bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping Coastal Wetland Biomass from High Resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Imagery
Authors: Doughty Cheryl L. , Cavanaugh Kyle C.
Published: March 2019

Salt marsh productivity is an important control of resiliency to sea level rise. However, our understanding of how marsh biomass and productivity vary across fine spatial and temporal scales is limited. Remote sensing provides a means for characterizing spatial and temporal variability in marsh aboveground biomass, but most satellite and airborne sensors have limited spatial and/or temporal resolution. Imagery from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used to address this data gap. We combined seasonal field surveys and multispectral UAV imagery collected using a DJI Matrice 100 and Micasense Rededge sensor from the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve in California, USA to develop a method for high-resolution mapping of aboveground saltmarsh biomass. UAV imagery was used to test a suite of vegetation indices in their ability to predict aboveground biomass (AGB). The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) provided the strongest correlation to aboveground biomass for each season and when seasonal data were pooled, though seasonal models (e.g., spring, r2 = 0.67; RMSE = 344 g m−2) were more robust than the annual model (r2 = 0.36; RMSE = 496 g m−2). The NDVI aboveground biomass estimation model (AGB = 2428.2 × NDVI + 120.1) was then used to create maps of biomass for each season. Total site-wide aboveground biomass ranged from 147 Mg to 205 Mg and was highest in the spring, with an average of 1222.9 g m−2. Analysis of spatial patterns in AGB demonstrated that AGB was highest in intermediate elevations that ranged from 1.6–1.8 m NAVD88. This UAV-based approach can be used aid the investigation of biomass dynamics in wetlands across a range of spatial scales.
MultiCAM: Multiple Class Activation Mapping for Aircraft Recognition in Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Fu Kun , Dai Wei , Zhang Yue , Wang Zhirui , Yan Menglong , Sun Xian
Published: March 2019

Aircraft recognition in remote sensing images has long been a meaningful topic. Most related methods treat entire images as a whole and do not concentrate on the features of parts. In fact, a variety of aircraft types have small interclass variance, and the main evidence for classifying subcategories is related to some discriminative object parts. In this paper, we introduce the idea of fine-grained visual classification (FGVC) and attempt to make full use of the features from discriminative object parts. First, multiple class activation mapping (MultiCAM) is proposed to extract the discriminative parts of aircrafts of different categories. Second, we present a mask filter (MF) strategy to enhance the discriminative object parts and filter the interference of the background from original images. Third, a selective connected feature fusion method is proposed to fuse the features extracted from both networks, focusing on the original images and the results of MF, respectively. Compared with the single prediction category in class activation mapping (CAM), MultiCAM makes full use of the predictions of all categories to overcome the wrong discriminative parts produced by a wrong single prediction category. Additionally, the designed MF preserves the object scale information and helps the network to concentrate on the object itself rather than the interfering background. Experiments on a challenging dataset prove that our method can achieve state-of-the-art performance.
Estimating Rice Agronomic Traits Using Drone-Collected Multispectral Imagery
Authors: Stavrakoudis Dimitris , Katsantonis Dimitrios , Kadoglidou Kalliopi , Kalaitzidis Argyris , Gitas Ioannis Z.
Published: March 2019

The knowledge of rice nitrogen (N) requirements and uptake capacity are fundamental for the development of improved N management. This paper presents empirical models for predicting agronomic traits that are relevant to yield and N requirements of rice (Oryza sativa L.) through remotely sensed data. Multiple linear regression models were constructed at key growth stages (at tillering and at booting), using as input reflectance values and vegetation indices obtained from a compact multispectral sensor (green, red, red-edge, and near-infrared channels) onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The models were constructed using field data and images from two consecutive years in a number of experimental rice plots in Greece (Thessaloniki Regional Unit), by applying four different N treatments (C0: 0 N kg∙ha−1, C1: 80 N kg∙ha−1, C2: 160 N kg∙ha−1, and C4: 320 N kg∙ha−1). Models for estimating the current crop status (e.g., N uptake at the time of image acquisition) and predicting the future one (e.g., N uptake of grains at maturity) were developed and evaluated. At the tillering stage, high accuracies (R2 ≥ 0.8) were achieved for N uptake and biomass. At the booting stage, similarly high accuracies were achieved for yield, N concentration, N uptake, biomass, and plant height, using inputs from either two or three images. The results of the present study can be useful for providing N recommendations for the two top-dressing fertilizations in rice cultivation, through a cost-efficient workflow.
Vibration Suppression of Wind/Traffic/Bridge Coupled System Using Multiple Pounding Tuned Mass Dampers (MPTMD)
Authors: Yin Xinfeng , Song Gangbing , Liu Yang
Published: March 2019

Dynamic responses of highway bridges induced by wind and stochastic traffic loads usually exceed anticipated values, and tuned mass dampers (TMDs) have been extensively applied to suppress dynamic responses of bridge structures. In this study, a new type of TMD system named pounding tuned mass damper (PTMD) was designed with a combination of a tuned mass and a viscoelastic layer covered delimiter for impact energy dissipation. Comprehensive numerical simulations of the wind/traffic/bridge coupled system with multiple PTMDs (MPTMDs) were performed. The coupled equations were established by combining the equations of motion of both the bridge and vehicles in traffic. For the purpose of comparing the suppressing effectiveness, the parameter study of the different numbers and locations, mass ratio, and pounding stiffness of MPTMDs were studied. The simulations showed that the number of MPTMDs and mass ratio are both significant in suppressing the wind/traffic/bridge coupled vibration; however, the pounding stiffness is not sensitive in suppressing the bridge vibration.
Perception to Adaptation of Climate Change in Nepal: An Empirical Analysis Using Multivariate Probit Model
Authors: GC Arun , Yeo Jun-Ho
Published: March 2019

