society. It is impossible to state unequivocally that the most developed regions have the greatest influence on the system of higher education, and vice versa. An important continuation of the study should be an assessment of the situation in each region of the country separately. Such analytics should help develop differentiated directions for the development of regional higher education systems.
Nehmen Depressionsdiagnosen bevölkerungsweit zu?
Authors: Thom Julia , Hoebel Jens , Nübel Julia , Kurth Tobias , Hapke Ulfert
Published: May 2019

Ziel der Studie Untersucht wird, ob sich die Zunahme ärztlicher Depressionsdiagnosen bevölkerungsweit zeigt und durch Veränderungen der Bevölkerungsstruktur erklären lässt.

Methode Stratifizierte Trendanalysen von Surveydaten aus 2009 und 2012 adjustiert für Bevölkerungsmerkmale.

Ergebnisse Die 12-Monats-Prävalenz einer ärztlichen Depressionsdiagnose steigt von 6,3 % auf 8,0 %. Der Trend erfolgt in allen Bevölkerungsgruppen. Bei Adjustierung sinkt er um 13,5 %.

Schlussfolgerung Der Prävalenzanstieg beschränkt sich nicht auf Risikogruppen und ist nur geringfügig in deren Entwicklung begründet.
Electrodynamics and 528 Frequency Resonance in Water Science Helps Solve the Mystery in Homeopathy
Authors: Horowitz Leonard G.
Published: May 2019

Scientific advances have increasingly credited water and its messaging capacity to explain many mysteries. Physical-chemical phenomena from genetic functions to intercellular communications have been found to rely on water structuring. Homeopathic researchers now advance related theories including quantum electrodynamics to solve the mystery of this profession's efficacy. Sceptics, however, continue to plague this healing profession. This article examines a generally overlooked foundational feature of water, its structuring and frequency electrodynamics that best explains the mysterious efficacy of homeopathy as well as why reproducibility in experimental outcomes are often unreliable. The ‘key’ that unlocks doors of understanding and demystifying this matter is the frequency central to giving life, sustaining health and rejuvenating nature—the oxygenating energy of 528-nm greenish-yellow light and its sonoluminescent predecessor-in-interest, 528-Hz frequency of sound. Quoting Hermes Trismegistus, ‘As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul…’. This article considers the consciousness and intentionality of homeopaths versus sceptics. This author proposes that the foundation of homeopathy and the solution to its mystery may be the ‘MI’ frequency of the original Solfeggio musical scale reputed to produce miracles, that is, 528 Hz.
Debulking Surgery Plus Radiation: Treatment Choice for Unresectable Stage III Thymic Carcinoma
Authors: Zhai Yirui , Hui Zhouguang , Gao Yushun , Liang Jun , Zhou Zongmei , Wang Luhua , Feng Qinfu
Published: May 2019

Background Total resection may not be achieved in patients with thymic carcinoma, particularly those with Masaoka stage III disease. Debulking surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy and radiation alone are treatment options for such patients. We aimed to compare the overall survival (OS) between patients with thymic carcinoma who underwent debulking surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy and those who underwent radiation alone.

Methods This was a single-center retrospective study of patients histologically diagnosed as having Masaoka stage III thymic carcinoma between January 1980 and January 2010. Patients were classified into the following groups according to treatments received: debulking surgery plus radiotherapy (group A) and radiotherapy alone (group B). Data on demographics, histology, invasion, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and survival were collected. Survival time was calculated and compared between the groups using the Kaplan–Meier method. Toxicities were graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0.

Results Of the 47 enrolled patients, 26 and 21 patients were categorized into groups A and B, respectively. There are no significant differences in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score, histological type, great vessel invasion, and chemotherapy proportion between the groups. The median radiation dose was 60 Gy in both groups. The 5-year OS rates were 54.4 and 0% in groups A and B, respectively (p = 0.019). No operation-induced mortality was recorded.

