bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Key comparison BIPM.RI(I)-K2 of the air-kerma standards of the NIM, China, and the BIPM in low-energy x-rays
Authors: Burns D T , Kessler C , Jinjie Wu , Peiwei Wang
Published: September 2019

A key comparison has been made between the air-kerma standards of the NIM and the BIPM in the low-energy x-ray range. The results show the standards to be in agreement at the level of the combined standard uncertainty of 3.7 parts in 103. The results are analysed and presented in terms of degrees of equivalence, suitable for entry in the BIPM key comparison database.

KEY WORDS FOR SEARCH

Radiation dosimetry, key comparison, low-energy x-rays, air kerma

Main text

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCRI, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
Flexible rGO/Fe3O4 NPs/polyurethane film with excellent electromagnetic properties*
Authors: Yu Wei-Qi , Qiu Yi-Chen , Xiao Hong-Jun , Yang Hai-Tao , Wang Ge-Ming
Published: September 2019

Large-area and flexible reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/Fe3O4 NPs/polyurethane (PU) composite films are fabricated by a facile solution-processable method. The monolayer assembly of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with a high particle-stacking density on the graphene oxide (GO) sheets is achieved by mixing two immiscible solutions of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in hexane and GO in dimethylformide (DMF) by a mild sonication. The x-ray diffraction and Raman spectrum confirm the reduced process of rGO by a simple thermal treatment. The permittivity value of the composite in a frequency range of 0.1 GHz–18 GHz increases with annealing temperature of GO increasing. For 5-wt% rGO/Fe3O4 NPs/PU, the maximum refection loss (RL) of over −35 dB appears at 4.5 GHz when the thickness of film increases to 5 mm. The rGO/Fe3O4 NPs/PU film, exhibiting good electromagnetic properties over GHz frequency range, could be a potential candidate as one of microwave absorption materials in flexible electronic devices.
Robust two-gap strong coupling superconductivity associated with low-lying phonon modes in pressurized Nb5Ir3O superconductors*
Authors: Wang Bosen , Zhang Yaoqing , Xu Shuxiang , Ishigaki Kento , Matsubayashi Kazuyuki , Cheng Jin-Guang , Hosono Hideo , Uwatoko Yoshiya
Published: September 2019

We report robust superconducting state and gap symmetry of Nb5Ir3O via electrical transport and specific heat measurements. The analysis of specific heat manifests that Nb5Ir3O is a strongly coupled superconductor with

Δ
C

/

γ

n

T

c

∼
1.91

and double s-wave superconducting gaps of

2

Δ

L

(
0
)

/

k

B

T

c

∼
6.56

and

2

Δ

S

(
0
)

/

k

B

T

c

∼
2.36

accounting for 90% and 10%, respectively. The

(

C

p

−

γ

n

T
)

/

T

3

vs. T plot shows a broad peak at ∼23 K, indicating phonon softening and the appearance of low-lying phonon mode associated with the interstitial oxygen. This behavior explains the monotonic increase of T
c in

Nb

5

Ir

3

O

(
1
−
δ
)

by strengthening the electron–phonon coupling and enlarging the density of states at Fermi level. The Hall coefficient is temperature independent below 200 K, and changes its sign from positive to negative above 250 K, suggesting that carrier is across the hole- to electron-dominant regions and the multi-band electronic structures. On warming, the resistivity shows a gradual crossover from

T

2

- to

T

3

-dependence at a critical temperature

T

*

, and a broad peak at a temperature T
p. The reduced T
c under pressure is linearly correlated with lattice parameters c/a ratio and T
p, suggesting the important phonon contributions in Nb5Ir3O as a phonon-medicated superconductor. Possible physical mechanisms are proposed.
Green Urban Development: A methodology to calculate site and infrastructure related GHG emissions
Authors: Kapoor Prashant , Saberi Ommid , Oliver Neil
Published: September 2019

The built urban infrastructure which includes the various types of residential and commercial buildings, the parking and public transport network, water and electricity networks, and delivery mechanisms determine the energy use and carbon emissions of our city.

At Building level, controlling resultant GHG emissions could be done through measures such as better insulation, more efficient heating and cooling systems, and the installation of rooftops solar photovoltaics. IFC’s EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) certification has addressed the need for a mass market tool to identify such opportunities and provides third-party validation of achievement of resource efficiency in buildings. EDGE certification rewards developers who implement strategies to reduce energy and water use in their buildings and embodied energy in materials.

