Search results for: pattern construction

Authors: Nitika Sharma, Yogesh Jain

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Introduction: An efficient Information System helps in improving the service delivery as well provides the foundation for policy and regulation of other building blocks of Health System. Health care organizations require an integrated working of its various sub-systems. An efficient EMR software boosts the teamwork amongst the various sub-systems thereby resulting in improved service delivery. Although there has been a huge impetus to EMR under the Digital India initiative, it has still not been mandated in India. It is generally implemented in huge funded public or private healthcare organizations only. Objective: The study was conducted to understand the factors that lead to the successful adoption of an affordable EMR in the low level healthcare organization. It intended to understand the design of the EMR and address the solutions to the challenges faced in adoption of the EMR. Methodology: The study was conducted in a non-profit registered Healthcare organization that has been providing healthcare facilities to more than 2500 villages including certain areas that are difficult to access. The data was collected with help of field notes, in-depth interviews and participant observation. A total of 16 participants using the EMR from different departments were enrolled via purposive sampling technique. The participants included in the study were working in the organization before the implementation of the EMR system. The study was conducted in one month period from 25 June-20 July 2018. The Ethical approval was taken from the institute along with prior approval of the participants. Data analysis: A word document of more than 4000 words was obtained after transcribing and translating the answers of respondents. It was further analyzed by focused coding, a line by line review of the transcripts, underlining words, phrases or sentences that might suggest themes to do thematic narrative analysis. Results: Based on the answers the results were thematically grouped under four headings: 1. governance of organization, 2. architecture and design of the software, 3. features of the software, 4. challenges faced in adoption and the solutions to address them. It was inferred that the successful implementation was attributed to the easy and comprehensive design of the system which has facilitated not only easy data storage and retrieval but contributes in constructing a decision support system for the staff. Portability has lead to increased acceptance by physicians. The proper division of labor, increased efficiency of staff, incorporation of auto-correction features and facilitation of task shifting has lead to increased acceptance amongst the users of various departments. Geographical inhibitions, low computer literacy and high patient load were the major challenges faced during its implementation. Despite of dual efforts made both by the architects and administrators to combat these challenges, there are still certain ongoing challenges faced by organization. Conclusion: Whenever any new technology is adopted there are certain innovators, early adopters, late adopters and laggards. The same pattern was followed in adoption of this software. He challenges were overcome with joint efforts of organization administrators and users as well. Thereby this case study provides a framework of implementing similar systems in public sector of countries that are struggling for digitizing the healthcare in presence of crunch of human and financial resources.

Keywords: EMR, healthcare technology, e-health, EHR

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Authors: Eliska Smidova, Petr Kabele

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This paper describes non-linear finite element simulation of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) under tensile and shear loads that induce cracking along fibers. For this purpose, we use 2D homogeneous orthotropic constitutive model of tensile and shear fracture in timber that has been recently developed and implemented into ATENA® finite element software by the authors. The model captures (i) material orthotropy for small deformations in both linear and non-linear range, (ii) elastic behavior until anisotropic failure criterion is fulfilled, (iii) inelastic behavior after failure criterion is satisfied, (iv) different post-failure response for cracks along and across the grain, (v) unloading/reloading behavior. The post-cracking response is treated by fixed smeared crack model where Reinhardt-Hordijk function is used. The model requires in total 14 input parameters that can be obtained from standard tests, off-axis test results and iterative numerical simulation of compact tension (CT) or compact tension-shear (CTS) test. New engineered timber composites, such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL), offer improved structural parameters compared to sawn timber. LVL is manufactured by laminating 3 mm thick wood veneers aligned in one direction using water-resistant adhesives (e.g. polyurethane). Thus, 3 main grain directions, namely longitudinal (L), tangential (T), and radial (R), are observed within the layered LVL product. The core of this work consists in 3 numerical simulations of experiments where Radiata Pine LVL and Yellow Poplar LVL were involved. The first analysis deals with calibration and validation of the proposed model through off-axis tensile test (at a load-grain angle of 0°, 10°, 45°, and 90°) and CTS test (at a load-grain angle of 30°, 60°, and 90°), both of which were conducted for Radiata Pine LVL. The second finite element simulation reproduces load-CMOD curve of compact tension (CT) test of Yellow Poplar with the aim of obtaining cohesive law parameters to be used as an input in the third finite element analysis. That is four point bending test of small-size arch of 780 mm span that is made of Yellow Poplar LVL. The arch is designed with a through crack between two middle layers in the crown. Curved laminated beams are exposed to high radial tensile stress compared to timber strength in radial tension in the crown area. Let us note that in this case the latter parameter stands for tensile strength in perpendicular direction with respect to the grain. Standard tests deliver most of the relevant input data whereas traction-separation law for crack along the grain can be obtained partly by inverse analysis of compact tension (CT) test or compact tension-shear test (CTS). The initial crack was modeled as a narrow gap separating two layers in the middle the arch crown. Calculated load-deflection curve is in good agreement with the experimental ones. Furthermore, crack pattern given by numerical simulation coincides with the most important observed crack paths.