Conclusion For patients with unresectable Masaoka stage III disease, debulking surgery with radiotherapy is preferred, as this was proven to be more efficient than the radiation-alone procedure.
Potential of an Electronic Health Record-Integrated Patient Portal for Improving Care Plan Concordance during Acute Care
Authors: Dalal Anuj K. , Dykes Patricia , Samal Lipika , McNally Kelly , Mlaver Eli , Yoon Cathy S. , Lipsitz Stuart R. , Bates David W.
Published: May 2019

Background Care plan concordance among patients and clinicians during hospitalization is suboptimal.

Objective This article determines whether an electronic health record (EHR)-integrated patient portal was associated with increased understanding of the care plan, including the key recovery goal, among patients and clinicians in acute care setting.

Methods The intervention included (1) a patient portal configured to solicit a single patient-designated recovery goal and display the care plan from the EHR for participating patients; and (2) an electronic care plan for all unit-based nurses that displays patient-inputted information, accessible to all clinicians via the EHR. Patients admitted to an oncology unit, including their nurses and physicians, were enrolled before and after implementation. Main outcomes included mean concordance scores for the overall care plan and individual care plan elements.

Results Of 457 and 283 eligible patients approached during pre- and postintervention periods, 55 and 46 participated in interviews, respectively, including their clinicians. Of 46 postintervention patients, 27 (58.7%) enrolled in the patient portal. The intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated a nonsignificant increase in the mean concordance score for the overall care plan (62.0–67.1, adjusted p = 0.13), and significant increases in mean concordance scores for the recovery goal (30.3–57.7, adjusted p < 0.01) and main reason for hospitalization (58.6–79.2, adjusted p < 0.01). The on-treatment analysis of patient portal enrollees demonstrated significant increases in mean concordance scores for the overall care plan (61.9–70.0, adjusted p < 0.01), the recovery goal (30.4–66.8, adjusted p < 0.01), and main reason for hospitalization (58.3–81.7, adjusted p < 0.01), comparable to the intention-to-treat analysis.

Conclusion Implementation of an EHR-integrated patient portal was associated with increased concordance for key care plan components. Future efforts should be directed at improving concordance for other care plan components and conducting larger, randomized studies to evaluate the impact on key outcomes during transitions of care.

Clinical Trials Identifier NCT02258594.
Involvement of OpsLTP1 from Opuntia streptacantha in abiotic stress adaptation and lipid metabolism
Authors: Rojas Mario , Jimenez-Bremont Francisco , Villicaña Claudia , Carreón-Palau Laura , Arredondo-Vega Bertha Olivia , Gómez-Anduro Gracia
Published: May 2019

Plant lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) exhibit the ability to transfer lipids between membranes in vitro, and have been implicated in diverse physiological processes associated to plant growth, reproduction, development, biotic and abiotic stress responses. However, their mode of action is not yet fully understood. To explore the functions of the OpsLTP1 gene encoding a LTP from cactus pear Opuntia streptacantha Lem., we generated transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. plants to overexpress OpsLTP1 and contrasted our results with the loss-of-function mutant ltp3 from A. thaliana under abiotic stress conditions. The ltp3 mutant seeds showed impaired germination under salt and osmotic treatments, in contrast to OpsLTP1 overexpressing lines that displayed significant increases in germination rate. Moreover, stress recovery assays showed that ltp3 mutant seedlings were more sensitive to salt and osmotic treatments than wild-type plants suggesting that AtLTP3 is required for stress-induced responses, while the OpsLTP1 overexpressing line showed no significant differences. In addition, OpsLTP1 overexpressing and ltp3 mutant seeds stored lower amount of total lipids compared with wild-type seeds, showing changes primarily on 16C and 18C fatty acids. However, ltp3 mutant also lead changes in lipid profile and no over concrete lipids which may suggest a compensatory activation of other LTPs. Interestingly, linoleic acid (18:2ω6) was consistently increased in neutral, galactoglycerolipids and phosphoglycerolipids of OpsLTP1 overexpressing line indicating a role of OpsLTP1 in the modulation of lipid composition in A. thaliana.
Transcending the moment
Authors: Power Martin J. , Dillane Aileen
Published: May 2019

