bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaporation flow characteristics of airborne sputum droplets with solid fraction: Effects of humidity field evolutions
Authors: Zeng Gang , Chen Lin , Yuan Haizhuan , Yamamoto Ayumi , Maruyama Shigenao
Published: December 2021

The continuance of the COVID-19 pandemic largely depends on the spread of virus-carrying aerosols in ambient air. The mechanism of virus transmission and infection remains under intense investigation. In this study, an evaporation flow model of airborne sputum droplets is proposed which considers the evolution effects of the humidity field under different particle distributions and solid/salt fraction interactions. The incompressible Navier–Stokes equations characterize a stream of airflow jets, and the convection-diffusion-evaporation process is used to account for the inhomogeneous humidity field caused by the respiratory tract. Momentum equations for droplet dynamics which involve the effects of drag, gravity, and Brownian motion on sputum droplets are introduced to quantify the transport of droplets in a humidity field. The Lattice Boltzmann method is used to track the evolution of the aerosol in space and time under different ambient temperature and relative humidity conditions. The results of the simulation demonstrate that airborne humidity accelerates the evaporation rate of droplet, while supersaturated humid air forms a vapor mass in front of the respiratory tract. Despite the short lifespan of this phenomenon, it significantly hinders the evaporation of the droplets. Besides, the droplet vortex dynamics in a humidity field are sensitive to the droplet size.
Faraday law, oxidation numbers, and ionic conductivity: The role of topology
Authors: Resta Raffaele
Published: December 2021

Faraday’s experiment measures—within a modern view—the charge adiabatically transported over a macroscopic distance by a given nuclear species in insulating liquids: the reason why it is an integer is deeply rooted in topology. Whole numbers enter chemistry in a different form: atomic oxidation states. They are not directly measurable and are determined instead from an agreed set of rules. Insulating liquids are a remarkable exception; Faraday’s experiment indeed measures the oxidation numbers of each dissociated component in the liquid phase, whose topological values are unambiguous. Ionic conductivity in insulating liquids is expressed in terms of the autocorrelation function of the fluctuating charge current at a given temperature in a zero electric field; topology plays a major role in this important observable as well. The existing literature deals with the above issues by adopting the independent-electron framework; here, I provide the many-body generalization of all the above findings, which, furthermore, allows for compact and very transparent notations and formulas.
The ‘ecological character’ of wetlands: a foundational concept in the Ramsar Convention, yet still cause for debate 50 years later
Authors: Pritchard Dave
Published: December 2021

The Ramsar Convention text requires the Contracting Parties to respond to actual or potential changes in the ‘ecological character’ of their Ramsar Sites. After some years, the Convention’s obligations relating to the conservation of these sites and to the ‘wise use’ of wetlands in general came to be defined in terms of ‘maintaining’ this character. Defining and operationalising these concepts has been complex. This paper reviews the evolution of this, and the challenges that remain in relation to issues such as choosing an appropriate baseline condition to describe, the kinds of changes that warrant a response and situations of natural fluctuation or ‘regime shift’, where ‘maintaining’ ecological character may be an unduly static aim. The ‘character’ of wetlands nevertheless remains a valuably integrative concept, preserving something of the holistic vision developed 50 years ago by the Convention’s founders.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of animal contests arise from effective forces between contestants
Authors: Haluts Amir , Reyes Sylvia F. Garza , Gorbonos Dan , Etheredge Robert Ian , Jordan Alex , Gov Nir S.
Published: December 2021

Significance

To obtain and defend resources, animals often participate in contests that involve complex trade-offs between risk and reward. Although it stands to reason to invoke cognitive decision-making schemes to analyze and model these contests, such cognitive schemes are hard to verify in behavioral experiments, and they do not address a directly observable aspect of contests–the motion of contestants in space. We study the dynamics of contests in an orb-weaving spider, where males compete for mating opportunities in the bounded arena of the female’s web. We show that physical rules of interaction, which amount to attraction and repulsion between the contestants and govern their motion, can account for the real-time dynamics of animal contests.
MR #4. Mutual Respect Within Department Teams
Authors: Pluta Paul
Published: December 2021

Discussion of non-technical management topics is always an area of interest in validation and QA professional meetings. Validation and QA functions are vital functions at a regulated manufacturing site. Validation and QA management must continually work to create a positive work environment in their respective functions. Mutual respect between...
Live imaging of transcription sites using an elongating RNA polymerase II–specific probe
Authors: Uchino Satoshi , Ito Yuma , Sato Yuko , Handa Tetsuya , Ohkawa Yasuyuki , Tokunaga Makio , Kimura Hiroshi
Published: December 2021