At Precinct level, dense, mixed use urban developments that are close to public transit nodes give people convenient, less polluting transportation options while maximising resource use and improving their access to more job opportunities and higher quality of life. To encourage such “Green Urban Developments,” IFC is piloting a new concept to quantify urban strategies such as location, transportation options, achievement of optimum density, overall configuration, planning, and layout to reduce waste all the while ensuring comfort and affordability. The aim is to influence private and public-sector developers to choose “Green Urban Development” design options early in the project planning process.

This paper presents a methodology for calculating GHG impacts of the site and horizontal infrastructure options for an Urban Development and explains the benefits and challenges of putting such a concept into practice.
Housing and service structure concepts for areas with decreasing and ageing population
Authors: Verma I , Taegen J
Published: September 2019

Urbanisation has often a negative impact on the population structure in remote areas. Municipalities have to find strategies to anticipate the demographic change and steer territorial shrinkage. Moreover, the current service structure is not optimal for areas with decreasing population. The aim of this ongoing research and development project is to promote resilient service structure and health prevention as well as housing services in these areas. The project comprises five case studies in municipalities with less than 20 000 inhabitants. Existing urban structures and the potentials for re-use of buildings will be identified in collaboration with local stakeholders. The comparative analyses of the municipal structures will be done at Sotera Institute at Aalto University. For each municipality, one student in architecture will provide a solution for urban design, housing design or renovation of existing building. The results of the study will help municipalities to outline a local development strategy to promote a lively and attractive municipal centre and a resilient service structure to improve living environment in remote areas. Shared use of buildings will improve the local service production and service delivery models. Efficient service delivery and housing will keep these areas attractive to live in also in the future.
New housing concepts seducing young adults to settle; the case of Deventer and Enschede
Authors: Entrop A G , de Bruijn T J N M
Published: September 2019

In multiple cities with polytechnics and universities, companies have difficulty finding the proper well-educated candidates for their vacancies. These young adults do not stay within the city’s proximity to reside and work after having obtained their bachelor or master degree. Apart from job opportunities, it might be that they cannot find proper housing. Two municipalities felt the urge to let us study the housing requirements of this particular group of young adults and to design housing concepts for them. Two research and design teams were formed. Without obtaining a strict delineation and with both teams having mutual interests and collaborative meetings, it can be said that one team focused slightly more on architectural design and the municipality of Enschede and a second team focused more or less on city planning and the municipality of Deventer. Within the time available, it was not possible by means of a prototype to prove that housing constructed with our specifications regarding surroundings and the building itself really helps the companies, but in this paper our research in coming to promising designs for housing concepts, that just might seduce these young adults, are disseminated.
Greenhouse gas emissions from built environment development in Iceland
Authors: Heinonen Jukka , Árnadóttir Áróra , Emami Nargessadat , Marteinsson Björn
Published: September 2019

Without rapid and radical greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, irreversible damage threatening life on the globe might occur already during the next decades. One of the key sectors in finding solutions to climate change is the built environment, which currently directly or indirectly causes the majority of anthropogenic GHG emissions. The transition towards more sustainable settlements requires massive use of materials and energy, but it is not well known at all how much GHG emissions are “invested” into the development of the future low-carbon built environment. In this study we use input-output analysis to calculate an estimate of the GHGs embodied in the built environment development in Iceland. The input data consists of annual economic turnover data of different construction sectors for the years 2013-2017. The GHG estimates are derived using the EIO-LCA input-output model. We find that the built environment development emissions of Iceland are significant even though the actual emissions largely take place outside the country, being thus outsourced emissions. Surprisingly the development of the capital region did not stand out as the engine of these emissions, but the spread appeared to be relatively equal between the capital region and the rest of the country.
Opportunities for financing sustainable development using complementary local currencies
Authors: Jankovic Ljubomir
Published: September 2019

Financing building retrofit projects that contribute to climate change mitigation has always represented a significant barrier. With 28% of global emissions coming from existing buildings, it is of paramount importance to carry out retrofit measures that lead to significant reduction of these emissions. Whilst this is perfectly possible to achieve with current methods and current technology, there is no sufficient conventional finance to carry out zero carbon retrofit at scale required for climate change mitigation. The article introduces an alternative and sustainable business model that creates new opportunities for financing zero carbon retrofit of buildings. It demonstrates that the value of solar energy falling on roofs of buildings can become a driver for new local economic systems, and discusses the requirements for practical application.
RTS EPD’s – Different Methods of Producing Reliable Environmental Information of Building Products in Finland
Authors: Sariola Laura , Ilomäki Ari
Published: September 2019

The Building Information Foundation RTS sr launched a national EPD program in the year 2016 and after that there have been produced several RTS EPD’s published by the RTS. The Information gathered from the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is verified by a third party and therefore neutral and reliable. Environmental performance of construction products is compiled according to the standard EN 15804+A1 and A2 and with a guidance’s and methodology processed in the committee PT18 RT EPD’s. The name of the principal publication is “Methodology (PCR) for compiling environmental declarations for building products: EPD’s published by The Building Information Foundation RTS (2019)” and in addition there are guidance for the application process and verification processes.