This study assessed farmers’ perception of climate change, estimated the determinants of, and evaluated the relationship among adaptation practices using the multivariate probit model. A survey in 300 agricultural households was carried out covering 10 sample districts considering five agro-ecological zones and a vulnerability index. Four adaptation choices (change in planting date, crop variety, crop type and investment in irrigation) were deemed as outcome variables and socioeconomic, demographic, institutional, farm-level and perceptions variables were deployed as explanatory variables. Their marginal effects were determined for three climatic variables—temperature, precipitation and drought. Age, gender and education of head of household, credit access, farm area, rain-fed farming and tenure, are found to be more influential compared to other factors. All four adaptation-options are found to be complimentary to each other. Importantly, the intensity of impact of dependent variables in different models, and for available adaptation-options, are found to be unequal. Therefore, policy options and support facilities should be devised according to climatic variables and adaptation options to achieve superior results.
Household Food Consumption Patterns and Food Security among Low-Income Migrant Urban Farmers in Delhi, Jakarta, and Quito
Authors: Diehl Jessica Ann , Oviatt Kate , Chandra Amanda Jennifer , Kaur Harpreet
Published: March 2019

As growing populations in urban areas demand greater food supplies, the poor—particularly poor migrants—may be at higher risk for food insecurity. Evidence suggests that the urban poor who pursue agriculture in the city as a livelihood are more food secure. Thus, it could be assumed that migrants involved in urban agriculture are also in a better position to meet nutritional needs. The aim of this research was to explore household food security among migrant urban farmers using data from studies conducted in three rapidly urbanizing cities: Delhi, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; and, Quito, Ecuador. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted with market-oriented small-to-medium scale farmers in each city to understand livelihood and migrant status, household food consumption patterns, and food security. In general, we found that participation in urban agriculture had a positive impact on household food security among participants through direct (self-consumption) and indirect (improved income, improved access) means. Although each case city expressed a different form of low-income migrant practice of urban agriculture, findings suggest that growing food in the city offers some protection against food insecurity through improved quantity, quality, and diversity of food options. This study is particularly relevant in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. These factors guide development goals and priorities. Given that rural-urban migrant trends are predicted to continue, this exploratory study offers empirical evidence related to rural-urban migrants, food security, and urban agriculture.
MNEs’ Subsidiary HRM Practices and Firm Innovative Performance: A Tacit Knowledge Approach
Authors: Li Rong , Du Yi-Fei , Tang Hong-Juan , Boadu Francis , Xue Min
Published: March 2019

Although there is a general recognition that human resource management (HRM) practices are a key factor in a firm’s innovation performance, from the extant literature we see that empirical investigation does not always offer evidence to support this assertion. This paper proposes that knowledge transfer received positively moderates the link between HRM practices and firm innovative performance in foreign multinational enterprises (MNEs) subsidiaries operating in China. Specifically, the influence of tacit knowledge approach on the effects of knowledge transfer received on HRM practices and firm innovative performance. With hierarchical linear modeling, our results demonstrate that: (1) HRM practices can have a positive effect on firm innovative performance; (2) knowledge transfer received can positively moderate the effects of HRM practices and firm innovative performance; and (3) the positive effects of knowledge transfer received on HRM practices and firm innovative performance will be strengthened with a tacit knowledge approach. This paper shows that through the adaptation and application of a tacit knowledge approach, executives can create an atmosphere for interaction between the workforce and senior colleagues, forming an inter-intra network chain to share intangible knowledge that is mostly derived from the culture and experience.
Landscape Conservation Planning to Sustain Ecosystem Services under Climate Change
Authors: Lin Yu-Pin , Chen Chi-Ju , Lien Wan-Yu , Chang Wen-Hao , Petway Joy R. , Chiang Li-Chi
Published: March 2019

Sustainable conservation aims to ensure the sustained conservation of landscape multi-functionality which in turn requires ensuring ecosystem service (ES) and habitat quality (HQ) sustainability with inclusive landscape-scale conservation planning. This study proposes a landscape conservation planning (LCP) framework for landscape-scale ES-HQ conservation and sustainability. Spatially explicit hotspots for five ESs and HQs are identified via InVEST and LISA software. Spatiotemporal changes in ES-HQ hotspots, in terms of stability and resilience, are delineated. The Zonation technique is applied to prioritize areas for conservation based on ES-HQ hotspot stability and resilience maps. High priority conservation areas are identified and are used as reserve area inputs for land use modeling with CLUE-S software to simulate future land use change under climate change scenarios. This study reports that varied rainfall and climate are major driving factors of ES-HQ sustainability disturbance in the study area. Furthermore, our proposed conservation Strategy 2 demonstrates that a larger extent of landscape multi-functionality can be sustained when the existing conservation area includes the total area of identified ES-HQ resilient hotspots. This study effectively identifies the stability and resiliency of ES-HQ hotspot areas affected by disturbances for high priority landscape conservation requirements to ensure ES-HQ sustainability and landscape multi-functionality in the study area.
Resource Use in Mariculture: A Case Study in Southeastern China
Authors: Marín Tomás , Wu Jing , Wu Xu , Ying Zimin , Lu Qiaoling , Hong Yiyuan , Wang Xiaoyan , Yang Wu
Published: March 2019

