bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soils and Beyond: Optimizing Sustainability Opportunities for Biochar
Authors: Gelardi Danielle L. , Parikh Sanjai J.
Published: September 2021

Biochar is most commonly considered for its use as a soil amendment, where it has gained attention for its potential to improve agricultural production and soil health. Twenty years of near exponential growth in investigation has demonstrated that biochar does not consistently deliver these benefits, due to variables in biochar, soil, climate, and cropping systems. While biochar can provide agronomic improvements in marginal soils, it is less likely to do so in temperate climates and fertile soils. Here, biochar and its coproducts may be better utilized for contaminant remediation or the substitution of nonrenewable or mining-intensive materials. The carbon sequestration function of biochar, via conversion of biomass to stable forms of carbon, does not depend on its incorporation into soil. To aid in the sustainable production and use of biochar, we offer two conceptual decision trees, and ask: What do we currently know about biochar? What are the critical gaps in knowledge? How should the scientific community move forward? Thoughtful answers to these questions can push biochar research towards more critical, mechanistic investigations, and guide the public in the smart, efficient use of biochar which extracts maximized benefits for variable uses, and optimizes its potential to enhance agricultural and environmental sustainability.
Analysis of Crash Frequency and Crash Severity in Thailand: Hierarchical Structure Models Approach
Authors: Champahom Thanapong , Jomnonkwao Sajjakaj , Banyong Chinnakrit , Nambulee Watanya , Karoonsoontawong Ampol , Ratanavaraha Vatanavongs
Published: September 2021

Currently, research on the development of crash models in terms of crash frequency on road segments and crash severity applies the principles of spatial analysis and heterogeneity due to the methods’ suitability compared with traditional models. This study focuses on crash severity and frequency in Thailand. Moreover, this study aims to understand crash frequency and fatality. The result of the intra-class correlation coefficient found that the spatial approach should analyze the data. The crash frequency model’s best fit is a spatial zero-inflated negative binomial model (SZINB). The results of the random parameters of SZINB are insignificant, except for the intercept. The crash frequency model’s significant variables include the length of the segment and average annual traffic volume for the fixed parameters. Conversely, the study finds that the best fit model of crash severity is a logistic regression with spatial correlations. The variances of random effect are significant such as the intersection, sideswipe crash, and head-on crash. Meanwhile, the fixed-effect variables significant to fatality risk include motorcycles, gender, non-use of safety equipment, and nighttime collision. The paper proposes a policy applicable to agencies responsible for driver training, law enforcement, and those involved in crash-reduction campaigns.
Preface to “Advances in Sustainable River Management: Reconciling Conflicting Interests under Climate Extremes’’
Authors: Wałęga Andrzej , Kuriqi Alban
Published: September 2021

Safeguarding optimal living conditions for aquatic organisms is one of the most important principles of sustainable water management [...]
A Study of the Mechanism of Community Participation in Resilient Governance of National Parks: With Wuyishan National Park as a Case
Authors: Chen Shuiguang , Sun Xiaoxia , Su Shipeng
Published: September 2021

A community can serve as a force that pushes national parks to realize sustainable development, while community participation is critical to the relationship between national park protection and community development. Therefore, the present study explored the community’s participation in the construction of Wuyishan National Park (hereinafter referred to as the Park) by means of case analysis and qualitative research. The research outcomes showed that the community’s participation was led by the authorities, which is a typical example of “passive participation”. In addition, the governing body of the Park and its communities did not form a sound organization that enabled them to manage and protect the Park in concerted efforts. In other words, they did not work well together, and had not yet established an effective community participation mechanism. Moreover, there were three major problems about the community’s participation in the Park’s governance: The community lacked the ability to take part in it, its participation took limited forms, and it displayed little initiative in the participation. To solve these problems, the present research proposes four mechanisms to improve community participation regarding technological, structural, social, and institutional resilience, i.e., intelligent guidance mechanism, nested organization mechanism, social mobilization mechanism, and institutional guarantee mechanism, respectively.
Shifting the Balance among the ‘Three Rs of Sustainability:’ What Motivates Reducing and Reusing?
Authors: Leslie Carrie M. , Strand Alva I. , Ross Elizabeth A. , Ramos Giovanni Tolentino , Bridge Eli S. , Chilson Phillip B. , Anderson Christopher E.
Published: September 2021

The “Three Rs of Sustainability—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” are central tenets of many community waste-management programs promoting responsible use of natural resources and ecosystem services. Over the past few decades, recycling has become widespread, but monetary and energy expenditures required to transport and transform waste materials have led to downsizing of recycling programs globally and in the U.S. This trend increases the need for effective reducing and reusing practices as alternatives to recycling. Using a survey experiment to examine motivations that underlie reducing and reusing behaviors, individuals reported their current reducing, reusing, and recycling practices. Respondents then were provided with three hypothetical scenarios that described (1) an external waste-management threat to public well-being, (2) social/peer pressure from family and friends towards sustainable decision-making, and (3) increased convenience of reusing and reducing practices. These messages reflect previously identified RRR motivations. After the scenarios, the questions regarding recycling, reducing, and reusing behavior were presented again to test for changes in the responses. All three scenarios were effective in increasing intended reducing and reusing behavior. The threat scenario was slightly more effective than the others, particularly among individuals who reported behavior with considerable recycling practices but not as much reducing and reusing.
Using Probability Distributions for Projecting Changes in Travel Behavior
Authors: Radke Andreas , Heinrichs Matthias
Published: September 2021