The Building Information Foundation got a full membership status of EcoPlatform in September 2018 and therefore the guidance has been revised. PT18 noticed the future demand of easy way of producing EPD’s and therefore it compiled a guidance of verification process of customized and product specific EPD-tools used in connection to production processes. PT18 considered also amendment of the EN15804 standard (A2) in advance as far as possible and updated the RTS methodology accordingly. The EPD’s are created in Finland by the Principal Committee PT18 of The Building Information Foundation RTS. A work group of the Committee PT18 will audit and approve/reject the applications. All RTS EPDs have been verified, there is no difference if the EPDs have been complied with the EPD tool or without it.

The eco-profiles and other environmental aspects provide input data for the assessment of environmental impacts of the buildings. The purpose of the declarations is to provide environmental information of construction products in a standardized and transparent way. The EN-standardized method developed by CEN/TC350 is utilized in other European countries as well by different EPD-programs. The purpose of different EPD-tools is to provide easy way to produce EPD information of similar products and to use gathered information in multiple product information services and data modelling tools.
Equation for zero emissions-achieving carbon-neutrality in building sector
Authors: Ruuska Antti , Mäkinen Markus
Published: September 2019

Energy has a central role in people’s lives. However, access to affordable, clean and reliable energy is not the case yet for all. As more people have access to energy, the global energy consumption is set to rise, along with the global greenhouse gas emissions.

The building sector is one of the most significant ones in terms of energy consumption and GHG emissions (Ruuska, 2018). Buildings consume vast share of global energy and produce significant share of greenhouse gas emissions. Thus far the improvements in energy efficiency have not been able to offset the increase in energy use due to increased amount of buildings. In order to cap the global warming to 1.5 °C (IPCC), thorough changes are needed in the way we consume and produce energy. For the building sector, it is suggested that the whole of the building sector should decarbonize by 2050 (WGBC, 2018). This paper assumes that the building sector can decarbonize by 2050 and looks for ways to make it happen.

Technological means to move towards clean, low-carbon energy in buildings are many. On the supply side, moving away from fossil fuels and increasing the share of renewable energy are the big goals. On the demand side, energy use can be reduced through better energy efficiency in buildings. Furthermore, smart energy management can help to operate buildings optimally, and to shift and reduce peak loads. There are also opportunities related to, for example, energy storages. However, this paper assumes that the key towards broader implementation of the technological means may lie in user-friendly services and business models.

This paper further assumes that decarbonizing construction industry is not a technological problem as such, but more of a systemic problem. Therefore, this paper seeks to understand the interactions and feedback loops in the sector, by focusing on the level of a single building and its owner/user. This paper shows the general dynamics of the energy systems around a single building, and the connections they have to the broader energy system. Furthermore, this paper presents a simple equation for zero emission building stock and links this equation to system dynamics around single building’s energy systems.

All of this is done from the viewpoint of a single building and its owner/user to illustrate how the situation looks from the user/owner perspective and to see if some factors arise that could speed up the transformation towards decarbonized building sector.
Participatory service design and community involvement in designing future-ready sustainable learning landscapes
Authors: Sandström N , Nevgi A , Nenonen S
Published: September 2019

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) work as a new agenda for sustainable development globally. Many if not most of the SDGs can be combined with different levels of education. This paper leans on previous work in Sustainable Education Design (SED), which looked at sustainability from its multifaceted angles with a broad global scope. The context of the study is a campus at a research-intensive Finnish university. The methodology entailed participatory service design approaches. For piloting, one classroom was chosen as a test bed. The data consist of workshops, use walks and structured interviews. The analysis started from identifying KPIs of sustainable learning environment creation, after which these were tested against Sustainable Education Design Criteria described in a manual book earlier. The key findings include nine preliminary alternative KPIs that were merged with previous SED criteria and related SDGs. The alternative KPIs were trialled in the test bed environment. These proposed alternative KPIs can be used as indicators for sustainability, innovation and learning during participatory change processes and in evaluating the outcome.
Testing of PEF method to assess the environmental footprint of buildings – results of PEF4Buildings project
Authors: Spirinckx C , Thuring M , Damen L , Allacker K , Ramon D , Mirabella N , Röck M , Passer A
Published: September 2019