Our paper argues that British singer Billy Bragg performs protest songs that cleverly draw
upon musical forms underpinning his positioning as a voice of, and for, the ordinary person, ultimately
disenfranchised by governmental adherence to neoliberal policies. While political songs are a product of their
time, many of them can also transcend that historical moment and have a longer shelf-life in terms of their
capacity to inform political thinking and action. Our song(s) of choice in this paper do so not just in terms
of the relevance of their ‘literal’ message but also in how they draw upon traditional structures of feeling
and generic elements of folk song to underpin this sense of ‘grass-roots’ critique via a modified, acoustic
ballad form and a performance style. This serves to authenticate and legitimate the singer and his message
and, in turn, allows Bragg to accumulate political and cultural capital.
c-MYC regulates mRNA translation efficiency and start-site selection in lymphoma
Authors: Singh Kamini , Lin Jianan , Zhong Yi , Burčul Antonija , Mohan Prathibha , Jiang Man , Sun Liping , Yong-Gonzalez Vladimir , Viale Agnes , Cross Justin R. , Hendrickson Ronald C. , Rätsch Gunnar , Ouyang Zhengqing , Wendel Hans-Guido
Published: May 2019

The oncogenic c-MYC (MYC) transcription factor has broad effects on gene expression and cell behavior. We show that MYC alters the efficiency and quality of mRNA translation into functional proteins. Specifically, MYC drives the translation of most protein components of the electron transport chain in lymphoma cells, and many of these effects are independent from proliferation. Specific interactions of MYC-sensitive RNA-binding proteins (e.g., SRSF1/RBM42) with 5′UTR sequence motifs mediate many of these changes. Moreover, we observe a striking shift in translation initiation site usage. For example, in low-MYC conditions, lymphoma cells initiate translation of the CD19 mRNA from a site in exon 5. This results in the truncation of all extracellular CD19 domains and facilitates escape from CD19-directed CAR-T cell therapy. Together, our findings reveal MYC effects on the translation of key metabolic enzymes and immune receptors in lymphoma cells.
Assembling Components with Probabilistic Lead Times
Authors: Yassine Noura , El-Rabih Silvana
Published: May 2019

This paper examines a production model in which N different types of components are used to assemble a finished product. The components are acquired from various suppliers in lots received at or before the beginning of the assembly process. The lead time between placing and receiving each of the N orders is assumed to be a random variable having a known probability density function. Based on recent results regarding the probability distribution and the expectation of the maximum of a set of independent random variables, the mathematical model describing this production/inventory situation is developed. The mathematical model is then used to derive a closed form formula for the optimal solution that minimizes the total production/inventory cost function. Moreover, the reorder point is shown to depend on the probability distribution and expected value of the random variable representing the maximum among the N lead times. The case in which each of the N lead times follows a Weibull distribution is investigated, and a numerical example is given to illustrate this case.
Improvement of the fretting wear resistance of Ti6Al4V by application of hydrostatic ball burnishing.
Authors: Swirad S
Published: May 2019

The objective of the research was to improve the fretting wear resistance of titanium alloy by hydrostatic ball burnishing. Ball burnishing is an economic surface finishing process for wide range of components. It is based on pressing and rolling a hydraulically floated ball along the surface of the component being treated, to plastically deform surface asperities. This process generates a deep field of compressive residual stresses (up to 1.0 mm) in the outer layers of the component. The compressive residual stresses and the high quality of the surface finish improve the wear resistance of the part. Experiments were made using ball-on-disc tribotester in oscillatory motion. 100Cr6 sphere co-acted with a disc made of titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4V. The friction force was monitored as a function of time during the test. Wear of disc was measured after the test using the non-contact 3D surface profiler. The optimal ball burnishing parameters have been determined after conducting the Taguchi L9 matrix experiment. During tests, normal load was kept constant at 50 N within the contact with frequency of 50 Hz and displacement amplitude of 0.02 mm. The results confirmed that hydrostatic ball burnishing had a significant influence on friction and wear.
Slope stability analysis using modified Fellenius’s and Bishop’s method
Authors: Zolkepli M F , Ishak M F , Zaini M S I
Published: May 2019