Mobility is a must for human life on this planet, because important activities like working or shopping cannot be done from home for everyone. Present modes of transports contributes significantly to green house gas emissions while the efforts to reduce these emissions can be improved in many countries. Pathways to a more sustainable form of mobility can be modelled using travel demand models to aid decision makers. However, to project human behavior into the future one should analyze the changes in the past to understand the drivers in mobility change. Mobility surveys provide sets of activity diaries, which show changes in travel behavior over time. Those activity diaries are one of the inputs in activity-based demand generation models like travel activity pattern simulation (TAPAS). This paper shows a method of using probability distributions between person and diary groups. It offers an opportunity for an increased heterogeneity in travel behavior without sacrificing too much accuracy. Additionally it will present the use case of temporal back- and forecasting of changes in activity choices of existing mobility survey data. The results show the possibilities within this approach together with its limits and pitfalls.
Does the Digital Economy Promote Industrial Structural Upgrading?—A Test of Mediating Effects Based on Heterogeneous Technological Innovation
Authors: Su Jinqi , Su Ke , Wang Shubin
Published: September 2021

This paper proves that the development of the digital economy has become a new vector to promote the upgrading of China’s industrial structure. In addition, heterogeneous technological innovation plays an intermediary role in the promotion of the industrial structure by the digital economy. This study aims to solve the following: whether the development level of the digital economy is positively promoting the upgrading of the industrial structure; whether technological innovation can promote the upgrading of the industrial structure; the path of the digital economy through which to promote the upgrading of the industrial structure and the heterogeneity of this path. The purpose of this study was to verify the digital economy and scientific and technological innovation to promote the upgrading of the industrial structure and the reality of the realization path; and to solve the problem of insufficient power for upgrading China’s regional industrial structure against the background of the impact of the new generation of information technology. This study mainly adopted comprehensive evaluation and multivariate statistical analysis methods. The statistical basis for the study was data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2013 to 2018. The results confirm the hypothesis that the development of the digital economy and scientific and technological innovation have a positive role in promoting the upgrading of the industrial structure, and also prove that the intermediary role of heterogeneous technological innovation is crucial in the process of the digital economy promoting industrial upgrading. This conclusion can further give play to the role of the digital economy in promoting industrial structure upgrading, build a clean and intelligent industrial chain, solve the root cause of the lack of new drivers for China’s industrial upgrading, and help to form a new development pattern of domestic and international double circulation, so as to achieve the high-quality and sustainable development of China’s economy.
Occupational Safety Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Farmers in Northern Nigeria during Pesticide Application—A Case Study
Authors: Nwadike Christopher , Joshua Victoria Ibukun , Doka Paulina J. S. , Ajaj Rahaf , Abubakar Hashidu Ummu , Gwary-Moda Sajoh , Danjin Mela , Moda Haruna Musa
Published: September 2021

Pesticides are known human and environmental toxicants, with an estimated 3 million cases of pesticide poisoning happening every year globally, resulting in more than 250,000 deaths. According to the existing literature, different pesticides groups are readily used among farmers in Nigeria. With recent developments around commercial farming, crop damage from pests, etc., this has led to higher consumption of pesticides among the farming community. The lack of product knowledge and safety awareness among this group further exposes them to the effects of pesticides. The study aims to measure Northern Nigerian farmers’ safety knowledge, awareness, and practices related to pesticide application. A cross-sectional study using an online survey questionnaire was adopted to generate responses from 524 farmers across the north-central and northeastern region of the country. Farmers’ attitudes towards pesticide use were driven by high crop yield, as 35.4% strongly agree that pesticide use is indispensable for high crop yield. The frequent use of empty pesticide containers for other secondary uses on the farm or at home, as confirmed by 30.6% of the participants, also presents safety and health concerns. Farmers’ age (p > 0.038) influenced pesticide containers use for other secondary purposes. In contrast, education attainment (p < 0.001) significantly influenced the use of pesticide containers for other farm or domestic uses. Farmers’ safety behaviours are influenced by socioeconomic factors, including educational level, age, and years of farm practice experience. The study concludes on the need to develop an approach that will help strengthen capacity-building programmes and enhance knowledge base initiatives around the adoption of non-synthetic pesticides.
Preliminary Assessment of the Geological and Mining Heritage of the Golden Quadrilateral (Metaliferi Mountains, Romania) as a Potential Geotourism Destination
Authors: Milu Viorica
Published: September 2021