China is the biggest provider of aquaculture products, and the industry is still growing rapidly. Further development of the sector will affect the provision of ecosystem services that maintain the livelihood of local populations. In particular, the current size and growth rate of China’s mariculture has raised many environmental concerns, but very few studies of this sector have been conducted to date. Here, we report the resource use in the production of six main Chinese mariculture products (Larimichthys crocea, Apostichopus japonicus, Haliotis spp., Laminaria japonica, Gracilaria spp., Porphyra spp.), taking the city of Ningde as a case study. We used the life cycle assessment framework and the Cumulated Exergy Demand indicator to quantify resource use, and implemented a Monte Carlo simulation where model uncertainty was included using various methods. The mean exergy demand values of the production of one live-weight ton of large yellow croaker, sea cucumber, abalone, laminaria, gracilaria, and porphyra are 106 GJ eq., 65 GJ eq., 126 GJ eq., 0.25 GJ eq., 1.55 GJ eq., and 0.98 GJ eq., respectively. For animal products, 45–90% of the impacts come from the feed requirements, while in seaweed production, 83–99% of the impacts are linked to the fuel used in operation and maintenance activities. Policies oriented toward efficient resource management in the mariculture sector thus should take the farm design, input management, and spatial planning of marine areas as the main targets to guide current practices into more sustainable ones in the future. Improvements in all those aspects can effectively increase resource efficiency in local mariculture production and additionally reduce other environmental impacts both locally and globally.
Existence of Positive Solutions and Its Asymptotic Behavior of (p(x), q(x))-Laplacian Parabolic System
Authors: Medekhel Hamza , Boulaaras Salah , Zennir Khaled , Allahem Ali
Published: March 2019

This paper deals with the existence of positively solution and its asymptotic behavior for parabolic system of ( p ( x ) , q ( x ) ) -Laplacian system of partial differential equations using a sub and super solution according to some given boundary conditions, Our result is an extension of Boulaaras’s works which studied the stationary case, this idea is new for evolutionary case of this kind of problem.
Genetic Susceptibility to Human Norovirus Infection: An Update
Authors: Nordgren Johan , Svensson Lennart
Published: March 2019

Noroviruses are the most common etiological agent of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Despite their high infectivity, a subpopulation of individuals is resistant to infection and disease. This susceptibility is norovirus genotype-dependent and is largely mediated by the presence or absence of human histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) on gut epithelial surfaces. The synthesis of these HBGAs is mediated by fucosyl- and glycosyltransferases under the genetic control of the FUT2 (secretor), FUT3 (Lewis) and ABO(H) genes. The so-called non-secretors, having an inactivated FUT2 enzyme, do not express blood group antigens and are resistant to several norovirus genotypes, including the predominant GII.4. Significant genotypic and phenotypic diversity of HBGA expression exists between different human populations. Here, we review previous in vivo studies on genetic susceptibility to norovirus infection. These are discussed in relation to population susceptibility, vaccines, norovirus epidemiology and the impact on public health.
Location-Allocation of Electric Vehicle Fast Chargers—Research and Practice
Authors: Motoaki Yutaka
Published: March 2019

This paper conducts a comparative analysis of academic research on location-allocation of electric vehicle fast chargers into the pattern of the actual fast-charger allocation in the United States. The work aims to highlight the gap between academic research and actual practice of charging-station placement and operation. It presents evidence that the node-serving approach is, in fact, applied in the actual location-allocation of fast charging stations. However, little evidence suggests that flow-capturing, which has been much more predominantly applied in research, is being applied in practice. The author argues that a large-scale location-allocation plan for public fast chargers should be formulated based on explicit consideration of stakeholders, the objective, practical constraints, and underlining assumptions.
Out of Amazonia and Back Again: Historical Biogeography of the Species-Rich Neotropical Genus Philodendron (Araceae)
Authors: Canal Dubán , Köster Nils , Celis Marcela , Croat Thomas B. , Borsch Thomas , Jones Katy E.
Published: March 2019