In eukaryotic nuclei, most genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase II (RNAP2), whose regulation is a key to understanding the genome and cell function. RNAP2 has a long heptapeptide repeat (Tyr1-Ser2-Pro3-Thr4-Ser5-Pro6-Ser7), and Ser2 is phosphorylated on an elongation form. To detect RNAP2 Ser2 phosphorylation (RNAP2 Ser2ph) in living cells, we developed a genetically encoded modification-specific intracellular antibody (mintbody) probe. The RNAP2 Ser2ph-mintbody exhibited numerous foci, possibly representing transcription “factories,” and foci were diminished during mitosis and in a Ser2 kinase inhibitor. An in vitro binding assay using phosphopeptides confirmed the mintbody’s specificity. RNAP2 Ser2ph-mintbody foci were colocalized with proteins associated with elongating RNAP2 compared with factors involved in the initiation. These results support the view that mintbody localization represents the sites of RNAP2 Ser2ph in living cells. RNAP2 Ser2ph-mintbody foci showed constrained diffusional motion like chromatin, but they were more mobile than DNA replication domains and p300-enriched foci, suggesting that the elongating RNAP2 complexes are separated from more confined chromatin domains.
C. elegans PEZO-1 is a mechanosensitive ion channel involved in food sensation
Authors: Millet Jonathan R.M. , Romero Luis O. , Lee Jungsoo , Bell Briar , Vásquez Valeria
Published: December 2021

PIEZO channels are force sensors essential for physiological processes, including baroreception and proprioception. The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes an orthologue gene of the Piezo family, pezo-1, which is expressed in several tissues, including the pharynx. This myogenic pump is an essential component of the C. elegans alimentary canal, whose contraction and relaxation are modulated by mechanical stimulation elicited by food content. Whether pezo-1 encodes a mechanosensitive ion channel and contributes to pharyngeal function remains unknown. Here, we leverage genome editing, genetics, microfluidics, and electropharyngeogram recording to establish that pezo-1 is expressed in the pharynx, including in a proprioceptive-like neuron, and regulates pharyngeal function. Knockout (KO) and gain-of-function (GOF) mutants reveal that pezo-1 is involved in fine-tuning pharyngeal pumping frequency, as well as sensing osmolarity and food mechanical properties. Using pressure-clamp experiments in primary C. elegans embryo cultures, we determine that pezo-1 KO cells do not display mechanosensitive currents, whereas cells expressing wild-type or GOF PEZO-1 exhibit mechanosensitivity. Moreover, infecting the Spodoptera frugiperda cell line with a baculovirus containing the G-isoform of pezo-1 (among the longest isoforms) demonstrates that pezo-1 encodes a mechanosensitive channel. Our findings reveal that pezo-1 is a mechanosensitive ion channel that regulates food sensation in worms.
Absorption efficiency analysis and optical resonator simulation of Ho:YLF laser pumped with Tm:fiber laser
Authors: Babaiy Tooski Majid , Maleki Abbas , Eslami Majd Abdolah , Ebadian Hassan
Published: December 2021

In this paper, a Tm:fiber laser pumped Ho:YLF laser is simulated. The absorption efficiency, optimum crystal length, and optical resonator are analytically studied and simulated using LASCAD software, and the atomic-level degeneracies are considered in evaluating the absorption efficiency. In this way, the absorption efficiencies of 65% and 87% are obtained for single-pass 30 mm Ho:YLF crystal with doping concentration 0.5% and 1% respectively. These calculated efficiencies are verified by our experimental measurements and they coincide with acceptable errors. To estimate a proper length for the Ho:YLF crystal with specified doping concentration, the up-conversion, and the reabsorption effects are considered. As a result, we find the 30 mm length crystal is suited for reducing the absorption threshold and prohibiting reabsorption while saturation is controlled. The threshold power and slope efficiency for 65 W pumped powers are calculated by LASCAD software, and the thermal lens focal length of −665 mm is obtained. For a nearly constant beam width inside the cavity and suitable beam overlap efficiency, a concave-concave configuration is chosen for the optical resonator. In the continuous-wave operation, the output power is funded to be 38.4 W and the slope efficiency would be 66%.
Systematic Errors Induced by the Elliptical Power-law model in Galaxy–Galaxy Strong Lens Modeling
Authors: Cao Xiaoyue , Li Ran , Nightingale J. W. , Massey Richard , Robertson Andrew , Frenk Carlos S. , Amvrosiadis Aristeidis , Amorisco Nicola C. , He Qiuhan , Etherington Amy , Cole Shaun , Zhu Kai
Published: December 2021

The elliptical power-law model of the mass in a galaxy is widely used in strong gravitational lensing analyses. However, the distribution of mass in real galaxies is more complex. We quantify the biases due to this model mismatch by simulating and then analyzing mock Hubble Space Telescope imaging of lenses with mass distributions inferred from SDSS-MaNGA stellar dynamics data. We find accurate recovery of source galaxy morphology, except for a slight tendency to infer sources to be more compact than their true size. The Einstein radius of the lens is also robustly recovered with 0.1% accuracy, as is the global density slope, with 2.5% relative systematic error, compared to the 3.4% intrinsic dispersion. However, asymmetry in real lenses also leads to a spurious fitted “external shear” with typical strength γ
ext = 0.015. Furthermore, time delays inferred from lens modeling without measurements of stellar dynamics are typically underestimated by ∼5%. Using such measurements from a sub-sample of 37 lenses would bias measurements of the Hubble constant H
0 by ∼9%. Although this work is based on a particular set of MaNGA galaxies, and the specific value of the detected biases may change for another set of strong lenses, our results strongly suggest the next generation cosmography needs to use more complex lens mass models.
Radio Frequency Interference Mitigation and Statistics in the Spectral Observations of FAST
Authors: Zhang Chuan-Peng , Xu Jin-Long , Wang Jie , Jing Yingjie , Liu Ziming , Zhu Ming , Jiang Peng
Published: December 2021