Analysis of slope stability is very important as many structures in hilly areas failed due to instability of slope. The aim of this study is to determine the factor of safety (FOS) of slopes located at Pahang Matriculation College by using limit equilibrium method. Two methods known as modified Fellenius’s method and modified Bishop’s method are used in this study. Laboratory testing involving index and engineering properties are conducted to determine the properties of soil within the study area. The soil at Pahang Matriculation College can be classified as sandy SILT with high plasticity. From the analysis, the FOS values for two slopes in saturated soil conditions (0 kPa suction) are between 1.262-2.885 when using Bishop’s method which are higher compare to 1.199-2.688 when using Fellenius’s method. The percentage differences of FOS between these two methods are between 5.25% to 7.33%. For slopes in unsaturated conditions (20 kPa suctions), the FOS are between 1.550-3.702 when using modified Bishop’s method which always higher compare to 1.492-3.507 when using modified Fellenius’s method. The percentage differences of FOS are between 3.89% to 5.56%. The relative accuracy of Bishop’s method is due to it consider only the vertical equilibrium of each slices and there is no need to consider the horizontal components of the interslice forces without introducing serious error in the FOS value.
Effect of marble dust and steel slag on consistency limits and compaction characteristics of lateritic soil
Authors: I. Adedokun Solomon , A. Ganiyu Abideen , A. Adedokun Mujeeb
Published: May 2019

Engineers are faced with the problems of providing very suitable materials for highway and other foundations construction. Lateritic soils are highly weathered indigenous soil available in large quantities but generally need improvements to adequately satisfy the required construction purposes. This research investigates the influence of steel slag and marble dust addition on some geotechnical properties of lateritic soil. The results revealed that the soil is well graded based on particle size distribution and is classified as A-2-5 under AASHTO system. With progressive increase in each stabiliser, both the liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index exhibit fluctuating patterns. In addition, both marble dust and steel slag increased the maximum dry density with increasing proportions in the soil sample but exhibit irregular patterns for optimum moisture content. This research provides an insight to the quality of lateritic soils obtainable in the study area, and the level of improvements required before they are suitable for road construction.
Load-deformation analysis on a slope at Gunung Pulai water treatment plant, Sultan Ibrahim Reservoir
Authors: Azman K , Mushairry M , Ahmad Safuan A R , Mohd Hanim O , Izni Syahrizal I , Mohammadreza V , Sophia C A , Mohd Azreen M A , Rini Asnida A , Radzuan S , Muhammad Azril H , Nur Asmawisham A Mohd , Mohd For M A , Sahrul Nizam T , Afif A R , Kamrul Zaman K , Hairul Hairi H , Zulkifly A W , Ismail D S A , Muhammad Fateh M A R
Published: May 2019

The Sultan Ibrahim Reservoir located at Gunung Pulai catchment area was previously managed by the Singapore’s Public Utilities Board before the Board handed over the reservoir to Johor State Government under current management of the Syarikat Air Johor. At the present time, the Syarikat Air Johor is operating a Gunung Pulai Water Treatment Plant consisted of two main plants, i.e. Water Sedimentation Plant and Water Filtration Plant for treating raw water from the reservoir before supplying to the consumers. However, the integrity of water treatment plant’s structure should be checked due to several cracks were observed, and moreover the structure was built over more than 90 years. The formation of the cracks in the Gunung Pulai Water Treatment Plant may be induced by movement of the sloping area to the south-east of Water Sedimentation Plant. The calculated Factor of Safety (FOS) via sensitivity analysis for cross sections of original slope indicates any decrease in friction angle and/or cohesion strength or increase in horizontal seismic load will further cause instability on slope. Also, the results of Load-Deformation analysis on cross sections of original slope show significant vertical displacement and horizontal displacement on the bottom and both sides of sedimentation tanks, respectively. The results indicate applied structural and water loads significantly affect deformation at both vertical and horizontal directions which could have contributed to FOS < 1 in slope stability analysis.
Numerical simulation of rock fragmentation by blasting using Discrete Element Method and Particle Blast Method
Authors: Shahrin Muhammad I. , Abdullah Rini A. , Jeon Seokwon , Jeon Byungkyu , Sa’ari Radzuan
Published: May 2019