The Metaliferi Mountains (Western Romania) are known worldwide as the richest gold region in Romania and hosts for numerous porphyry and epithermal deposits. In these mountains, mining for gold dates back to Roman and even pre-Roman times. The Golden Quadrilateral constitutes a remarkable example of an area having a significant geological and mining heritage. The main purposes of this work are to emphasize this heritage, to present, for the first time, an assessment of the geological and mining heritage of the Golden Quadrilateral as a possible geotourism destination, and to point out the important role that geotourism could have in the sustainable development of local communities. To achieve our goals, the features of thirteen sites are presented, and two geotourism itineraries are proposed. A quantitative assessment of the geosites’ capacity to support scientific, educational, and geotourism/recreational uses indicates that the Golden Quadrilateral presents a high potential not only for scientific studies but, also, for enhancement of the public understanding of science; geotourism could be part of the development strategy of rural areas. The two museums (Gold Museum and Gold Mining Museum) can have an important contribution both to the geo-education of visitors and in promoting the sustainable development of the region.
The Impact of Technological Innovation on Industry 4.0 Implementation and Sustainability: An Empirical Study on Malaysian Small and Medium Sized Enterprises
Authors: Jayashree Sreenivasan , Hassan Reza Mohammad Nurul , Malarvizhi Chinnasamy Agamudai Nambi , Maheswari Hesti , Hosseini Zohre , Kasim Azilah
Published: September 2021

Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the pillars on which most of the economies worldwide rest. Without the support of qualified technological innovation, it will be very difficult for SMEs’ performance to improve and impossible for them to reach their sustainability goals. Small businesses should therefore be encouraged to embrace the next technological frontier, Industry 4.0 (I4.0). The main purpose of this research is to understand the relationship between the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainability goals, along with an analysis of how innovation characteristics make implementing I4.0 easier for small businesses. To answer the research questions and analyse the high complex data, this research performed a structural equation model by using AMOS software. The results indicated that technology innovation characteristics have a positive significant effect on I4.0 implementation and sustainability goals. However, effective implementation of I4.0 mediates between the relationship of innovation characteristics and sustainability goals, except observability. The implications of this research are that SMEs should develop effective I4.0, implement it, and build innovation characteristics to reach sustainability goals.
Synthesis and Evaluation of C2-Symmetric SPIROL-Based bis-Oxazoline Ligands
Authors: Sun Siyuan , Diaz Nicolas A. , Nagorny Pavel
Published: September 2021

This communication describes the synthesis of new bis-oxazoline chiral ligands (SPIROX) derived from the C2-symmetric spirocyclic scaffold (SPIROL). The readily available (R,R,R)-SPIROL (2) previously developed by our group was subjected to a three-step sequence that provided key diacid intermediate (R,R,R)-7 in 75% yield. This intermediate was subsequently coupled with (R)- and (S)-phenylglycinols to provide diastereomeric products, the cyclization of which led to two diastereomeric SPIROX ligands (R,R,R,R,R)-3a and (R,R,R,S,S)-3b in 85% and 79% yield, respectively. The complexation of (R,R,R,R,R)-3a and (R,R,R,S,S)-3b with CuCl and Cu(OTf)2 resulted in active catalysts that promoted the asymmetric reaction of α-diazopropionate and phenol. The resultant O–H insertion product was formed in 88% yield, and with excellent selectivity (97% ee) when ligand (R,R,R,R,R)-3a was used.
Properties of Doubly Heavy Baryons
Authors: Shah Zalak , Kakadiya Amee , Gandhi Keval , Rai Ajay Kumar
Published: September 2021

We revisited the mass spectra of the Ξcc++ baryon with positive and negative parity states using Hypercentral Constituent Quark Model Scheme with Coloumb plus screened potential. The ground state of the baryon has been determined by the LHCb experiment, and the anticipated excited state masses of the baryon have been compared with several theoretical methodologies. The transition magnetic moments of all heavy baryons Ξcc++, Ξcc+, Ωcc+, Ξbb0, Ξbb−, Ωbb−, Ξbc+, Ξbc0, Ωbc0 are also calculated and their values are −1.013 μN, 1.048 μN, 0.961 μN, −1.69 μN, 0.73 μN, 0.48 μN, −1.39 μN, 0.94 μN and 0.710 μN, respectively.
Field Study on Wood Accumulation at a Bridge Pier
Authors: Wyss Andris , Schalko Isabella , Weitbrecht Volker
Published: September 2021