The aim of the PEF4Buildings project, commissioned by the European Commission, was to assess if the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method and related guidance documents developed in the framework of the Environmental Footprint pilot test phase are applicable at the building level. The project has been coordinated by VITO with TU Graz and KU Leuven as research partners. As a first step, two PEF studies on new office buildings were performed. The assessment of two office buildings allows to test the PEF method in different geographical contexts. In a second step, a possible approach to benchmark office buildings and to define classes of performance is developed. The approach is developed based on the findings of the PEF study on two new office buildings, the PEF guidance and dedicated desk research. It covers issues like how to define the reference building, how to define system boundaries, how many reference buildings should be defined and how to handle this range of different options. A third step of this study was devoted to the assessment at the building level and on how to link the assessment of the environmental performance of construction products to the assessment of a building by using the PEF method.
Analysis of thermal comfort in residential buildings in the city of Ha Tinh, Viet Nam
Authors: Ngoc Dung Ngo Hoang , Jacobs Elias , Motoasca Emilia , Versele Alexis , Breesch Hilde
Published: September 2019

The study was performed in Ha Tinh city of Vietnam and aims to investigate the current thermal condition inside houses of different urban neighborhoods by field measurement and survey. This is a starting point to develop sustainable housing and neighbourhood typologies as adaptation to climate change in the city. The survey was conducted in the summer of 2016. The analysis of the survey data showed that the satisfaction level of local inhabitants with actual thermal condition was relatively high, and the perception of those living in various neighborhoods did not differ significantly. To monitor the comfort level during summer in houses of Ha Tinh city, nine houses were selected based on their typologies and locations represented by local climate zones (LCZs). The investigation was conducted from late August to mid-October 2017. With data obtained from the field measurement, psychrometric analysis was performed and based on modified adaptive comfort model for South-East Asian people to evaluate thermal condition of considered houses. The analysis evaluated and showed explicit difference in comfort level between these housing typologies. Result of the analysis also showed a dependence of thermal comfort in different rooms of a house on their position and exposition to solar heat gained, but relation of comfort level to LCZs was not clear.
Climate implication and adaptation measures for energy use in buildings – a scoping review
Authors: Stagrum A E , Kvande T , Engebø A , Andenæs E , Lohne J
Published: September 2019

The purpose of the study is to investigate data on climate implication and adaptation measures for energy use in buildings. It is based on a scoping literature review, concerned mainly with the main journals operating in the field of climate adaptation of the built environment. Research documents that significant changes are taking place due to the implications of climatic change. Studies concerning climate change impact on energy use in buildings in warm climates represent the majority of the findings. The volume of research within the consequences for the built environment in cold regions is found to be surprisingly low, especially concerning the pecuniary stakes involved. However, significant regional differences are observed. Though further research is of essence, policy/regulatory measures ought already to be taken, based on climate scenarios.
Impact of hidden defects on the durability and reliability of gas pipelines in cities
Authors: Romanovs A , Tihana J , Borodinecs A
Published: September 2019

The article describes the methods of improving the durability of new gas pipelines, as well as examines the need of rising the level of inspection security. Reliable gas pipelines is an important safety indicator of people’s housing areas and the industrial and commercial organizations work areas. The verification of durability and tightness of gas pipelines is one of the most important inspection, which shows the existence of defects in compliance of the gas pipelines and debt construction technologies and instructions. Detected on time defects influence the number of uncontrolled natural gas leaks in the pipelines. When assessing the impact of hidden defects on the durability and reliability of the gas pipeline, the gas pipeline monitoring process was made, and the defects in the construction of gas pipelines (polyethylene, steel) and fittings were more often detected, the effect of hidden defects of gas pipelines on the safety of pipelines was analyzed. The experiments described in the article were carried out to evaluate the durability and tightness of gas pipelines by simulating the hidden defects on new installed gas pipeline in two sites: Site 1 and Site 2, both places are situated in Latvia. The obtained data was processed and reflected in tables, charts, graphs, and the results were analyzed and summarized in the conclusions, and also proposals are made to improve the problem. In the article is described a calculation methodology, which proves what needs to be improved in order to increase the safety of newly built and reconstructed gas pipelines.
The Negative Impact of Solar Reflections Caused by Reflective Buildings’ Facades: Case Study of the Nasher Museum in Texas
Authors: Abdelwahab Sahar , Elhussainy Mariam , Labib Rania
Published: September 2019

Large reflective facades in buildings can cause severe visual discomfort due to the reflection of sunlight falling on buildings’ surfaces. These intense reflections can cause a intolerable glare and contribute to overheating the interior of surrounding buildings. An example of reflective building materials causing glare is experienced in Dallas, Texas, where a residential tower, which was fitted with a fully glazed façade, has caused intense specular reflections into the Nasher sculpture museum. The problem has caused glare and overheating of the interior spaces in the museum, thus leading to the damage and deterioration of the sculptures on display.