Blasting is common activity used in quarry to fragment rock which the aim is to obtain maximum yield with desired fragmentation in a safer manner. This study has opened up new possibilities to optimize the blasting in order to achieve the desired fragmentation of rock. Discrete element method (DEM) and particle blast method (PBM) approach was used to investigate numerically the response of rock fragmentation induced by blasting. The numerical simulation performed in this study using the commercial software LS-DYNA. Calibration of the micro-parameters in bonded particle model (BPM) of rock has been conducted. In bench blasting simulation, DEM was used on the modelling of rock media, where PBM was used to simulate the blast loading which capable of modelling thermally non-equilibrium system. This numerical analysis is compared to rock fragment distribution fieldwork data. It shows that DEM-PBM simulation could reproduce the trends observed in fieldwork rock fragment distribution. Comparison between fieldwork data and numerical analyses is presented and discussed.
Compaction characteristics of Bangkok clay stabilized using rice husk ash, bottom ash, and lime
Authors: Eisazadeh A , Bhurtel A , Phai H
Published: May 2019

Amount of waste is becoming increasingly undesirable as human population increases day by day. For this reason, recycling wastes produced in different industries and thus lowering their quantities is one of the main focuses for researchers. Soil stabilization using waste by-products especially in road projects that require large amount of earth materials are currently popular and the successful utilization of these wastes can have positive impact on the environment. This can also reduce the construction costs significantly. Bangkok Clay is a well-known soil in Thailand that can possess poor engineering properties and hence there is a need for its improvement. Among all different kinds of waste, rice husk ash (RHA) and bottom ash (BA) are among the cheap materials that are produced in high volumes annually in Thailand and have the potential to be considered as replacement for earth materials. Lime has also been used in this study as common traditional binder in clayey soils that produces the cementitious materials via pozzolanic reaction with materials that are rich in silica and alumina. One of the main steps of construction in road projects is the compaction of stabilized materials which requires the preliminary collection of data from lab performed compaction tests. In this paper, the compaction characteristics of RHA- and BA-Bangkok clay mixtures with lime as a binder were studied. The results show that the MDD reduces and OMC rises with respect to increase in the ash content. Furthermore, the mix designs with RHA are more sensitive to the ash content. Bottom ash mix designs show higher MDD than rice husk ash-soil mixtures and have more potential to be used in road projects based on the compaction characteristics.
Identifying suitable sites for pump irrigation system from open source and shallow tube well in selected areas of Davao Del Sur through geographic information system-based water resources assessment
Authors: Trondillo M J F , Generallao I C , Valleser R A R , Lopez M T , Janson A Z , Bejarasco J A , Toriales I R
Published: May 2019

This paper features the Geographic Information System (GIS) in identifying suitable sites for small scale irrigation projects (SSIP) particularly pump irrigation system from open source (PISOs) and shallow tube well (STW) through water resource assessment. The development of GIS-based assessment model for SSIP and resource map in aid of SSIP planning and development is limited in some municipalities. To develop a reliable GIS-base framework, the ArcGIS tool and spatial method was used in compiling specific factors with field analysis and developing regional resource map for SSIP. The results showed that STW in Digos City and Municipality of Hagonoy is 117 units and 17 units respectively. The average water depth in existing STW is within the 6.5 meters with capacity to irrigate 3 to 5 hectares per unit, low investment with high water use efficiency and simple to operate. It was found out that most STW is provided by Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office XI and Local Government Units. The STW is suitable for Digos City with an area of 379.32 hectares. While the PISOS were identified with different range of pump horsepower. There are 10 units of PISOS in Digos City and 15 units in Hagonoy mostly provided by National Irrigation Administration-XI. It was found out that in Digos City the 1,855.53 hectares are highly suitable and 14,377.55 hectares are not suitable for PISOS. The results of this study may assist the decision making processes for planning and development of SSIP using the developed protocol and tools for different purpose in agricultural production in Davao del Sur, Region XI and the whole country.
Physical properties of warm cup lump modified bitumen
Authors: Abdulrahman S , Hainin M R , Idham M K , Hassan N A , Warid M N M , Yaacob H , Azman M , Puan O C
Published: May 2019