In radio astronomy, radio frequency interference (RFI) becomes more and more serious for radio observational facilities. The RFI always influences the search and study of the interesting astronomical objects. Mitigating the RFI becomes an essential procedure in any survey data processing. The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) is an extremely sensitive radio telescope. It is necessary to find out an effective and precise RFI mitigation method for FAST data processing. In this work, we introduce a method to mitigate the RFI in FAST spectral observation and make a statistic for the RFI using ∼300 h FAST data. The details are as follows. First, according to the characteristics of FAST spectra, we propose to use the Asymmetrically Reweighted Penalized Least Squares algorithm for baseline fitting. Our test results show that it has a good performance. Second, we flag the RFI with four strategies, which are to flag extremely strong RFI, flag long-lasting RFI, flag polarized RFI, and flag beam-combined RFI, respectively. The test results show that all the RFI above a preset threshold could be flagged. Third, we make a statistic for the probabilities of polarized XX and YY RFI in FAST observations. The statistical results could tell us which frequencies are relatively quiescent. With such statistical data, we are able to avoid using such frequencies in our spectral observations. Finally, based on the ∼300 h FAST data, we obtained an RFI table, which is the most complete database currently for FAST.
Galactic neutrino sources
Authors: Niro V.
Published: December 2021

Among the sources detected by the HAWC telescope in the galactic plane, we will consider the eHWC J1825-134 source and show the prospects to detect this source at the KM3NeT detector. Moreover, we consider the prospects to detect the source RX J1713.7-3946 in a fully hadronic and in a lepto-hadronic scenario. Considering the IceCube detector, instead, we present a detailed study of the gamma-ray sources eHWC J1907+063 and found that a detection at 3σ or more at the IceCube detector should be within reach of the next decade. We consider also the source 2HWC J1857+027, which is coincident with the location of an IceCube neutrino excess. For this source, a detection at 3σ will depend on the specific value of the flux, on the extension and on the cut-off energy.
Impact of Steel Fiber on the Mechanical Property of Concrete Containing Mineral Admixture
Authors: Bhat Aamir Ahmad , Alam Shamshad
Published: December 2021

This article analyzes the mechanical behaviour of concrete containing fly ash, silica fume, and steel fibre, with 331 kg/m3 cement, 674 kg/m3 fine aggregate, and 1171 kg/m3 coarse aggregate. A concrete mixture with a water-binder ratio of 0.40 is prepared. Mineral admixtures such as silica fume and fly ash were also added to the cement in concentrations of 10% and 20%, respectively. The steel fibres are then incorporated in various proportion (0.5 percent, 1.0 percent, 1.5 percent, and 2.0 percent). The cube-shaped sample is used to test the compressive strength of hardened concrete with and without steel fibre, while the cylindrical sample and beam are utilised for indirect tensile and flexural strength testing. On the three replicas, all of the tests with various percentages of steel fibre were carried out, and the average value is reported in this article. The concrete without steel fibre had average compressive, flexural, and tensile properties of 60.05 MPa, 5.72 MPa, and 9.45 MPa, respectively and after adding 2 percent steel fibre, it increased to 74.25 MPa, 6.14 MPa, and 23.68 MPa, respectively, after 28 days. By performing a nonlinear analysis of the experimental data, a link between the percentages of steel fibre, curing days, compressive-tensile strength ratio, and compressive-flexural strength ratio has been established. The current study will help in lowering cement use, therefore minimising the negative environmental effect of cement manufacturing.
Soil exploration using ground penetrating radar
Authors: Khan Zehra , Sharma Tarun , Khan Naiyara , Magray Adil Ahmad
Published: December 2021

Geophysical methods are extensively utilized in the field of geology and in geotechnical engineering such as seismic, gravitational, magnetic and electromagnetic fields. These methods are used to locate or to understand conditions below the ground surface, and the physical properties of subsurface. GPR also known as Radio Detecting and Ranging is based on the electromagnetic waves. It is a specially designed radar unit for transmitting electromagnetic pulses below the ground instead of air. In GPR the medium is soil which is heterogeneous and has higher attenuation rate than air. This method is used to measure the length, depth or to locate the soil layers and its deposits. GPR is one of the most versatile sensors; it provides high resolution profiles for shallow depth. GPR has been used in diverse fields such as archaeology, non-destructive testing, probing underground caves, detecting landmines, mapping pipes and conduits, investigating the reinforcement and conditions of roads, bridges and airport runways, to name a few. Use of this technique/method is being extensively adopted from recent years because of its properties and vast applications. The main applications of GPR in subsurface mapping are: mapping of subsurface utility structures, detection and mapping of unexploded ordnance and mines, extraction of hazardous waste containers or unexploded ammunitions, maintenance or repair of subsurface structures. This paper presents an understanding of the concept or the need of GPR dedicated to civil engineering applications in general and in the field of geotechnical engineering in particular.
Synthesis of Carbon Fiber Composites and Different Methods to Improve its Mechanical Properties: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Singh Priyanka , Tomar Ravinder Kumar , Agarwal Krishna Mohan , Kaushik Harsh , Singh S K
Published: December 2021