The origin of Neotropical species diversity is strongly associated with the geological history of South America. Since the Miocene, a number of species radiations across different Neotropical lineages coincided with the rise of the Andes and the formation of the Isthmus of Panama. The species-rich genus Philodendron Schott (Araceae) is widely distributed across Neotropical rainforests, originating in the Late Oligocene and diversifying more intensely from the Miocene onward. It is likely that its diversification process and distribution patterns are associated with recent geological changes in the Americas. To test this hypothesis, we sampled the species diversity of Philodendron across its entire geographic range and used a combination of three non-coding plastid regions (petD, rpl16, and trnK/matK) to obtain a comprehensive time-calibrated phylogeny. We then inferred geographic range evolution and explored the impact of the Andean orogeny on speciation, extinction, and dispersal. The genus Philodendron originated ~29 million years ago (mya) and experienced the earliest diversification events ~25 mya in the Pan-Amazonian rainforests. From the Middle Miocene onward, multiple geographic range expansion events occurred from Amazonia to southeast Brazil and to the area which would become the Chocó and the northern Andes. From the Pliocene onward, Philodendron reached Central America and the Caribbean islands, and Andean lineages recolonized and diversified in Amazonia. In Philodendron, higher diversification rates are found in the adjacent lowland rainforests of the northern Andes compared with other regions in the Neotropics, demonstrating a potential indirect impact of the Andean uplift on species radiations in lowland regions.
Effects of Excessive Body Fat Accumulation on Long-Term Outcomes during Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Kim Jwa-Kyung , Park Hyeong-Cheon , Song Young Rim , Kim Hyung Jik , Moon Sung Jin , Kim Sung Gyun
Published: March 2019

Background

Significant body fat accumulation is an inevitable but potentially serious problem in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Whether excessive fat gain predicts long-term outcomes in these patients remains unknown.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study ( n = 297), the associations of excessive fat accumulation with patient survival and PD failure rate were examined. Based on dialysis duration at the time of study enrollment, patients were divided into short-(< 2 years) and long-term (> 2 years) groups. Body weight (BW) and body composition were measured twice, 12.8 ± 4.6 months apart. Excessive fat accumulation was defined as a 1-year change in the percentage of body fat (ΔPBF) over the highest quartile (5.0% for men, 5.4% for women).

Results

Substantial 1-year increases in BW and PBF were observed only in the short-term group ( p < 0.001 and p = 0.027, respectively); changes were insignificant in the long-term group. In the short-term group, the ΔPBF was associated closely with unfavorable baseline metabolic profiles, including old age, diabetes, obesity, elevated blood pressure, and edema. Accordingly, the mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with, than in those without, excessive fat accumulation (hazard ratio [HR] 3.26, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 – 10.26). It also increased the incident risk of PD failure 2.22-fold (95% CI, 1.08 – 4.54), even after adjustment for diabetes, obesity, and fluid status. In the long-term group, fat gain had no impact on long-term prognosis.

Conclusions

Excessive fat accumulation during the early period of PD was associated with baseline unhealthy metabolic profiles, a higher mortality rate, and a higher PD failure rate, independent of baseline obesity and fluid status.
Are ISPD Guidelines on Peritonitis Diagnosis Too Narrow? A 15-Year Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study on PD-Associated Peritonitis Accounting for Untrained Patients
Authors: Balzer Michael S. , Claus Robert , Haller Hermann , Hiss Marcus
Published: March 2019

Background

Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis remains by far the most important complication requiring patients to transfer to hemodialysis and has a major impact on patient morbidity and mortality. Current International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) guidelines on peritonitis recommend analysis of peritonitis episodes only in trained patients. In a large tertiary care center, we analyzed peritonitis episodes accounting for different groups of untrained patients and compared these with episodes in the trained patient population.

Methods

We analyzed data collected prospectively over a 15-year time span regarding differences between peritonitis episodes in trained patients and episodes in untrained patients post-catheter insertion but prior to training completion as well as on in-center intermittent PD with respect to incidence rates, pathogenic organisms, outcome, and peritonitis predictors.

Results

In 275 patients, a total of 160 peritonitis episodes in trained patients were counted. A total of 27 additional episodes in untrained patients were recorded. When accounting for these episodes, the peritonitis incidence significantly increased and the percentage of peritonitis-free patients decreased. Peritonitis episodes in untrained patients were most often culture-negative and the pathogen spectrum differed significantly compared with episodes counted as per ISPD recommendations, while outcome of peritonitis episodes did not differ. Predictors of peritonitis after multivariate logistic regression analysis included glomerulonephritis as primary kidney disease, being on home PD rather than being on in-center intermittent PD, and higher dialysis vintage.

Conclusions

Depending on local practice patterns, we argue that centers should additionally monitor peritonitis episodes in untrained patients because computation of statistics as per ISPD recommendations could underestimate peritonitis incidence and may depict a distorted pathogen spectrum.
ESTIMATION OF MULTILAYERED WALL SLENDERNESS DEPENDING ON BEHAVIOUR OF FLEXIBLE TIES/SLUOKSNIUOTŲJŲ SIENŲ LIAUNIO ĮVERTINIMAS, ATSIŽVELGIANT Į LANKSČIŲ RYŠIŲ DARBĄ
Authors: Marčiukaitis Gediminas , Popovas Vladimiras
Published: March 2019

The problem of slenderness effect of multilayered wall with flexible ties is discussed. Numerical analysis was carried out with the aim to evaluate the influence of rigidity of exterior protective wall layer connected with interior load bearing layer by flexible ties. The buckling effect of layered wall was investigated. The main variables taken into account were thickness of the load bearing and protective layers, the distance between mentioned layers, total amount, diameter and distribution of flexible ties, physical and mechanical properties of wall materials. The results of analysis are discussed and compared with the results of analytical calculation methods. On the basis of numerical simulation data some proposals for buckling coefficient φ h calculation were suggested, depending on the structural type of the wall and the total amount of flexible ties distributed between the inner layers. The way of evaluation of the slenderness effect on the general behaviour of multilayered wall is provided additionaly to the requirements of the codes of practice.
FINITE ELEMENTS FOR MODELLING BEAMS AFFECTED BY A DISTRIBUTED LOAD
Authors: Kalanta Stanislovas
Published: March 2019