Transported large wood (LW) in rivers may block at river infrastructures such as bridge piers and pose an additional flood hazard. An improved process understanding of LW accumulations at bridge piers is essential for a flood risk assessment. Therefore, we conducted a field study at the River Glatt in Zurich (Switzerland) to analyze the LW accumulation process of single logs at a circular bridge pier and to evaluate the results of previous flume experiments with respect to potential scale effects. The field test demonstrated that the LW accumulation process can be described by an impact, rotation, and separation phase. The LW accumulation was described by combining two simplified equilibria of acting forces and moments, which are mainly a function of the pier diameter, pier roughness, and flow properties. We applied the resulting analytic criterion to the field data and demonstrated that the criterion can explain the behavior of 82% of the logs. In general, the field observations confirmed previous results on the LW accumulation probability in the laboratory, which supports the applicability of laboratory studies to investigate LW–structure interactions.
Impact of Chitosan Pretreatment to Reduce Microfibers Released from Synthetic Garments during Laundering
Authors: Kang Heejun , Park Saerom , Lee Bokjin , Ahn Jaehwan , Kim Seogku
Published: September 2021

Sewage treatment can remove more than 90% of microplastics, yet large amounts of microplastics are discharged into the ocean. Because microfibers (MFs), primarily generated from the washing of synthetic clothes, are the most abundant type of microplastics among various microplastics detected in the sewage treatment, reducing the amount of MFs entering these treatment plants is necessary. This study aimed to test whether the amount of MFs released from the washing process can be reduced by applying a chitosan pretreatment to the garments before washing. Before the chitosan pretreatment, the polyester clothes released 148 MFs/L, whereas 95% of MFs were reduced after the chitosan pretreatment with 0.7% of chitosan solution. The chitosan pretreatment was applied to other types of garments, such as polyamide and acrylic garments, by treating them with 0.7% of chitosan solution; subsequently, MFs reduced by 48% and 49%, respectively. A morphology analysis conducted after washing revealed that chitosan coating on the polyamide and acrylic were more damaged than on polyester, suggesting that the binding strength of polyamide and acrylic with chitosan was weaker than that of polyester garment. Thus, the results suggested that the chitosan pretreatment might be a promising solution for reducing the amount of MFs generated in the laundering process.
Calidad de vida relacionada a la salud en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica en Pereira, Colombia
Authors: Osuna-Julio Darys Luz , Estrada-Álvarez Jorge Mario , Araya-Marín María Camila , Meléndez-Puchana Leslie Alexandra , Pérez-Rendón Angela Liceth
Published: September 2021

La Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica (EPOC) se caracteriza por limitación crónica al flujo aéreo con cambios patológicos pulmonares y significativos cambios extrapulmonares ocasionando importantes cambios en la calidad de vida de quien la padece. Objetivo: describir la calidad de vida relacionada a la salud (CVRS) en pacientes con EPOC que asisten a consulta en un centro de atención primaria en la ciudad de Pereira, Colombia. Materiales y método: se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal que incluyó a 43 pacientes de ambos sexos con 40 años de edad o más, con diagnóstico confirmado de EPOC, que asistieron a consulta en un centro de atención primaria de la ciudad de Pereira entre junio a diciembre del 2019 y cumplieron criterios de inclusión; se evaluó CVRS mediante el cuestionario Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire. Resultados: la caracterización sociodemográfica de los pacientes reportó edades promedio 67,8 ±7,8 años, y el género que predominó fue el masculino con un 67,4%. El puntaje total del cuestionario en CVRS, tuvo como mediana para el grupo de estudio de 4,9 (Irq, ±1,1). No hubo diferencias significativas por sexo ni edad. La disnea fue la dimensión con menor puntaje, comparativamente con las demás dimensiones del cuestionario. Conclusión: la Disnea es el principal síntoma con mayor impacto en las actividades de la vida cotidiana de los pacientes e induce a la sensación de fatiga y agrava la percepción del impacto de la enfermedad en sus vidas.
Design and optimization of acoustic liners with a shear grazing flow: OPAL software platform applications
Authors: Roncen Remi , Vuillemin Pierre , Klotz Patricia , Simon Frank , Méry Fabien , Sebbane Delphine , Piot Estelle
Published: September 2021

In the context of noise reduction in diverse applications where a shear grazing flow is present (i.e., engine nacelle, jet pump, landing gear), improved acoustic liner solutions are being sought. This is particularly true in the low-frequency regime, where space constraints currently
limit the efficiency of classic liner technology. To perform the required multi-objective optimization of complex meta-surface liner candidates, a software platform called OPAL was developed. Its first goal is to allow the user to assemble a large panel of parallel/serial assembly of unit
acoustic elements, including the recent concept of LEONAR materials. Then, the physical properties of this liner can be optimized, relatively to given weighted objectives (noise reduction, total size of the sample, weight), for a given configuration. Alternatively, properties such as the different
impedances of liner unit surfaces can be optimized. To accelerate the process, different nested levels of optimization are considered, from 0D analytical coarse designs in order to reduce the parameter space, up to 2D plan or axisymmetric high-order Discontinuous Galerkin resolution of the
Linearized Euler Equations. The presentation will focus on the different aspects of liner design considered in OPAL, and present an application on different samples made for a small scale aeroacoustic bench.
Community noise from urban air mobility (UAM) and its control by traffic management
Authors: Bauer Michael
Published: September 2021