Efficient and innovative products can be made using high strength and lighter weight (almost half the steel weight) in modern-day automobile industries. One such material is Carbon Fiber, and it is used as its composites made with the help of epoxy resins. Carbon Fibers applications are increasing in use, in both the aerospace and automobile industries. The corrosion resistance and damping properties of the material can be put to better use in constructions that are heavily strained. The paper aims to review the manufacturing of Carbon fiber composites and their mechanical properties (tensile & flexural strength), which ultimately deals with their applications in the automobile industry. Also, it deals with a review of a few methods or substances used to improve the mechanical properties of carbon fiber composites.
Experimental analysis of basic mechanical properties of concrete upon replacement with silica fume and steel slag
Authors: Verma Nitin , Singh Balwinder
Published: December 2021

The prime aim in this paper is to find out the effect of Silica Fume and Steel Slag replacements for cement and fine aggregate respectively in the concrete matrix. The research included replacement of constant percentage of silica fume i.e. 10% with cement and varying percentages of steel slag replacements viz. 40%, 45%, 50% and 55% with fine aggregates. It was found from the experimental investigations that optimum results for strength in compression, flexure and split case for concrete were established on 10% of silica fume replacement for steel slag and 50% replacement of steel slag with sand.
Research paper on improvement of road infrastructure to implement road safety at an intersection of military hospital road.
Authors: Hamid Shaista , Arora Nitin
Published: December 2021

Geometrical plan lacks on existing streets would prompt an expected mishap, for example, a mishap occurs at the sharp bends, layered asphalt conditions, and dangerous asphalt surface. Street auto collision has been expanding in the Southern Region of Tigray, of which this region was appeared to have disturbing rates. As indicated by the Southern Tigray Regional Police, the more rate of street car crashes were recorded in Garhi, Brimah pull and jekhani regions. This examination study zeroed in on the investigation of auto collisions identified with mathematical plan boundaries of the current black top street. While the information for the investigation covered course information, auto collision report from the police headquarters containing a few wounds, crashes, and destroyed the properties, just as meetings and poll studies to individuals who are straightforwardly engaged with street voyages, are thought of. The essential information has basically covered the math of the street which was estimated during the site study, street security review utilizing the agenda, meeting, and poll study. Then again, the auxiliary information gathered from the traffic the executive’s office in the area workplaces. On this, the outcomes introduced as line diagrams, pie outlines, figures for street car crash and sketch for the proposed improvement in the street plan issue. In view of the aftereffects of the investigation in the year 2015 to year 2019, it discovered that there were 1866 Road Traffic Accidents have been happening nearby the overview street areas. It uncovered that the essential driver of street car crashes in the investigation region exuded from the street plan components because of some mathematical lacks at the auto collision inclined regions uncovered that the essential driver of street car crashes in the examination region radiated from the street plan components because of some mathematical insufficiencies at the car crash inclined regions. Hence, this investigation reasoned that the recurrence of event of street auto collisions and the figure of setbacks is altogetherexpanding. This street mishap would endure if the concerned offices don’t satisfactorily address the disease.
A Case Study on Pre-Opening Stage Road Safety Audit
Authors: Ashish  , Dass Sachin , Jaglan Saurabh , Ahlawat Aman , Suthar Manju
Published: December 2021

Transportation has been instrumental in the growth of cultures since the dawn of time, allowing individuals to migrate and goods to be transported. A poorly aligned road not only creates a possible traffic threat but also increases commuting costs and puts a burden on drivers and travellers. As a result, careful decisions are critical in highway construction, both in terms of current needs and the potential growth of the region. A Road Safety Audit is a critical technique for paying detailed attention to road safety during the planning, construction, and maintenance phases of a road. The two key techniques in road safety work are accident reduction and accident prevention. This study focuses on both aspects. The road chosen in this study is another District Road in Bareilly District, Uttar Pradesh. It originates from Fatehganj Paschmi near NH-530 and merges with SH-37 at Baheri. Road Safety Audit is conducted on the road section before opening it to the traffic. This is a two-lane road without a paved shoulder in which Bareilly-Shahi Road also merges from the side at Chainage km 3+400. It has a Major Junction at Chainage km 10+000 which is densely populated Shahi Village. This study is about the road safety measures adopted on the newly built Bhitoura-Shahi-Shergarh-Baheri road and identifies any flaws that could result in an accident or pose a safety risk to road users. It is constructed to liberate people from traffic congestion. During the day, there is a lot of traffic on the road. On the basis of primary and secondary data collection, a systematic analysis of the road section is carried out. The methodology used entails gathering primary data performing a physical survey (inventory) and analyzing the observations, and secondary data from the appropriate authorities. Various recommendations to improve the deficiencies in order to ensure safe and efficient mobility are suggested as per IRC. The plants and tree along the road sides although control pollution of vehicles yet sometimes their branches have to be cut to reduce accidents.
Strength Properties of Foamed Concrete Containing Blends of Rice Husk Ash (RHA)
Authors: Rizwan Khan Ahmad , Seema  , Tiwary Aditya Kumar
Published: December 2021