Usually a finite element with cubic deflection approximation function is applied when evaluating the stress and strain field of bar structures. But such an element only approximately evaluates the actual strain field of the bar affected by a distributed load. The improved finite elements (Fig 1, 2) with fourth and fifth-order deflection approximation functions (1), (6) and (13) are presented in the actual manuscript. The fifth-order deflection approximation function is used for modelling the beams affected by a linearly distributed load (11). The plain bending of the finite element is modelled by 5 and 6 freedom degrees. The additional 5th and 6th freedom degrees are the deflection and deviation of the middle node of element (Fig 2). The element stiffness matrices (Table 1, 2) and node force vectors are presented. The created finite elements exactly modells the stress and strain field of bars, which are affected by distributed load, and also allow to compute directly the middle section displacements of bars. It creates conditions for diminishing the volume of problems and obtaining information, which is necessary to be analysed later.

The reduced finite elements (Fig 4) are created by the elimination of the internal freedom degrees. Their number of freedom degrees is decreased up to the number of freedom degrees of a usually applied finite element. But the reduced finite elements have all afore-mentioned qualities. Formulas (20) and (21) are derived expressing the middle node displacements by the final node displacements. These formulas allow to compute the middle section displacements of the bar already after the solution of equation system.

The proposed reduced elements can be introduced and applied in engineering practice very easily, because their stiffness matrix coincide with the stiffness matrix of a usual bar finite element.

The created elements with internal freedom degrees are very important for the problems of structures optimization with displacement constraints, because the constraint of bar middle section displacement can form just in case, when this displacement is one of the problem's unknown. Also it is very important to decrease the number of unknowns of optimization problem.
THE ANALYSIS OF FIRES AND RESCUE OPERATIONS IN LITHUANIA/GAISRINGUMO IR GELBĖJIMO DARBŲ LIETUVOJE ANALIZĖ
Authors: Čyras Petras , Griškevičius Mečislavas , Jaras Artūras
Published: March 2019

With the recent increase in the fire and rescue functions the Lithuanian fire fighters have had to endure much higher physical and psychological obligations in fighting for people's welfare and even life.

11 393 fires with an estimated damage of 21,75 million Litas (LT) occurred in Lithuania in 1997 (Table 1). 227 persons perished in fires, 15 children among them. 134 people were wounded. The majority of them (146) perished in the countryside. 51,81 fire cases fell to 10.000 of the village inhabitants, whereas the average number of fires is 30,71 in Lithuania.

In 1997, the number of fire victims was 63 per 1 million of the Lithuanian population, while the analogous rate of the Scandinavian countries is 11–19 persons in average. The maximum number of fires occurred in the year of 1996 (Fig 2).

The qualitative and quantitative analysis of fire and rescue services rendered have been recently implemented and suggestions for the improvement of fire registration, reduction of fire rate as well as the increase in rescue services have been provided for.

In 1997, the majority of fires broke out in the residential areas, ie blocks of flats and private houses; the number of arson cases increased as well.

The basic causes of fire (Fig 3) were negligence in fire precautions (47,76%), improper electrical installations as well as violations of fire regulations (13,0%). 128 persons perished due to negligence. The high level of adults perished in fires is related to the ignorance and negligence in fire safety regulations.

The fire brigades have also been committed in carrying out rescue services according to the worldwide experience. In 1997 the Lithuanian rescuers responded to 4095 emergencies (Fig 7). Modern rescue equipment is being used. The rescue team, also, renders urgent medical assistance to the injured on the spot. 205 human lives were saved in 1997 (Fig 8).

In 1997, the militarised fire and rescue units liquidated 37 percent of fires, while the non-militarized units extinguished 10% of fires (Fig 9). The average expenses in estimating the complete supply and maintenance of the fire brigade fall to 6.450 LT per one statistical fire.

Relative numbers alongside with absolute numbers have been suggested to be used in the fire statistics, these being the rate of the fire frequency, the average fire damage and the relative fire damage rates. These factors characterise the fire rate and enable to determine the fire conditions of an administrative unit or throughout the country, as well as to compare them with other countries.

Preventive measures to reduce the fire rate have been presented in the recommendations and conclusions. The Fire Department has been commissioned to undertake all rescue functions in order to further continue the militarisation of the fire brigades, to install automatic smoke detectors in new buildings, to establish lightning conductors in the rural areas and pay particular attention to fixing improper installations.
VERIFICATION ANALYSIS OF CAST-IN-SITU REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES OF FRAMED MULTISTORY BUILDINGS/DAUGIAAUKŠČIŲ PASTATŲ MONOLITINIŲ RĖMINIŲ GELŽBETONINIŲ KONSTRUKCIJŲ TIKRINAMASIS SKAIČIAVIMAS
Authors: Kudzys Algirdas
Published: March 2019

The reliability of reinforced concrete structures of multistory residential and office buildings subjected to gravity and reiterated lateral loading is under consideration.

Slab-wall and beam-column structures and their joints of reinforced concrete buildings should be designed to resist normal and shear action effects resulting from gravity forces caused by permanent and useful live loads and lateral forces caused by reiterated short duration episodic wind gusts or seismic actions (Fig 1).