Despite the several benefits of modifying bitumen with polymer; it is increasingly becoming difficult to ignore concerns about its high energy consumption and fume emissions during asphalt production. Previous studies found on natural rubber (NR) modified binders applied it as a hot mix asphalt (HMA), however in recent years there has been increasing interest in warm mix asphalt. This research explores the possibility of applying NR in warm mix asphalt (WMA) by comparing the physical properties of cup lump rubber modified bitumen with and without warm mix additive. Four percentages (2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5% and 10%) of Cup lump rubber (CLR) was used to modify 60/70 penetration grade bitumen, while three percentages (0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5%) of Evotherm chemical was added to produce warm cup lump modified bitumen (WCMB). Storage stability, penetration, softening point, viscosity, ductility, and elastic recovery tests were conducted to determine the effect of CLR and Evotherm. The results show that storage stability and viscosity of the cup lump modified bitumen heavily depends on the CLR content. While a positive correlation exists between the increase in binder stiffness with increasing mixing and compaction temperatures. The addition of 0.5% Evotherm reduces the viscosity by 14%. Contrary to expectations, CLR was found to reduce the ductility of the bitumen while the presence of Evotherm in the blend increases the softening point. The use of warm NR modified bitumen in road construction is expected to lower the asphalt production temperature, carbon emission and cost without compromising the performance of the mix.
Dielectric measurement of bitumen: A review
Authors: Adamu I A , Aziz M M A , Yeow Y K , Mohd Jakarmi Fauzan , Arifuzzaman
Published: May 2019

Bitumen is a rheological, viscoelastic, thermoplastic and extremely complex material that has hydrocarbons as its predominant molecules with slight traces of others. Bitumen is semi-solid at room temperature, liquid at high temperature and solid at a very low temperature. Till date, a complete understanding of its properties have not been fully known. Various techniques/methods have been developed by many researchers to study the behavior of this complex material. Most of the techniques are proved to be effective in evaluating some of the properties but very costly. This paper presents a review on some of the work conducted on investigating the behaviors of bitumen using microwave technique. This technique has been shown to be simple, less time consuming and cost-effective in evaluating both physical and rheological properties of bitumen when compared with other techniques.
Performance of rutting, stripping and cracking of warm mix asphalt
Authors: Naqibah S. N. , Hainin M. R. , Idham M. K. , Warid M. N. M. , Hassan N. A. , Mohamed A. , Puan O. C. , Ismail C. R.
Published: May 2019

Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) is a conventional mixtures and widely used in Malaysia. Emissions of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) during production of HMA due to high temperature give bad impact to the environment. During construction, cool weather is one of the factor that will easily influence the HMA mixtures where it will cause the reduction of temperature during compaction. This factor will affect the compaction process for the pavement which the most important part for road construction. It will reduce the density of the pavement and also the strength which cause shorter life span, rutting, cracking and stripping. Therefore, in this study, Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) is one of the methods to overcome these issues. This study investigated the performance WMA in term of rutting, cracking and stripping incorporating different percentages of additives namely Evotherm (ET) and Evoflex (EF) with 0.3%, 0.4% and 0.5% by weight of bitumen. These additives were used to lower the mixing and compaction temperature of asphalt mixture. Asphalt mixture with nominal maximum aggregate size 14 mm (AC 14) with 5.3% optimum bitumen content were used in this study. The optimum additive content was evaluated based on the Marshall, Modified Lottman, Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS), and Asphalt Pavement Analyser (APA) tests. The results revealed that 0.4 % ET and 0.3 % EF additives were considered as optimum additive content. Both 0.4 % ET and 0.3 % EF gave better performance in stripping and rutting resistance. However, in cracking performance, 0.4 % ET was more susceptible in cracking compared with 0.3 % EF.
Implementation of chosen risk index during car-following behaviour under wet weather condition
Authors: Shariff M. , Puan O. C. , Mashros N. , Mohamed A. , Hassan N. A. , Ismail C. R. , Hainin M. R.
Published: May 2019