In order to examine the negative impact of the Museum Tower’s reflective façade on the visual comfort inside the Nasher museum, glare simulations are carried out at different times of the year. Additionally, to examine a possible solution to the glare problem, a proposed solution of using a less reflective material on the tower’s facade is examined via glare simulations. The initial set of simulations confirmed that tower skin contributed to blinding glare particularly at 12:00 and 15:00 on the summer and winter solstice, and the spring equinox. Use of less reflective material on the tower façade concluded that the tower façade still contributed to glare and that is due to its convex geometry.
Designing liveable urban open spaces in high density cities
Authors: Thilakaratne R
Published: September 2019

Hong Kong is one of the densest cities compared to other metropolitan cities with population density in some districts exceeding 57,250 persons per sqkm. Hong Kong’s liveability has been affected by factors such as escalating urban density, lack of open spaces, congested living environments, air pollution concentration and high proneness to pandemics.

Due to extremely high land premiums, some residents in Hong Kong live in nano flats small as 15sqm in high-rise towers. Given the congested nature of apartments, open spaces a play a vital role contributing to residents’ psychological and physical well-being. Due to peculiar topography and extreme high density, Hong Kong open space per capita is far from the WHO recommended standards of 9 sqm per person. Most urban open spaces are pocket spaces located among developments or adjacent to traffic roads with a high ratio of hardscape compared to vegetation. Due to challenging Summer conditions in Hong Kong with high temperature, humidity and stagnant wind most urban open spaces are underutilized.

This research investigates the factors effecting enjoyment of open spaces and design factors that could contribute to improve their liveability as public amenities. Exploration is based on liveability parameters such as user comfort, user behaviour, and spatial attributes of urban open spaces. Field data was collected on seven urban open spaces within Tsuen Wan district during dry Summer days. Field data analysis was supplemented by simulation methods, photographic survey of users’ movement within open spaces and user interviews.

All open spaces are located amidst of high-density urban environment facilitating easy access to residents in the neighbourhood proving sense of security. Findings indicate tendencies in using these open spaces in the afternoon after 4pm when these open spaces cool off from solar radiation. Majority of open spaces benefited from shading effect from surrounding buildings, however the seating arrangements have not benefited from the shading. Satisfactory wind speed could be observed in four open spaces out of the seven that benefited from South and SE wind directions providing desirable thermal comfort to users. The park that consisted of the highest ratio of greenery received the lowest wind speed due walled effect created by surrounding buildings. Ironically open spaces with high percentage of hardscape areas reported better wind performance indicating the possibility of high emissivity material creating low pressure pockets drawing winds in particularly in the afternoons.
The role of anthropogenic and climatic factors in the transformation of loads on water resources in the Volga river basin
Authors: Demin A P , Bolgov M V , Filippova I A
Published: September 2019

It is shown that over the past 30-40 years, the Volga River basin has experienced a significant increase in its minimum flow in the winter low flow period. Data on water intake from surface and underground sources for 1985-2017 is given for the main tributaries. It is revealed that climatic and anthropogenic factors cause an almost similar effect on the change in the water resource utilization coefficient.
Some peculiarities of spring snowmelt floods’ beginning, peak and end times at watercourses of the river Belaya basin
Authors: Minnegaliev A O
Published: September 2019

The article investigates the specific features of spring snowmelt floods’ typical beginning, peak and end times at watercourses of the river Belaya basin. The correlation between the mean multiannual values, the standard deviation of high water typical beginning, peak and end times as well as the morphometric characteristics of water-producing areas was estimated. Based on the regression analysis of the surveyed data from the analyzed watercourses of the area, correspondences for the dates are revealed, map charts for the standard deviations are designed. The results obtained are of the empirical nature, yet allowing making tentative calculations of the mean multiannual calendar values of high water extreme points at the unexplored watercourses of the studied area.
Hydro-geodynamic and geodynamic processes in the platform territories of hydrocarbon production
Authors: Nesterenko M Y , Nesterenko Y M
Published: September 2019

This paper presents hydro-geodynamics and geodynamics of the Southern Cis-Urals region. It focuses on geodynamics and seismicity induced by hydrocarbon production by summarizing the published case studies. Natural and man-made changes in bowels of the Earth are usually accompanied by tectonic movements and deformations of earth's surface, which is one of the important factors determining environmental changes and requiring mandatory consideration in engineering-geological surveys and exploitation of deposits. The influence of anthropogenic factors on the geodynamic state of platform areas is considered by the example of Orenburg oil and gas condensate field. The analysis and comparison seismic events with geologic and tectonic structure, natural and technologically impaired hydrodynamics.
The application of geometric models for the study of hydrological regime of protected shallows in reservoirs
Authors: Poddubnyi S A
Published: September 2019