A random loading and overloading of relatively rigid joints by reiterated and variable in time transient lateral forces are very dangerous in reliability sense. Therefore, the strength analysis of flexural members of redundant systems must be formulated and solved in the probabilistic approach methods. Nonlinear behaviour of members are caused by material and geometrical non-linearity and depends on the inelastic hysteretic response of the slabs and beams in bending and shear.

The equilibrium equation of the non-linear hysteretic system is presented in formula (2) where M is the mass matrix; C is the damping matrix; K is the stiffness matrix; L is the load vector; Ü, U, U are the model accelerations, velocities and displacements vectors. The action effect of horizontal or vertical members can be evaluated by the formulae (3,4,5), where α j is the transposed row of the influence matrix α.

The probability distribution of member's strength and gravity forces is close to the normal one [4, 5, 6]. The probability distribution of annual extreme values of wind gusts obey Gumbel or Fisher-Tipet distribution laws [7, 8]. Therefore, for structural safety analysis of flat floor slabs, frame beams, and joint cores of their connections to walls and columns can be adjusted by the method of limit transient action effect based on the compound Poisson-Gumbel distribution law.

The long duration safety factor for flexural members can be evaluated by formulae (26), (28) and (37). Here “r” is the number of reiteration episodic lateral loads.

The method of limit transient action effect as simplified and rather accurate probabilistic approach to the verification analysis and structural quality estimation of reinforced concrete slab-wall and beam-column structural members and their joints permit to enlarge the successive progressive versions of Eurocode 1.
NEURAL NETWORK MATERIAL MODELLING/MEDŽIAGŲ NEURONINIŲ TINKLŲ FIZIKINIAI MODELIAI
Authors: Ghaboussi Jamshid , Wu Xiping , Kaklauskas Gintaras
Published: March 2019

Straipsnyje supažindinama su neuroninių tinklų metodo taikymų, kuriant fizikinius medžiagų modelius. Neuroninių tinklų metodas, pagrįstas žmogaus smegenų darbo modeliavimo principais, tik šį dešimtmetį praktiškai pradėtas taikyti įvairiose mokslo srityse. Pirmieji du šio straipsnio autoriai pirmieji pasaulyje pritaikė neuroninių tinklų metodą. fizikiniams modeliams kurti.

Neuroninį tinklą sudaro mazgai (neuronai), tarpusavyje sujungti ryšiais. Mazgai yra suskirstyti į grupes, vadinamas sluoksniais: pradinių duomenų ir rezultatų sluoksniai bei tarpiniai sluoksniai (1 pav.). Mazgai charakterizuojami aktyvumu, o ryšiai stiprumu. Mazgo aktyvumas nustatomas kaip į jį ateinančių ryšsių stiprumo ir atitinkamų mazgų aktyvumo sandaugų suma. Ryšių stiprumas, kuris gali turėti tiek teigiamą, tiek neigiamą. skaitinę reikšmę, nustatomas neuroninio tinklo „mokymo” metu. Tinklas dažniausiai „mokomas” pradinių duomenų ir rezultatų pavyzdžiu pagal tam tikras mokymo taisykles. Iš visų žinomų neuroninių tinklų bene plačiausiai taikomas grįžtamasis neuroninis tinklas (backpropagation neural network).

Straipsnyje supažindinama su grįžtamuoju neuroniniu tinklu, jo „mokymo” taisyklėmis, dinaminiais mazgų kūrimo principais bei tinklų kūrimo metodologija. Straipsnio pabaigoje pateikiama medžiagų fizikinių modelių kūrimo neuroniniais tinklais metodologija.
NEURAL NETWORK MODELLING OF STRESS-STRAIN RELATIONSHIPS FOR TENSILE CONCRETE IN FLEXURE/TEMPIAMO BETONO LENKIANT ĮTEMPIŲ DEFORMACIJŲ DIAGRAMŲ MODELIAVIMAS NEURONINIAIS TINKLAIS
Authors: Kaklauskas Gintaris , Ghaboussi Jamshid , Wu Xiping
Published: March 2019

Straipsnyje pateikiama daugiaparametrio tempiamo betono lenkiant fizikinio modelio sukūrimo metodika, naudojant neuroninius tinklus. Tai ankstesnio straipsnio [9], kuris supažindino su grįžtamuoju neuroniniu tinklu (backpropagation neural network), tinklo „mokymo” taisyklėmis, dinaminiais mazgų kūrimo principais bei fizikinių modelių kūrimo neuroniniais tinklais metodologia, tęsinys.

Kuriant tempiamo betono neuroninių tinklų fizikinį modelį, buvo panaudotos anksčiau gautos [3] tempiamo betono įtempių-deformacijių kreivės (1 ir 2 pav.). Šios kreivės buvo nu- statytos iš eksperimentinių gelžbetoninių sijų momentų-kreivių diagramų [4], taikant neseniai sukurtą. metodą. [1–3]. Eksperimentinės sijos buvo skirtingo skerspjūvio aukščio, skyrėsi jų armavimo koeficientas ir armatūros strypų skersmuo (1 lent.).