This study aims to examine the effects of wet weather on accident consequence during car-following behaviours. The study analysed drivers’ car-following headway on two-lane highways along passing and no passing zones associated with passenger cars and heavy goods vehicles (HGV). The speed and time gap of more than 200,000 vehicles were recorded during dry and wet weather at 4 specific sites in Peninsular Malaysia using Automatic Traffic Counter with pneumatic tubes. Rainfall data were acquired from the nearest rain gauge station. Chosen Risk Index (CRI) was used to characterize and evaluate the accident consequence caused by wet weather incidence. The results disclose that the drivers are more cautious to avoid accident severity during wet weather compared to dry weather irrespective of vehicle type and highway features. This result is evidenced by lower CRI values during wet weather compared to dry weather. The data shows that under wet weather condition the speed that gives lower risk of accident is in the range of 47.3 to 73.9 km/h and 56.5 to 74.0 km/h i.e. which associated with CRI values in the range of 0.60 to 0.75 and 0.53 to 0.79 at passing and no-passing zones, respectively. These findings are useful for the improvement of roadway design and the implementation of traffic safety interventions.
Phase field study of spacing evolution during wire and laser additive manufacturing under transient conditions
Authors: Wang Zheng , Jing Tao , Dong Hongbiao
Published: May 2019

Understanding the dynamic evolution of primary dendritic spacing in the laser melt pool is significant from a technological viewpoint because primary spacing is one of the foremost parameters that control the final mechanical properties of additive manufactured products. In this work, a multi-scale computational framework that couples FEM and a developed quantitative phase field method is employed to simulate the evolution of microstructure and primary spacing of a nickel-based superalloy during wire and laser additive manufacturing (WLAM) solidification. Transient conditions in the laser melt pool are considered in which both temperature gradient G and solidification speed VP
are made time-dependent. Through the use of this model, the dendritic morphology, tip velocity and spacing evolution during the solidification are investigated to provide the relationship between the laser processing parameters and the final spacing. Moreover, we attempted to clarify the intrinsic mechanism of spacing adjustment under different laser processing parameters from a novel perspective. This work provides meaningful understanding of spacing evolution in nickel-based superalloy and demonstrates the potential of controlling the complex microstructure morphologies and final primary spacing during wire and laser additive manufacturing process.
Prediction of Carbide Precipitation Using A Combined Partial Equilibrium - Para-Equilibrium - Lever Rule Approximation in Automobile Gear Materials
Authors: Zhang Hongwei , Nakajima Keiji , Su Mengmeng , Gao Shaoshao , Lei Hong , Wang Qiang , He Jicheng
Published: May 2019

The carbide precipitation nature of an automobile gear material, i.e. Fe-C-Mn-Si-Cr-Mo alloy, during carburization and element addition process are investigated through PE+PA+LR prediction. Results show that, carburization process greatly increases the amount of cementite as well as the hardness index at the surface part. Besides, the addition of Ti and V helps to formation of TiC and (V, Mo)C carbides but suppress the precipitation of cementite, which contributes equivalent hardness at surface and lighter weight to the alloy.
Kinetics of rapid crystal growth: phase field theory versus atomistic simulations
Authors: Galenko P K , Salhoumi A , Ankudinov V
Published: May 2019

Kinetics of crystal growth in undercooled melts is analyzed by methods of theoretical modeling. Special attention is paid to rapid growth regimes occurring at deep undercoolings at which non-linearity in crystal velocity appears. A traveling wave solution of the phase field model (PFM) derived from the fast transitions theory is used for a quantitative description of the crystal growth kinetics. The “velocity – undercooling” relationship predicted by the traveling wave solution is compared with the data of molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) which were obtained for the crystal-liquid interfaces growing in the 〈 100〉-direction in the Ni50Al50alloy melt.
Semi-grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation for derivation of thermodynamic properties of binary alloy
Authors: Ueno Kensho , Shibuta Yasushi
Published: May 2019