This study considers the possibility of using geometric models in the study of individual elements of hydrological regime in different types of protected shallows in the Upper Volga reservoirs. Three types of models were chosen and verified. The formulas for calculating the bathygraphic curves of geometric figures approximating the beds of protected shallows are determined. Classes with different morphometric characteristics are identified using non-hierarchical cluster analysis for each type of shallows. Model calculations of areas and volumes of shallows are carried out depending on seasonal changes in water level, as well as estimates of thermal content, average monthly water balance and water exchange in the shallows.
Extreme precipitation in the Amur River basin: formation factors and methods of estimation
Authors: Trubetskova M D , Filippova I A , Osypova N V
Published: September 2019

The values of maximal daily precipitation in the Amur River basin obtained using two different methods are considered. The first one is based on the hydro-meteorological approach to calculate the probable maximum precipitation. The second one is developed by the authors; it combines several statistical methods for calculating the values of the hydro-meteorological characteristics of low probability. Comparison of the results obtained by the two methods is made.
Scenario of expected climate and change of surface drain in north Kazakhstan
Authors: Cherednichenko A V , Cherednichenko Al V , Cherednichenko V S
Published: September 2019

Taking into account local peculiarities of the territory, scenarios of changes in temperature and precipitation for the future up to 2040 -2050 are built. On this basis, estimated probable change in runoff due to expected climate changes. The scenarios are based on physical laws, consisting in the presence of links between climatic fluctuations contained in time series of temperature and precipitation and climatic fluctuations in the indices of the general circulation of the atmosphere, identified on the basis of harmonic analysis. It is shown that one should expect stabilization of temperature in the region and even some decrease in it with a constant amount of precipitation. This will positively affect the surface runoff.
Influence of hydrological structure on exchange processes between water and bottom sediments in Mozhaysk Reservoir
Authors: Efimova L E , Lomov V A , Grechushnikova M G , Lomova D V , Kremenetskaya E R
Published: September 2019

The results of studies of exchange processes at the “water – bottom sediments” border for the summer period 2017–18 at the Mozhaisk reservoir are presented. The factors that determine the intensity values of methane and mineral phosphorus fluxes from bottom sediments as well as their spatial non-uniformity, associated with the soils distribution characteristics in the valley-type reservoir, are analysed.
Glacier runoff and regime of rivers with glacial power (a case of study: Naryn river, Kyrgyzstan)
Authors: Akmatov R T , Alamanov S K , Choduraev T M , Pochechun V A
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we considered the glacial runoff of the Bolshoi and Kichi Naryn rivers, as well as their large tributaries which are main sources of the Toktogul water reservoir. Taking into account that rivers with glacier melting feeding form their water flow mostly during summer months, it would be interesting to analyse their water regime during warm seasons. All tributaries of the Naryn River demonstrate the runoff decrease from June to August; while the main channels of the Chon and Kichi Naryn themselves have another dynamic. In July, the seasonal snow cover already melted and the runoff formation occurs as a result of glacier melting that depend on monthly average temperatures. In August, the monthly amounts of precipitation and temperatures have decreasing trends that lead to immediate decline of the runoff volumes. Interestingly those fluctuations of precipitation and air temperatures and their impact on the glacier runoff forming have little impact on the total runoff volume of rivers. So, the glacial component in the run-off forming has exceptional value for the Naryn River during the summer period.
The effect of flow velocity distribution on matter transport in a curved channel segment with the effect of moving ships taken into account
Authors: Maslikova O Ya , Gritsuk I I , Debol’skaya E I
Published: September 2019

Ship transport produces a special type of bank waves, which have a specific effect on the boundaries of water bodies other than that of the wind-induced waves. In addition, the extent of frozen-bank erosion at a bend of river channel is determined by the entering flow velocity, which can increase in winter because of channel constriction due to freezing or ice jams and gorges. The accompanying vortices have a considerable effect on the flow velocity pattern.
Flood analysis and short-term prediction of water stages in river Songwe catchment
Authors: Ipyana M , Mikova K D
Published: September 2019

Every year flooding of Songwe River has brought severe problems in the lower part of its catchment located in Kyela District. Floods lead to loss of people’s lives, destructions of infrastructures and properties. This study made floods analysis and short-term prediction of water stages. The study used rainfall data of Tenende weather station and water levels data at Kasumulu gauge station for identification of the flood patterns. Floods were grouped into three categories: floods with single peak, floods with several peaks and sprawled floods. The study recommends for the introduction and implementation of flood prediction practices, flood policy, and flood fight education, as well as continuous training of local residents on the best suitable traditional and modern ways of flood management practices and how to mitigate the floods effect.
Long-term dynamics of mercury pollution of the Bratsk reservoir bottom sediments, Baikal region, Russia
Authors: Pastukhov M V , Poletaeva V I , Tirskikh E N
Published: September 2019