The present study was planned to study the influence of Rice Husk ash (RHA) on fresh and hardened properties of foamed concrete. The percentage replacement levels of RHA for fine aggregates (FA) were 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. Production of light weight concrete was carried out with foam which was produced indigenously using a foaming agent (Foamtech). The theoretical density of foamed concrete containing 0% replacement level of Rice husk ash (RHA) was kept to be equal to 1300 ± 50 kg/m3. The actual density observed for foamed concrete containing 0% replacement level of RHA during experimental analysis was 1317 kg/m3. At curing age of 7, 14, 28, 56, and 90 days, the hardened foamed concrete cube specimens of size 100 mm × 100 mm × 100 mm were evaluated for compressive strength and 150 mm × 300 mm for split tensile strength. At a curing age of 28 days, the cube specimens were also examined for water absorption and dry density. For all of the foamed concrete mixes, the cement and fine aggregate content were kept the same. The water-cement ratio was maintained at 0.5. The only difference among all the mixes was the replacement level of RHA 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. The amount of foaming agent was varied according to the replacement levels of RHA to ensure good workability of paste. All the results of various properties were compared with the control mix. It may be noted that 0% replacement level of RHA with FA has been considered a control mix. The maximum and minimum compressive strengths, split tensile strengths and dry densities were shown by control mix and mix containing 20% replacement level of RHA respectively. On the other hand, the minimum and maximum water absorption capacities were shown by control mix and mix containing 20% replacement level of RHA respectively.
Waterproofing of primary lining in tunnel using nano chemicals and soil modifiers in Concrete
Authors: Parray Ubaid Ali , Singh Harpreet
Published: December 2021

The use of waterproofing chemicals in the field of concrete technology has proven a significant boom in the civil engineering industry by increasing the life of concrete structures. The materials such as nano-acrylic polymers resulted, significant control over the water leakage and damping conditions especially Terrasil and Zycobond and various nano sealers such as Zycoprime+ and Zycosil+. In this study, the primary focus is to waterproof tunnels using the various acrylic, nano-technological, and soil modifier chemicals to stabilize the tunnel structure in areas of hilly terrain. The use of these chemicals has been sourced in other areas of application but the least glance is seen in the field of tunnel engineering. These chemicals bind with the concrete and form a hydrophobic layer thus decreasing the permeability of concrete structure. In the present study the percentage of Zycobond and Terrasil used was 1.5% by weight of concrete and the ratio for Zs+:Zp+:water was 1:2:20. Tunnels especially in hilly terrain pass the flowing streams, thus making it more prone to damping conditions. So, poor site conditions result in less durability of concrete as well as steel, therefore improvement in engineering properties using these chemicals is primarily sought out in this paper. The factors considered during the use were the permeability, strength, volumetric analysis of chemicals, material properties etc. Water-proofing the concrete improves various engineering properties such as permeability, compressive strength, durability, strength, and various other properties of Concrete. The study emphasized to gauge the viability of Zycosil+ and Zycoprime+, Terrasil and Zycobond as waterproofing agents in concrete.
Earthquake Induced Liquefaction Analysis and Ground Improvement as a Remedial Measure: A Review
Authors: Hussain Ubaid , Tangri Amanpreet
Published: December 2021

Liquefaction is the phenomenon in which partially or fully saturated, loose sandy soils behave like a liquid due to loss of strength and rigidity owing to sudden increase in the pore water pressure as a result of dynamic loading such as earthquake. Liquefaction induced by dynamic loading as a result of earthquake is the most destructive feature of earthquake that may results in settlements and collapse of structures. The severity of this phenomenon can be predetermined by the geological and hydro-geological setup of the soil in the study area. The aim of this study is to present a review of various aspects of earthquake induced liquefaction analysis, case evidences from field studies and some of the liquefaction hazards from past earthquakes. Remedial measures using ground improvement techniques to prevent liquefaction hazard is also studied in this paper. Further, investigating the performance of remedial methods against liquefaction is also presented in this paper.
Roadway Safety Assessment and Star Rating using iRAP along SH-11A (Jind-Kaithal) in Haryana
Authors: Sunil  , Sharma Abhishek
Published: December 2021