Gautų įtempių-deformacijų kreivių analizė parodė, kad jų forma priklauso nuo įvairių parametrų, pateiktų 2 ir 3 lentelėse. Idealiu atveju tempiamo betono deformacija ir šie parametrai turėtų atitikti neuroninio tinklo pradinių duomenų sluoksnio mazgus. Kadangi nepakako eksperimentinių duomenų, šiame darbe buvo pasirinkti še⋅i pradinių duomenų sluoksnio mazgai (3 pav.): tempiamo betono deformacija, betono stiprumas tempiant, betono tamprumo modulis, armavimo procentas, armatūros strypų skersmuo ir sijos skerspjūvio aukštis. Rezultatų sluoksnyje imtas vienas mazgas, atitinkantis tempiamo betono įtempius (3 pav.).

Buvo sukurti du neuroniniai tinklai. Pirmuoju atveju tinklo “mokymui” buvo panaudoti visų 14 sijų duomenys. Antruoju atveju buvo panaudoti 10 sijų duomenys, o likusios keturios sijos buvo paliktos tinklui testuoti. Abiem atvejais, prieš “apmokant” tinklus, buvo imti du tarpiniai sluoksniai, kurių kiekviename buvo po du mazgus. Baigus mokymą, tarpiniuose sluoksniuose buvo po penkis mazgus.

Gautas geras neuroniniais tinklais apskaičiuotų bei eksperimentinių tempiamo betono įtempių-deformacijų (4 ir 5 pav.) bei momentų-kreivių diagramų (6 pav.) atitikimas.
The Misaligned Orbit of the Earth-sized Planet Kepler-408b
Authors: Kamiaka 上赤 Shoya 翔也 , Benomar Othman , Suto 須 Yasushi 藤靖 , Dai 戴 Fei 飛 , Masuda 増田 Kento 賢人 , Winn Joshua N.
Published: March 2019

Kepler-408 is one of the 33 planet-hosting Kepler stars for which asteroseismology has been used to investigate the orientation of the stellar rotation axis relative to the planetary orbital plane. The transiting hot Earth, Kepler-408b, has an orbital period of 2.5 days and a radius of 0.86 R
⊕, making it much smaller than the planets for which spin–orbit alignment has been studied using the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect. Because conflicting asteroseismic results have been reported in the literature, we undertake a thorough re-appraisal of this system and perform numerous checks for consistency and robustness. We find that the conflicting results are due to the different models for the low-frequency noise in the power spectrum. A careful treatment of the background noise resolves these conflicts, and shows that the stellar inclination is

degrees. Kepler-408b is, by far, the smallest planet known to have a significantly misaligned orbit.
Dark Hole Maintenance and A Posteriori Intensity Estimation in the Presence of Speckle Drift in a High-contrast Space Coronagraph
Authors: Pogorelyuk Leonid , Kasdin N. Jeremy
Published: March 2019

Direct exoplanet imaging via coronagraphy requires maintenance of high contrast in a dark hole for lengthy integration periods. Wavefront errors that change slowly over that time accumulate and cause systematic errors in the star’s point-spread function (PSF) that limit the achievable signal-to-noise ratio of the planet. In this paper we show that estimating the speckle drift can be achieved via intensity measurements in the dark hole together with dithering of the deformable mirrors to increase phase diversity. A scheme based on an Extended Kalman Filter and Electric Field Conjugation is proposed for maintaining the dark hole during the integration phase. For the post-processing phase, an a posteriori approach is proposed to estimate the realization of the PSF drift process and the intensity of the planet light incoherent with the speckles.
Flows around Averaged Solar Active Regions
Authors: Braun D. C.
Published: March 2019

We explore the general properties of near-surface flows around solar active regions. Helioseismic holography is applied to HMI Dopplergrams yielding nearly 5000 flow measurements of 336 unique active regions observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory between 2010 and 2014. Ensemble averages of the flows, over subsets of regions sorted on the basis of magnetic flux, are performed. These averages show that converging flows, with speeds of about 10 m s−1 and extending up to 10° from the active-region centers, are prevalent and have similar properties for all regions with magnetic flux above 1021 Mx. Retrograde flows are also detected, with amplitudes around 10 m s−1, which predominantly, but not exclusively, flank the polar side of the active regions. We estimate the expected contribution of these active-region flows to longitudinal averages of zonal and meridional flows and demonstrate the plausibility that they are responsible for at least some component of the time-varying global-scale flows. The reliability of our flow determination is tested using publicly available MHD simulations of both quiet-Sun convection and of a sunspot. While validating the overall methodology in general, the sunspot simulation demonstrates the presence of artifacts that may compromise quantitative flow inferences from some helioseismic measurements.
Multiwavelength Study of Equatorial Coronal-hole Jets
Authors: Kumar Pankaj , Karpen Judith T. , Antiochos Spiro K. , Wyper Peter F. , DeVore C. Richard , DeForest Craig E.
Published: March 2019