This paper discusses the results of the monitoring of anthropogenic mercury contamination of the upper part of Bratsk reservoir. The paper shows that in the long-term, (1998-2018) there is an ongoing decrease of Hg concentration in the surface layer of bottom sediments. At the same time the study demonstrates that 20 years after the cessation of mercury electrolysis at the Usoliehimprom chemical plant, Hg concentration in the bottom sediments exceeds background levels by 5 to 54 times. Significant part of the Hg in the bottom sediments is stored in organic form, which is potentially dangerous since it may cause secondary contamination of aquatic environment and hydrobionts. The high amplitude of water-level fluctuations in the reservoir is one of the main factors influencing the distribution of mercury in the surface layer of bottom sediments and preventing the sealing of contaminated bottom sediments by terrigenous material.
Geochemical characteristics of microelement distribution in surface sediments of Ust-Ilimsk Reservoir
Authors: Poletaeva V I , Pastukhov M V , Dolgikh P G
Published: September 2019

This research examines the characteristics of spatial distribution of As, Pb, Hg, Cd, Zn, Ni, Co, Cu, Cr in bottom sediments of Ust-Ilimsk reservoir. Two zones of the reservoir with elevated accumulation levels of potentially toxic elements have been determined: Vihorevsky bay (inflow from anthropogenic sources) and the reservoir area near the dam (inflow from natural and anthropogenic sources). Mobility of studied trace elements and the probability of the secondary contamination has been assessed based on the determined speciation of trace elements in bottom sediments.
Nutrient and organic matter dynamics in Lake Glubokoe
Authors: Tereshina M , Erina O , Vilimovich E , Sokolov D , Korovchinsky N
Published: September 2019

In this paper we present the results of field observations carried out at Lake Glubokoe (Moscow Region) in 2017–2019. Basic characteristics of the vertical distribution of main nutrient elements (phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon) and organic matter (COD and chlorophyll-a) content are shown, along with their seasonal ranges. Due to the lack of surface runoff into the lake, the concentrations of total phosphorus and nitrogen are generally low throughout the year, with almost total depletion of inorganic phosphorus in the epilimnion during the growing season. Sufficient microbial activity allows most of the inorganic nitrogen to be presented in the nitrate form, except for late summer and fall, when plankton death rate exceeds bacterial nitrification capacity. During the period of hypolimnetic anoxia, significant amounts of mineral phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen are released from the bottom sediments. COD value shows a correlation with the intensity of both phyto- and zooplankton growth, which also affect the nutrient content.
Phosphorus accumulation in a lowland reservoir during the spring flood
Authors: Sokolov D I , Erina O , Tereshina M A , Puklakov V V
Published: September 2019

On the basis of detailed observations of 1984, 2012 and 2016 we estimated the accumulation of reactive phosphorus in the Mozhaysk reservoir during the spring flood. The results of this assessment depend on the completeness and origin of the used data: the absence of discharge gauging stations on the tributaries of the reservoir introduces an error of 30-40%, a decrease in the frequency of water quality monitoring from daily to 2 times a month or the use of empirical dependences in the absence of monitoring – up to 50-60% or more. During the flood, an overwhelming amount of reactive phosphorus accumulates in the reservoir due to a significant inflow (50-60% of the annual) and low outflow (from 1 to 13% of the annual). Over the past 30 years, there has been a significant reduction in the external phosphorus load on the reservoir.
Quality assessment of activated sludge biological treatment pulp and paper plant with variable load
Authors: Rudakova L V , Sakaeva E H
Published: September 2019

The quality assessment of activated sludge of biological treatment facilities of pulp and paper mill depending on the type of load is given. Considered three cases of the load on the activated sludge and given their characteristics in the sedimentary and hydrological indicators under conditions of variable load. Depending on the type of load, there is a satisfactory operation of activated sludge, or its swelling caused by the bacteria Zooglea ramigera or filamentous forms of microorganisms.
The ecological condition of the Motovilikha pond, Perm
Authors: Dvinskikh S A , Larchenko O V
Published: September 2019