Figures cross 3,500 deaths and casualties on roads all around world every day in low- and middle-income countries and contribute about 90% of the 1.25 million road deaths. This number of road deaths is projected to increase by 50 percent by 2020. The compound problem for developing countries is caused by the rapid development of roads, irrespective of design or security, lack of attention to vulnerable road users and lack of a culture of road safety (i.e., safe behaviour, vehicle safety regulations, road safety policy, road safety assessment, and enforcement). This paper deals with the star rating and road safety assessment of State Highway-11A, Jind-Kaithal, Haryana though the section is straight but numerous causalities were reported on the route in recent years. ViDA, an online road safety assessment and star rating analysis tool is used to get the Star Rating Scores and Safer Roads Investment Plans.
Characteristics of unfired soil blocks stabilized with industrial waste and agricultural waste
Authors: Sharma Tarun , Singh Sandeep
Published: December 2021

The problem of pollution is on daily rise and environment protection is becoming challengeable task due to production of fired bricks and improper disposal of waste materials. This experimental investigation is conducted on unfired compacted soil block stabilized with waste materials. The waste materials utilized in this investigation were paddy straw fiber, sugarcane bagasse ash and marble dust because of their improper disposal and burning of paddy straw is one of them. Marble dust was put on at distinct percentages in the span of 25% to 35%, bagasse ash and paddy straw fibers (75mm length) were also added in varied %age. Experiments were conducted on the blocks to determine the compaction properties and compressive strength of the blocks. The outcome of this experimentation determined that the light weight unfired admixed soil block is achievable with optimum amount of waste materials. Also, inclusion of marble dust in soil block admixed with bagasse ash and paddy straw fiber increases the compressive strength.
Mechanical characteristics of concrete containing basalt fiber and recycled aggregate
Authors: Hemant  , Sharma Rachit , Thakur Ankush , Aditya Tiwary Kumar
Published: December 2021

The potential of construction waste as an alternative to the constituents of concrete has been generally examined to demonstrate their utility and ensure the climate and/or environment of its otherwise ill effects. The mechanical characteristics of concrete are investigated to comprehend its behaviour under compressive, tensile, and flexural loads. This experimental study investigates the effect of supplanting proportions of river aggregates with waste coarse aggregates in addition to the effect of basalt fiber additions on concrete mixes with (25 and 50%) substitutions of recycled waste coarse aggregates (RWCA). The workability of concrete mixes was negatively affected with recycled aggregates and/or basalt fiber inclusions. Using recycled aggregates with 25 and 50% replacements decreases the strength of concrete. On utilizing discrete proportions of basalt fiber with natural coarse aggregates, the strength was higher as compared to control mix however increasing the percentage of basalt fiber from 1% to 3% the compressive strength was reduced. On incorporating additions of basalt fiber with different proportions of RWCA, the strength of concrete was deteriorated as the percentage of fiber was increasing. For natural aggregates, the inclusion of fibers has negative effect on compressive strength however the tensile strength was increased with higher percentage of fibers. The inclusions of fibers to 25% recycled aggregate mixes, split tensile strength was much higher as compared to control mix. It was concluded that addition of basalt fibers provides a viable option to recycle recycled aggregate in concrete production.
Traffic Study and Analysis of Highway (NH5) from Balongi to Kharar
Authors: Sharma Tarun , Singh Sandeep
Published: December 2021

Evaluation of in service pavements is very vital for keeping them in good serviceable condition because pavements deteriorate with age and traffic loading. To get a complete idea of the existing condition of any pavement both structural and functional evaluation are necessary. This study aims to investigate the accidental spots, traffic volume, and pavement condition. For this survey, the location of Kharar was chosen i.e. Balongi to Kharar Bus-Stand of 7 km stretch. The road initiates with intersection near Kharar bus stand and passes through many in between intersections near Sunny Enclave, VR Punjab Mall which are prime locations in that area. This road also connects with T junction and connects to NH5 / NH7 via Airport road. The data collected was processed, categorized and analyzed to generate reports for vehicle classification, hourly traffic variation, accidental black spots, pavement condition and origin & destination of trips.
Experimental Study of Compressed Soil Bricks with Partial Replacement of Soil by Bagasse Ash, Marble Powder and Rice Straw
Authors: Sharma Raghav , Sharma Tarun
Published: December 2021

The problem of pollution is increasing daily due to excessive production and improper disposal of the waste. some waste like ashes and stone powder can be easily utilize in the concrete or with any other construction material like paver block or bricks. To utilize material like marble powder bagasse ash and rice straw effectively the experimental study of Earth compressed bricks is conducted. This paper deals about the mechanical properties of earth compressed bricks which are made up of soil and the add-ons are marble powder, bagasse ash and rice straw fiber with different ratios of combination. This ratios are for marble powder 20%, 30% and 40%. for bagasse ash it is 7% 10% and 13% and for rice straw it is .5%, .75% and 1%. The compression property of bricks is increased when the marble powder is increased with less water absorption in soil because waste marble powder does not absorbs water and due to its fine partical size it fills the voids in the bricks and creates good packing of the bricks. Water is absorbed by Rice Straw and bagasse ash which results in increase of the water absorption capacity of earth compressed bricks.
Supplementary cementitious materials in concrete and associated structural and environmental benefits: A review
Authors: Firdous Mahapara , Singh Balwinder
Published: December 2021