The awareness about UAM is amplified by steadily growing numbers of air taxi concepts being announced. In general environmentally friendly by electric propulsion, community noise and en-route noise are still prominent open questions. Several studies for larger UAM aircraft, describing
the acoustic characteristics of a variety of potential air taxi concepts, have been performed by the author. Due to the abovementioned multitude of different vehicle concepts and their multiple operational conditions, each of them shows individual sound characteristics. Therefore, further
investigations of noise created by air taxi fleets appear to be crucial. Understanding of community noise around vertiports and along air taxi routes will strongly depend on those fleets. In this paper, acoustically different air taxi systems are composing different sets of air taxi fleets,
used for air traffic noise simulations. The simulations start with baseline scenarios of equally represented taxi systems on fixed flight paths with several flight levels in a certain air lane. The final fleets are consisting of random air taxi composition with randomly populated flight paths.
The results, based on common noise metrics and changes in the number of affected residents, could provide a first indication how to reduce community noise by future UAM traffic management.
Experimental investigation on acoustics and efficiency of rotor configurations for electric aerial vehicles
Authors: König Ronja , Gerlach André , Schmidt Henry , Stumpf Eike
Published: September 2021

Aerial vehicles based on distributed electric propulsion systems have gained great interest. Their rotors however create loud and annoying sound, what obstructs market success. Variations in rotor configuration can be observed on emerging concepts, whereby the main varied parameters
are blade radius, number of blades and blade distribution. The focus of this paper is to identify how these parameters can be chosen to optimize efficiency and acoustics, including psychoacoustic metrics and sound quality of single rotors while hovering. Results from experimental investigations
done in a hover-test-bench are presented. Rectangular, symmetric blades are used. Experiments are done varying blade radius (61mm to 126 mm), number of blades (2 to 8) and blade distribution (equal and unequal angles). Acoustic measurements are analyzed regarding microphone position, sound
pressure level, spectral characteristics, psychoacoustic metrics and selected sound quality models. Results show, that variations in blade radius, number of blades and blade distribution can improve efficiency and acoustics. Influence of these parameters on the acoustic signature at constant
rotational speed and at constant thrust is discussed. Conclusions for optimized rotor design at aerial vehicles are derived and supplemented by resulting boundary conditions like building space and weight.
Characterization of multi-layer porous media in an impedance tube
Authors: Roncen Remi , Fellah Zine El Abiddine , Ogam Erick
Published: September 2021

A porous material is the combination of a solid phase and a fluid phase, with interactions and energy exchanges between phases giving rise to the dissipation of waves traveling through the porous medium. In air, mostly viscous effects and thermal effects are responsible for dissipation,
in a way that strongly depends on the pore microstructure. To evaluate the intrinsic properties pertaining to this microstructure, inverse acoustic methods have been used in the past, typically using impedance tubes to observe the way a porous sample interacts with an acoustic field. The impedance
tube is a widespread tool in the acoustic community and has proven to be efficient in retrieving, via an inverse method, porous material intrinsic properties such as the porosity or the tortuosity of a sample. In this work, a Bayesian representation of knowledge is taken, where information
on a material property is encoded in a probability density function. When multi-layer materials are considered, classical inverse methods become ill-posed and it might become impossible to retrieve exactly each layer's intrinsic properties. This work presents two straightforward improvements
that can be used in order to lift this ill-posedness and increase the precision with which material properties are obtained.
Two-dimensional finite difference-time domain analysis of focus boom noise with velocity disturbance in the atmosphere
Authors: Tsuchiya Takao , Kanamori Masashi
Published: September 2021

In this paper, two-dimensional linear sound wave analysis in the stratified atmosphere with temperature gradient and velocity disturbance is numerically applied to the analysis and prediction of focus boom noise. Focus boom occurs when a supersonic transport accelerates or ascent or
descent maneuvers at supersonic speed. Its overpressure is typically more than three times greater than that of a cruise sonic boom. As a result, supersonic transports in future commercial operation are likely to face restrictions on their flight conditions. The compact-explicit finite difference-time
domain method is applied to the analysis of two-dimensional linear sound wave propagation. Some numerical experiments are carried out for the case of acceleration. As a result, it is shown that the complex wavefront is accurately analyzed by the FDTD method compared with the ray tracing method.
It is also shown that a noise disturbed by velocity disturbance in the atmosphere reaches the ground over a wider area than the focus boom in the no disturbance case.
Uncertainty of sound power measurements of a reference sound source using the AHRI Standard 230 sound intensity method
Authors: Eichelberger Curtis , Bauch Paul
Published: September 2021

The uncertainty of determining the sound power of HVAC equipment using the AHRI Standard 230 sound intensity measurement method is presented. Measurements of six different reference sound sources (RSS) at four different laboratories, by nineteen different individuals with four different
instrumentation systems are presented. From 2004 through 2020, these measurements were performed as part of a training program at Johnson Controls HVAC test laboratories to qualify technicians and engineers on the use of sound intensity instrumentation. The results illustrate the reproducibility
of sound intensity measurements using the scanning method of AHRI Standard 230.
Optimization of Damping Configurations in a Plate Embedded with ABH Array
Authors: Liang Haoming , Bao Yue , Liu Xiandong , Shan Yingchun , He Tian
Published: September 2021