The article gives a hydrographic description of the pond, the results of bathymetric work in the summer of 2017. Examines the factors that shape the environment. A detailed description of the chemical composition of water is given. The degree of pollution of a reservoir on its separate sites is revealed. It is shown that bottom sediments play an important role in the formation of the Motovilikha pond ecosystem. They accumulate pollutants and trace elements, so they can be considered as a marker of water quality and at the same time a source of secondary pollution.
The plankton community structure in the zones with different thermal condition (Kharanorskaya TPP cooling pond, Transbaikalia)
Authors: Afonina Yu E , Tashlykova N A
Published: September 2019

The research results of plankton biocenoses in the Kharanorskaya TPP cooling pond in different temperature conditions are presented in paper. The species diversity of hydrobionts in the heated zone is higher compared to the unheated one. The dominant complex of plankton community in the two thermal zones is similar and includes species with a high temperature optimum. The absence of significant differences in the spatial-temporal dynamics of plankton quantitative indicators is associated with the morphometric features of the reservoir and the mechanical factors influence. The main abiotic factors influencing the distribution of hydrobionts are the water chemical composition in the unheated zone, and are hydrochemical and hydrophysical parameters in the heated zone.
Assessment of anthropogenic salinisation impact on the benthic invertebrates and fish in a small river – a tributary of the Kama Reservoir
Authors: Baklanov M A , Pozdeev I V , Kotelnikova V S , Ogorodov S P , Bezmaternykh V V
Published: September 2019

The characteristic of changes in communities of benthic invertebrates and fish in a small watercourse as its salinisation is given. It is shown the Shannon diversity index and Balushkina chironomid index play the greatest value in assessing the effect of salinity on river communities. There was a violation of the structure of the fish population of the river, expressed in the complete disappearance of fish in the area of intensive receipt of highly mineralized waters.
Sex steroids influence organizational but not functional decidualization of feline endometrial cells in a 3D culture system†
Authors: Wilsterman Kathryn , Bao Xinmiao , Estrada Allegra D , Comizzoli Pierre , Bentley George E
Published: September 2019

Successful implantation requires complex signaling between the uterine endometrium and the blastocyst. Prior to the blastocyst reaching the uterus, the endometrium is remodeled by sex steroids and other signals to render the endometrium receptive. In vitro models have facilitated major advances in our understanding of endometrium preparation and endometrial–blastocyst communication in mice and humans, but these systems have not been widely adapted for use in other models which might generate a deeper understanding of these processes. The objective of our study was to use a recently developed, three-dimensional culture system to identify specific roles of female sex steroids in remodeling the organization and function of feline endometrial cells. We treated endometrial cells with physiologically relevant concentrations of estradiol and progesterone, either in isolation or in combination, for 1 week. We then examined size and density of three-dimensional structures, and quantified expression of candidate genes known to vary in response to sex steroid treatments and that have functional relevance to the decidualization process. Combined sex steroid treatments recapitulated organizational patterns seen in vivo; however, sex steroid manipulations did not induce expected changes to expression of decidualization-related genes. Our results demonstrate that sex steroids may not be sufficient for complete decidualization and preparation of the feline endometrium, thereby highlighting key areas of opportunity for further study and suggesting some unique functions of felid uterine tissues.
The Importance of Biological Parent Coparenting in an American Indian Stepfamily Context
Authors: Ward Kaitlin P , Limb Gordon E
Published: September 2019

A number of protective factors associated with being American Indian exist; however, research shows that American Indians tend to experience higher rates of depressive symptoms than individuals of other racial or ethnic groups. Although prior research has examined sociocultural predictors of American Indian depression, less is known about the influence of familial functioning. This is particularly true for American Indian emerging adults who grew up in stepfamilies. This study examined retrospective data from 203 American Indians raised in stepfamilies on whether perceived coparenting between biological parents (post-stepfamily formation) was related to depression in emerging adulthood. Combining graded response and structural equation modeling, authors found that retrospectively perceived negative coparenting behaviors were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Findings elucidate a particular risk for American Indians who perceive that their biological parents engage in poor coparenting behaviors post–stepfamily formation. Findings also encourage further research that examines associations between stepfamily functioning and mental health outcomes among American Indians.
Empowered Holistic Nursing Education as the Philosophical Framework for an RN-BS Program: A Six-Year Impact Evaluation Study
Authors: Love Katie
Published: September 2019

The educational structure of many nursing programs is largely monocultural, with a traditional pedagogy. Empowered holistic nursing education (EHNE) creates a learning environment with more cultural responsiveness and support for diverse classrooms. The aim of this study was to determine what impact the theory had on diversification. With EHNE the philosophical framework of a new RN-to-BSN program, student demographic data were collected, along with exit survey questions. A statistically significant increase was found in the diversification of the six cohorts. The EHNE shows potential as a programmatic framework for increasing diversification of the nursing profession.