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are the materials which can replace certain amount of cement in concrete. In this way, they not only enhance the properties of concrete but also assist in reducing several environment-related issues. This review article presents the various SCMs that have proven beneficial in replacing cement in concrete. In this regard, the various SCMs discussed are fly ash (FA), silica fume (SF), metakaolin (MK), limestone filler, granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) and nanoparticles (NPs). Further, among the various NPs, nano-TiO2 (NT) and its addition in concrete and benefits were explained briefly. This article also highlights the NT-based photocatalytic degradation of the various contaminants of the environmental media i.e., water and air. Subsequently, the emphasis was also given on the discussion of its practical usage and then the various structures, comprising NT, built all around the world were also presented. This article concluded that more comprehensive review articles need to be published to encourage the developing nations also adopt the NT-based concrete structures. In this way, impacts associated with the various air pollution sources i.e., stubble burning, vehicular pollution etc., can be mitigated.
Predictive Models for Bond Strength of Reinforced Concrete with the Application of ANN
Authors: Singh Priyanka , Bera Payel , Bhardwaj Saurav , Singh S K
Published: December 2021

The bond strength of grip b/w steel and concrete can be defined as the resistant to separating concrete or mortar from the reinforced bar. This bond strength is the most critical characteristic of reinforced-cement concrete. Structural performance depends upon this characteristic, especially in the failure phase. Bond strength is primarily dependable on many variables that affect this attribute. These variables include the diameter of the reinforced steel bar, bond extent, length to diameter ratio, cube compressive strength, concrete cover, cover to dimeter ratio, volume fraction and most importantly, different temperatures. Up to 150°C, there is no such change in bond strength of reinforcement concrete, but when the temperature rises beyond 150°C, it starts to decreasegradually. We have collected experimental data from the internationally published record. This study will see the change in bond strength at these temperature variations i.e., 200°C, 400°C, and 600°C. This observational study will represent a soft computing tool, i.e., an Artificial Neural network (ANN), to predict and measure the grip strength between concrete and steel bar at elevated temperatures. The bond strength of reinforced concrete has been predicted by using ANN Models. Data set based upon the different factor that affects the bond strength has been used as input for generating ANN model & ultimate bond strength of reinforced concrete has been used as output during the development of the ANN model. This model was then prepared to predict bond strength and affected by many input features and recorded a linear regression analysis. The predicted result then confirmed the accuracy and high estimation capability of the model.
Crop selection in dryland of North Lombok Regency: farmers search for more money and less risk
Authors: Sjah T , Budastra I , Tanaya I G L P , Halil
Published: December 2021

Dryland areas of North Lombok can be grown with a variety of crops and provide alternatives for farmers. This paper aims to: (1) identify farmer selection of crops in dryland areas of North Lombok Regency, Indonesia; (2) analyze farmer decisions in selecting the crops in the area. Results of this study can become the basis for developing agriculture in the area or other areas of similar conditions. Data were collected through surveys to sampled farmers in the dryland areas of North Lombok, with the focus of questions on farmer reasoning following their crop selection. Such an approach is guided by qualitative research principles, highlighting the importance of understanding and meaning of topics investigated. The surveys revealed that in dryland areas of North Lombok grew corn, rice (of dryland type), peanuts, long beans, chili, tomatoes, and cassava. Corn is a dominant crop among farmer choices. In their farming activities, farmers did not select soybean, one of the targeted crops. Farmer reasons behind crop selection directed to the conclusion that farmers in dryland areas of North Lombok are rational, in which they aim to generate high income from their activities and at the same time attempt to reduce risks associated with the chosen crops. This study results imply the importance of understanding the motivations of growers as the primary stakeholder in implementing farming.
Effectiveness of snap traps on capturing rodent and small mammals in rural area of two provinces (Yogyakarta and West Java) in Indonesia
Authors: Herawati N A , Purnawan T
Published: December 2021

The study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of snap traps on capturing the rodents and small mammals in two provinces (Yogyakarta and West Java). A small rural area surrounded by large scale ricecrops which indicate rodent damage seasonally was selected as the study site. The trappings were executed during the period of November 2018 – August 2020. Consecutive trappings were performed in two regions using snap traps baited with fresh salty fish and roasted coconut. Around 40-65 traps were set in West Java study sites and 60-65 traps in Yogyakarta for every single trap night, respectively. We checked the captured animals in the early morning and collected them for identification and sexing. In the late afternoon we continued with cleaning of the traps and put in the new same type of bait. A total of 517 animals were obtained with the proportion of the two sexes was almost the same (45.45% males:54.40% females). Based on the physical characteristics, those captured animals were three rodent species (Rattus argentiventer, Rattus tanezumi, Bandicota indica) and one species of insectivore (Suncus murinus). Regarding trapping rate of success, Yogyakarta denoted average values (21.38% in the first trapping and 26.04% from the second trapping) compared to West Java which was only accounted for half of them (11.31% and 11.24% from the first and second trapping, respectively). The heterogeneous habitat configuration probably allowed this situation to occur in Yogyakarta. Moreover, rodent control activities in West Java were implemented more intensively compared to Yogyakarta.
Analysis of leaf chlorophyll content of paddy plants during vegetative stage grown in soil media containing macroalgae organic fertilizer
Authors: Kurniawan N S H , Kirana I A P , Abidin A S , Jupri A , Widyastuti S , Hernawan A , Nikmatullah A , Sunarpi H , Prasedya E S
Published: December 2021