Owing to its broadband and lightweight features, the Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) effect has attracted increasing interests in the structural dynamics and vibration-acoustic communities in recent years. And damping material is essential to achieve effective ABH phenomena. To explore effective
vibration and noise control in thin-walled structures such as vehicle body panel using ABH effect, aiming at the plate embedded with two-dimensional ABH array, this paper investigates the coupling between ABH structure and damping material. First, the energy dissipation mechanism of viscoelastic
damping material is analyzed to obtain the deformation characteristic that leads to effective energy dissipation. Next, the bending deflection of a plate with a single ABH under harmonic excitation is investigated, and the damping material configuration is optimized to obtain an optimal vibration
suppression. Finally, the above-mentioned configuration is applied to a plate embedded with the ABH array and compared with the conventional damping arranging method. And the advantages of this damping material configuration scheme in vibration and noise control are investigated and summarized.
This paper provides a reference for the damping material configuration and optimization of the thin plates embedded with ABHs.
Design and simulation of Helmholtz resonator assembly used to attenuate tire acoustic cavity resonance noise
Authors: Zhao Wei , Liu Xiandong , Shan Yingchun , He Tian
Published: September 2021

Tire acoustic cavity resonance noise (TACRN) is a typical annoying lower-frequency interior noise of a passenger car. The widely used attenuating method of attaching the porous sound absorption material in tire cavity can reduce TACRN effectively, but causes the increase of tire-wheel
assembly weight and cost, also the poor durability. Additionally, the Helmholtz resonator (HR) is also used in the wheel of some cars although having only narrow effective band. The existing investigation shows that the frequency of TACRN varies with the car speed and load and also has the
split characteristics. The change of TACRN frequency causes a certain difficulty to suppress TACRN effectively. Aiming at this problem, in this paper, TACRN frequency range of a specific tire cavity under different operating conditions is first calculated and analyzed. Then, for a specific
aluminum alloy wheel, a HR assembly including several HRs is designed to make the natural frequencies of HR assembly cover the TACRN frequencies. Finally, the reduction effect of TACRN is simulated and evaluated by comparing the sound fields in tire cavity with/without HR assembly under same
volume velocity sound source. This work is helpful for attenuating TACRN effectively under the changing operating conditions.
NEMO project: acoustic detection of vehicle engine speed
Authors: Berge Truls , Henriksen Viggo
Published: September 2021

As part of the EU Horizon2020 project NEMO, SINTEF has developed an algorithm to detect the engine speed of passing vehicles. Some road vehicles can emit abnormal high noise levels or high levels of exhaust gases in urban conditions. The high noise level can be related to aggressive
driving (high acceleration and high engine speed), to a modified or malfunctioning exhaust system, or to other vehicle defects. It is well-known that many motorcycles or mopeds often are equipped with non-original exhaust mufflers, giving high noise levels that can be a nuisance to the community.
In the NEMO project, the detecting of so-called high emitters (HE) is essential to reduce the impact of such vehicles on the environment and public health. To enable to categorize HE vehicle based on the driving behaviour, it is necessary to detect both acceleration and corresponding engine
speed. The paper describes the principle of the algorithm developed and results from testing on vehicles, including a motorcycle. This test shows that it is feasible to estimate the engine speed, also when the vehicle is accelerating, if the number of cylinders is available for the estimation.
Further testing of the algorithm is planned within the NEMO project.
An interdisciplinary sound classification framework for environmental sound design
Authors: Kitapci Kivanc , Ozdemir Dogukan
Published: September 2021

One of the objectives of architectural design is to create multi-sensory environments. The users are under the influence of a wide variety and intense perceptual data flow when users experience a designed space. Architects and environmental designers should not ignore the sense of hearing,
one of the most important of the five primitive senses that allow us to experience the physical environment within the framework of creative thinking from the first stage of the design process. Today, auditory analysis of spaces has been studied under architectural acoustics, soundscapes,
multi-sensory interactions, and sense of place. However, the current sound design methods implemented in the film and video game industries and industrial design have not been used in architectural design practices. Sound design is the art and application of making soundtracks in various disciplines
and it involves recognizing, acquiring, or developing of auditory components. This research aims to establish a holistic architectural sound design framework based on the previous sound classification and taxonomic models found in the literature. The proposed sound design framework will help
the architects and environmental designers classify the sound elements in the built environment and provide holistic environmental sound design guidelines depending on the spaces' functions and context.
MOSQITO: an open-source and free toolbox for sound quality metrics in the industry and education
Authors: San Millán-Castillo Roberto , Latorre-Iglesias Eduardo , Glesser Martin , Wanty Salomé , Jiménez-Caminero Daniel , Álvarez-Jimeno José María
Published: September 2021