Jets (transient/collimated plasma ejections) occur frequently throughout the solar corona and contribute mass/energy to the corona and solar wind. By combining numerical simulations and high-resolution observations, we have made substantial progress recently on determining the energy buildup and release processes in these jets. Here we describe a study of 27 equatorial coronal-hole jets using Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager observations on 2013 June 27–28 and 2014 January 8–10. Out of 27 jets, 18 (67%) are associated with mini-filament ejections; the other nine (33%) do not show mini-filament eruptions but do exhibit mini-flare arcades and other eruptive signatures. This indicates that every jet in our sample involved a filament-channel eruption. From the complete set of events, six jets (22%) are apparently associated with tiny flux-cancellation events at the polarity inversion line, and two jets (7%) are associated with sympathetic eruptions of filaments from neighboring bright points. Potential-field extrapolations of the source-region photospheric magnetic fields reveal that all jets originated in the fan-spine topology of an embedded bipole associated with an extreme ultraviolet coronal bright point. Hence, all our jets are in agreement with the breakout model of solar eruptions. We present selected examples and discuss the implications for the jet energy buildup and initiation mechanisms.
Angular Sizes, Radii, and Effective Temperatures of B-type Stars from Optical Interferometry with the CHARA Array
Authors: Gordon Kathryn D. , Gies Douglas R. , Schaefer Gail H. , Huber Daniel , Ireland Michael
Published: March 2019

We present interferometric observations of 25 spectral type-B stars that were made with the Precision Astronomical Visible Observations and the CLassic Interferometry with Multiple Baselines beam combiners at the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy Array (CHARA). The observations provide the angular sizes of these stars with an average error of 6%. The stars range in size from 1.09 mas for β Tau down to 0.20 mas for 32 Ori. We collected ultraviolet to infrared spectrophotometry and derived temperatures, angular diameters, and reddening estimates that best fit the spectra, as well as solutions with the angular size fixed by the interferometric measurements. There is generally good agreement between the observed and spectral fit angular diameters, indicating that the fluxes predicted from model atmospheres are reliable. On the other hand, the temperatures derived from angular diameters and fluxes tend to be larger (by ≈4%) than those from published results based on analysis of the line spectrum. This discrepancy may in part be attributed to unexplored atmospheric parameters or the existence of unknown companions. The physical radii of the stars are calculated from the angular diameters and Gaia DR2 parallaxes, and the target stars are placed in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram for comparison with evolutionary tracks.
Morphology of Hydrodynamic Winds: A Study of Planetary Winds in Stellar Environments
Authors: McCann John , Murray-Clay Ruth A. , Kratter Kaitlin , Krumholz Mark R.
Published: March 2019

Bathed in intense ionizing radiation, close-in gaseous planets undergo hydrodynamic atmospheric escape, which ejects the upper extent of their atmospheres into the interplanetary medium. Ultraviolet detections of escaping gas around transiting planets corroborate such a framework. Exposed to the stellar environment, the outflow is shaped by its interaction with the stellar wind and by the planet’s orbit. We model these effects using Athena to perform 3D radiative-hydrodynamic simulations of tidally locked hydrogen atmospheres receiving large amounts of ionizing extreme-ultraviolet flux in various stellar environments for the low-magnetic-field case. Through a step-by-step exploration of orbital and stellar wind effects on the planetary outflow, we find three structurally distinct stellar wind regimes: weak, intermediate, and strong. We perform synthetic Lyα observations and find unique observational signatures for each regime. A weak stellar wind—which cannot confine the planetary outflow, leading to a torus of material around the star—has a pretransit, redshifted dayside arm and a slightly redward-skewed spectrum during transit. The intermediate regime truncates the dayside outflow at large distances from the planet and causes periodic disruptions of the outflow, producing observational signatures that mimic a double transit. The first of these dips is blueshifted and precedes the optical transit. Finally, strong stellar winds completely confine the outflow into a cometary tail and accelerate the outflow outward, producing large blueshifted signals posttransit. Across all three regimes, large signals occur far outside of transit, offering motivation to continue ultraviolet observations outside of direct transit.
A New View on Auger Data and Cosmogenic Neutrinos in Light of Different Nuclear Disintegration and Air-shower Models
Authors: Heinze Jonas , Fedynitch Anatoli , Boncioli Denise , Winter Walter
Published: March 2019

We study the implications of ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray (UHECR) data from the Pierre Auger Observatory for potential accelerator candidates and cosmogenic neutrino fluxes for different combinations of nuclear disintegration and air-shower models. We exploit the most recent spectral and mass composition data (2017) with a new, computationally efficient simulation code, PriNCe. We extend a systematic framework, which has been previously applied in a combined fit by the Pierre Auger Collaboration, with the cosmological source evolution as an additional free parameter. In this framework, an ensemble of generalized UHECR accelerators is characterized by a universal spectral index (equal for all injection species), a maximal rigidity, and the normalizations for five nuclear element groups. We find that the 2017 data favor a small but constrained contribution of heavy elements (iron) at the source. We demonstrate that the results moderately depend on the nuclear disintegration (Puget–Stecker–Bredekamp, Peanut, or Talys) model and more strongly on the air-shower (EPOS-LHC, Sibyll 2.3, or QGSjetII-04) model. Variations of these models result in different source evolution and spectral indices, limiting the interpretation in terms of a particular class of cosmic accelerators. Better-constrained parameters include the maximal rigidity and the mass composition at the source. Hence, the cosmogenic neutrino flux can be robustly predicted. Depending on the source evolution at high redshifts, the flux is likely out of reach of future neutrino observatories in most cases, and a minimal cosmogenic neutrino flux cannot be claimed from data without assuming a cosmological distribution of the sources.