Chlorophyll is a green pigment in leaves that functions to absorb light energy for photosynthesis. The value of chlorophyll concentration in leaves indicates the health status of a plant and healthy plants will produce more fruit. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of chemical fertilizer (CF) and solid algae fertilizer (SAF) with different doses on the concentration of chlorophyll in paddy leaves. This research is important to do to determine the potential of macroalgae in reducing the dose of chemical fertilizer use in agricultural activities. In this study, paddy plants were given four different treatments, namely control (without CF and SAF); 100% chemical fertilizer (CF); 100% solid algae fertilizer (SAF); 50% chemical fertilizers and 50% solid algae fertilizers (CF+SAF). Each treatment consisted of ten pots. The results showed that the administration of SAF in the form of a combination of SAF 50% and CF 50% had a significant effect on the increase of chlorophyll b content of the leaves of paddy plants. However, there were no significant difference in chlorophyll a content between CF and CF+SAF group. Current results show that addition of SAF could potentially increase growth quality in paddy plants due to the increase of chlorophyll b content which absorbs higher frequency of blue light for photosynthesis.
Multi-response optimization of cellulose fiber isolation from tapioca solid waste and its characteristics
Authors: Arnata I W , Harsojuwono B A , Hartiati A , Gunam I B W , Anggreni A A M D , Sartika D
Published: December 2021

The tapioca-based starch industry produces solid waste in abundance that has not been used optimally, especially the cellulose fraction. This study aimed to optimize the H2O2 concentration and the process temperature of cellulose fiber isolation from tapioca solid waste. Statistical regression modeling and optimization of H2O2 concentration and process temperature using the response surface methodology. A central composite design (CCD) was applied for experimental design and analysis of the effect of H2O2 concentration and process temperature on multi-response characteristics of cellulose, consisting of whiteness index (WI), yield, and α-cellulose content. Cellulose fibers were characterized, including surface morphology, crystallinity degree, and thermal stability. The results showed that the H2O2 concentration and process temperature were significantly affected by WI, yield, and α-cellulose content. The maximum WI, yield, and α-cellulose content were 63.99%, 65.73% (w/w), and 78.31% (w/w), respectively, obtained from H2O2 concentration of 22.62% (v/v) and process temperature of 93.51ºC. This cellulose has a relatively coarse fiber formation, with a high degree of crystallinity and thermal stability. Thus, cellulose from TSW might have a potential to be applied in broader fields.
Effect of antimicrobial addition from lime extract on edible film as food packaging
Authors: Pudjiastuti L , Sugianto N N , Hamzah A , Zuchrillah D R , Puspita N F , Rosalya A
Published: December 2021

Edible film from cassava starch was successfully synthesized. It was equipped with antimicrobials created from glycerol and lime extract. In this study, edible film will be utilized as food packaging. It was easily produced through simple methods. Cassava starch was mixed with glycerol and lime extract in various concentrations. The effect of dosage concentration of lime extract was studied. The thickness of film, moisture content, swelling degree, solubility, water vapor transmission and biodegradability were also studied. Edible film obtained at 0.25 mm of thickness, the swelling degree did not reach 2%. The biodegradability for seven days was only at 60%. This edible film can be viable option as food packaging
Evaluation antioxidant capacity and proximate composition in brown seaweed S. crassifolium found in Lombok coast, Indonesia
Authors: Ardiana N , Abidin A S , Ilhami B T K , Sunarwidhi A L , Widyastuti S , Sunarpi H , Prasedya E S
Published: December 2021

Seaweed is one of the marine-biota that is widely known for its uses, one of them is in the food functional. Functional food is a program that promotes a healthy diet so that it can prevent a disease when consuming food. With functional food, daily eating patterns can be maintained and also the content of the food consumed daily has a good effect on the body. It is known that in seaweed, especially brown algae (S. crassifolium), it contains antioxidants and other compounds that are good for the health. In this study, phytochemical content and proximate composition was evaluated in S. crassifolium. Including total flavonoid content and total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity both of DPPH and ABTS assay used three type of solvents such as Ethanol, n-Hexana, and ethyl acetate for comparable the best solvents. Also, proximate analysis to determine the content of moisture content, crude fat content, crude protein content, and carbohydrates content. The results showed that n-Hexana and ethyl acetate solvents were significantly than ethanol. Which mean both of them had highest values of total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity of DPPH radical scavenging activity and ABTS radical scavenging activity. The results of chemical composition in proximate compounds showed that S. crassifolium was suitable to be candidate of functional food.