Sound quality metrics provide an objective assessment of the psychoacoustics of sounds. A wide range of metrics has been already standardised while others remain as active research topics. Calculation algorithms are available in commercial equipment or Matlab scripts. However, they
may not present available data on general documentation and validation procedures. Moreover, the use of these tools might be unaffordable for some students and independent researchers. In recent years, the scientific and technical community has been developing uncountable open-source software
projects in several knowledge fields. The permission to use, study, modify, improve and distribute open-source software make it extremely valuable. It encourages collaboration and sharing, and thus transparency and continuous improvement of the coding. Modular Sound Quality Integrated Toolbox
(MOSQITO) project relies on one of the most popular high-level and free programming languages: Python. The main objective of MOSQITO is to provide a unified and modular framework of key sound quality and psychoacoustics metrics, free and open-source, which supports reproducible testing. Moreover,
open-source projects can be efficient learning tools at University degrees. This paper presents the current structure of the toolbox from a technical point of view. Besides, it discusses open-source development contributions to graduates training.
Temperature influence on tire/road noise measurements: recently collected data and discussion of various issues related to standard testing procedures
Authors: Bühlmann Erik , Schlatter Felix , Sandberg Ulf
Published: September 2021

Air, road, and tire temperatures substantially affect tire/road noise emission. For measuring purposes, one would like to normalize measurements to a reference temperature by means of a reliable correction procedure. Current studies show that temperature effects remain an important
source of uncertainty in tire/road noise measurements and tire testing, even after applying the correction terms provided in the various standards. This seems to be the case for the measurement methods used in OBSI, CPX, SPB, and various regulations or directives based on ECE R117. This paper
examines a new dataset consisting of 7.5 million temperature measurements aimed at contributing to a better understanding of temperature effects and the ways they relate to air, road, and tire temperatures. It is assumed that tire temperatures are the most relevant for noise corrections; therefore,
special studies are made for how tire temperatures relate to air and road (test surface) temperatures. A profound analysis is provided on how these relationships vary over different day times, seasons, and climatic regions. Based on this analysis, the authors provide suggestions for improvement
of temperature normalization in current tire/road noise and tire testing standards. Special considerations are devoted to measurements on test tracks having ISO 10844 reference surfaces.
Relation between soundscape and spatial configuration in different urban contexts
Authors: Okba Benameur , Cutini Valerio , Leccese Francesco , Salvadori Giacomo , Zemmouri Noureddine
Published: September 2021

During the last decade, the problem of noise pollution has continued to increase in Europe as well as in under-developed countries. This issue is stressed in city centers, owing to the abundance of residential activities, vehicle traffic and multiple services. This study investigates
the relationship between urban spatial configuration and environment soundscape in two different areas: Pisa historic center, Italy and Biskra downtown, Algeria, using the potential of Space Syntax theory in predicting noise levels distribution. For this analysis, thirty stations of measurements
were held in each area during day time using a Sound Level Meter. A Noise map was modeled using the interpolation tool provided by a Geographic Information System program, while the collected data were correlated with the Angular Segment Analysis variables. The findings reveal a close relationship
between the sound levels obtained and Space Syntax theory global and local indexes such as Normalized Choice and Integration, which signifies the ability of the approach in describing the sound phenomenon in different urban contexts.
Predicting robust complete and full band gaps in three-dimensional frame structures
Authors: Marra da Silva Ribeiro Luiz Henrique , Dal Poggetto Vinícius Fonseca , Beli Danilo , Todorovic Fabro Adriano , de França Arruda José Roberto
Published: September 2021

Vibration can cause structural damage in dynamic systems when not designed properly. Recently, several approaches are emerging in structural dynamics as possible alternatives for passive vibration and noise control, such as phononic crystals and metamaterials. In this work, a three-dimensional
frame that presents intersection of longitudinal, flexural and torsional band gaps is investigated. For periodic structures, the Irreducible Brillion Zone (IBZ) gives information for any possible angle of propagation of a wave. The manufacturing process induces variability along each three-dimensional
frame element. The present study verifies the robustness of the band gaps of the three-dimensional structure against spatially varying geometry and mechanical properties. The spatial random fields are modeled using the expansion optimal linear estimator (EOLE). Bayesian statistics is used
to infer on the stochastic response simulated using the Monte Carlo method combined with the EOLE. The three-dimensional frame is modeled via Euler-Bernoulli beam and ordinary shaft theories as well as with Timoshenko and Saint-Venant theories. It is shown that the three-dimensional frame
structure exhibits a complete (for all waves) and full (throughout the IBZ) robust band gap against the proposed variability. Both models are able to predict this robust band gap.
Sub-array equalization technique for the parametric array loudspeaker to reduce nonlinear distortion
Authors: Zhang Chi , Ren Jing , Shi Chuang
Published: September 2021