Semi-grand canonical Monte Carlo (SGCMC) simulations are performed to derive thermodynamic properties of binary alloy from atomistic-based simulations. Particularly, solidus and liquidus compositions are directly derived for Fe-Cr alloy described by two different EAM potentials. Although the SGCMC simulation can derive relationship between the free energy and composition at any temperature straightforwardly, partial phase diagram obtained from SGCMC simulations strongly depends on the choice of interatomic potential.
Analysis of columnar-to-equiaxed transition experiment in lab scale steel casting by a multiphase model
Authors: Sachi S. , Založnik M. , Combeau H. , Gandin Ch.-A. , Gennesson M. , Demurger J. , Stoltz M. , Poitrault I.
Published: May 2019

Correct prediction of composition heterogeneities and grain structure across a steel ingot is critical in optimizing the industrial processing parameters for enhanced performance. The columnar to equiaxed transtion (CET) is a microstructural transition which is strictly controlled as it affects the mechanical properties of the final product along with the macrosegregation patterns. Larger equiaxed regions are preferred for most industrial applications. CET is significantly affected by the number density of equiaxed grains and by the nucleation undercooling. 8 kg 42CrMo4 alloy steel ingots (240 mm x 60 mm x 60 mm) were cast. The cast structure was characterized by ASCOMETAL. The experiments were simulated with a process-scale model of solidification that incorporates a multiscale description of the microstructure formation. The goal of the present study is to show the capabilities of such a process-scale solidification model to explain the observed structure distributions (extent of the columnar and equiaxed zones, equiaxed-to-columnar transition).
On the Modelling of Macrosegregation during Twin-Roll Casting
Authors: Rodrigues C M G , Ludwig A , Kharicha A , Wu M , Vakhrushev A
Published: May 2019

Solidification during twin-roll casting happens by cooling of the melt between two counter-rotating rolls, where the molten alloy is constantly fed in. For an inoculated Al-melt, grain growth leads to a gradual increase of solid fraction, so that a coherent solid network forms. Depending on the process condition, this solid network might be subjected to compression within the gap between the two rolls. By using a two-phase volume average model that accounts for (i) transport and growth of spherical grains within a flowing melt, (ii) formation of a coherent solid network above a specific solid fraction and (iii) viscoplastic flow of the solid network saturated with interstitial melt during casting and compression, the process is numerically analysed. It is found that an optimum process with minimum macrosegregation can be achieved for conditions where the kissing point of the two viscoplastic semi-solid shells nearly coincides with the roll nip. It is demonstrated how casting speed, cooling intensity and strand thickness must be related to hit the optimum process window.
Simulation of casting filling process using the lattice Boltzmann method
Authors: Zhang Y J , Qian X W , Zhou J X , Yin Y J , Shen X , Ji X Y , Huang J L
Published: May 2019

Numerical simulation of casting filling process with complex shape is time-consuming. Compared with the traditional SOLA-VOF method, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) calculates the pressure field by particle distribution functions instead of the correction of the velocity and pressure fields, which greatly simplifies the calculation process. In addition, the LBM provides a flexible approach which can be easily parallelized. In this study, the LBM is employed to simulate casting filling process. An implementation of a volume-of-fluid (VOF) method within the lattice Boltzmann framework is proposed to capture the free surface of the casting filling process. A Smagorinsky large eddy simulation (LES) model is adopted to improve the numerical stability of the LBM. An adaptive time stepping technique is implemented to ensure an efficient and stable simulation. The model is validated by the experimental and simulation results of Campbell box filling process. The filling process of complex casting is simulated, and the result is compared with the filling process obtained by the SOLA-VOF method. The prediction accuracy and reliability of free surface profile is analysed.