The parametric array loudspeaker (PAL) is a directional loudspeaker which uses the nonlinear acoustic effect, namely the parametric array, to produce an audio beam from narrow ultrasonic beams. The PAL can efficiently deliver audible information, without generating noise to the surroundings.
One significant drawback of the PAL is the nonlinear distortion. Therefore, many sophisticated methods have been proposed to preprocess the input signal of the PAL. However, those methods usually request a flat frequency response of the ultrasonic transducer array (UTA). In the past, equalization
has been tried out for the whole UTA, but the performance was sometimes not satisfactory due to the inconsistent productions of ultrasonic transducers. This paper proposes to group the ultrasonic transducers by their impedances. Several sub-arrays are thereafter formed and equalized individually.
The comparison results demonstrate that the propose sub-array equalization technique can suppress the nonlinear distortion of the PAL more effectively than the previous method.
Impact of COVID-19 on the sound environment in a dental office - a case study
Authors: Yamada Tomomi , Nozaki Kazunori , Kuwano Sonoko , Hayashi Mikako
Published: September 2021

As of February 2021, COVID-19 has not yet converged globally. Careful countermeasures are required for protecting infection of COVID-19 at dental clinics. Virus particles in saliva are likely to spread outside during dental treatment. Dental staffs must use a variety of personal protective
equipment (PPE). In addition, the frequency of using dental aerosol suction devices in the dental office has increased dramatically, and the sound environment in the clinic has changed after taking the measures against COVID-19. In this study, we will report the measurement results of the
changes in the sound environment during dental treatment that were perceived by dental healthcare professionals and patients.
Dutch building code regulates noise limits for outside placed heat pumps
Authors: Beentjes Wim , Campmans Theo
Published: September 2021

To reduce CO-emission, Air/Water and Air/Air heat pumps are increasingly used in the Netherlands. Due to several noise complaints, the Dutch government decided that legal regulations were necessary to restrict outside noise. The legislation process consisted of three phases. Determination
of noise limits on neighbouring plot boundaries, based on a comparison with existing noise regulations for small companies in a defined quiet living environment. Creation of rules for ground-bound dwellings and for apartments. Determination of the legal noise measurement procedure of installed
heat pumps, such as defining working conditions and how to deal with tonality. Developing a design tool for simple situations. This tool calculates the sound attenuations between the heat pump and all relevant receiver positions. The smallest attenuation determines the allowed sound power
level of the heat pump. This is key information for appropriate selection of heat pumps. For complex situations, special calculation is still needed.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) responses to indoor sound sources in wooden residential buildings
Authors: Frescura Alessia , Lee Pyoung Jik , Jeong Jeong-Ho , Soeta Yoshiharu
Published: September 2021

The present study aimed to explore relationships between physiological and subjective responses to indoor sounds. Specifically, The electroencephalograms (EEG) responses to neighbour sounds in wooden dwellings were investigated. Listening tests were performed to collect EEG data in
distinct acoustics scenarios. Experimental work was carried out in a laboratory with a low background noise level. A series of impact and airborne sounds were presented through loudspeakers and subwoofer, while participants sat comfortably in the simulated living room wearing the EEG headset
(B-alert X24 system). The impact sound sources were an adult walking and a child running recorded in a laboratory equipped with different floor configurations. Two airborne sounds (a live conversation and a piece of classical piano music) were digitally filtered to resemble good and poor sound
insulation performances of vertical partitions. The experiment consisted of two sessions, namely, the evaluation of individual sounds and the evaluation of the combined noise sources. In the second session, pairs of an impact and an airborne sound were presented. During the listening test,
electroencephalography alpha reactivity (α-EEG) and electroencephalography beta reactivity (β-EEG) were monitored. In addition, participants were asked to rate noise annoyance using an 11-point scale.
Numerical study of the impact of reverberation room design and test parameters on sound absorption measurements
Authors: Didier Paul , Van hoorickx Cédric , Reynders Edwin
Published: September 2021

The measurement of sound absorption in reverberation rooms following the ISO 354:2003 standard relies on Sabine's equation to derive absorption coefficients from reverberation times. This equation assumes perfect diffusivity, i.e. the sound field is composed of many statistically independent
plane waves with uniformly distributed spatial phases, themselves uncorrelated to the corresponding amplitudes. In this work, both existing and fictitious reverberation rooms are numerically modelled using the finite element method. Finite porous absorbers are introduced in the rooms as equivalent
fluid models. Standardized sound absorption measurement are simulated in the rooms through the determination of reverberation times. The respective effects of the sample size, sample placement, source positioning, and presence of finite panel diffusers are investigated. The resulting absorption
coefficients are then confronted to the theoretical values in a perfectly diffuse sound field, that interacts with a baffled, finite-sized absorber, as obtained with a hybrid deterministic-statistical energy analysis model. The process notably underlines the strong, yet often disregarded,
beneficial effect of panel diffusers at low frequencies in highly regularly-shaped rooms. Another conclusion of this work is that reverberation room design represents a crucial factor that can influence sound absorption measurements at low frequencies.