Keywords: compact tension (CT) test, compact tension shear (CTS) test, fixed smeared crack model, four point bending test, laminated arch, laminated veneer lumber LVL, off-axis test, orthotropic elasticity, orthotropic fracture criterion, Radiata Pine LVL, traction-separation law, yellow poplar LVL, 2D constitutive model

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Authors: Yuan Yue, Wen-Wei Wang

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The objective of this research is to comprehensively evaluate the impact of alkaline environments on the durability of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) reinforcements in concrete structures and further explore their potential value within the construction industry. Specifically, we investigate the effects of two widely used high-performance concrete (HPC) materials on the durability of GFRP bars when embedded within them under varying temperature conditions. A total of 279 GFRP bar specimens were manufactured for microcosmic and mechanical performance tests. Among them, 270 specimens were used to test the residual tensile strength after 120 days of immersion, while 9 specimens were utilized for microscopic testing to analyze degradation damage. SEM techniques were employed to examine the microstructure of GFRP and cover concrete. Unidirectional tensile strength experiments were conducted to determine the remaining tensile strength after corrosion. The experimental variables consisted of four types of concrete (engineering cementitious composite (ECC), ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), and two types of ordinary concrete with different compressive strengths) as well as three acceleration temperatures (20, 40, and 60℃). The experimental results demonstrate that high-performance concrete (HPC) offers superior protection for GFRP bars compared to ordinary concrete. Two types of HPC enhance durability through different mechanisms: one by reducing the pH of the concrete pore fluid and the other by decreasing permeability. For instance, ECC improves embedded GFRP's durability by lowering the pH of the pore fluid. After 120 days of immersion at 60°C under accelerated conditions, ECC (pH=11.5) retained 68.99% of its strength, while PC1 (pH=13.5) retained 54.88%. On the other hand, UHPC enhances FRP steel's durability by increasing porosity and compactness in its protective layer to reinforce FRP reinforcement's longevity. Due to fillers present in UHPC, it typically exhibits lower porosity, higher densities, and greater resistance to permeation compared to PC2 with similar pore fluid pH levels, resulting in varying degrees of durability for GFRP bars embedded in UHPC and PC2 after 120 days of immersion at a temperature of 60°C - with residual strengths being 66.32% and 60.89%, respectively. Furthermore, SEM analysis revealed no noticeable evidence indicating fiber deterioration in any examined specimens, thus suggesting that uneven stress distribution resulting from interface segregation and matrix damage emerges as a primary causative factor for tensile strength reduction in GFRP rather than fiber corrosion. Moreover, long-term prediction models were utilized to calculate residual strength values over time for reinforcement embedded in HPC under high temperature and high humidity conditions - demonstrating that approximately 75% of its initial strength was retained by reinforcement embedded in HPC after 100 years of service.

Keywords: GFRP bars, HPC, degeneration, durability, residual tensile strength.

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Authors: Yaser Ghasemi Aryan, Firoozeh Moghiminejad, Mohammadreza Shahraki

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Background: The cooperative institution is considered the first and most essential pillar of strengthening social capital, whose sustainability is the main guarantee of survival and continued participation of local communities in natural resource management projects. The Village Development Group and the Microcredit Fund are two important social and economic institutions in the implementation of the International Project for the Restoration of Degraded Forest Lands (RFLDL) in Sarayan City, South Khorasan Province, which has learned positive lessons from the participation of the beneficiaries in the implementation. They have brought more effective projects to deal with desertification. However, the low activity or liquidation of some of these institutions has become one of the important challenges and concerns of project executive experts. The current research was carried out with the aim of explaining the main components of the instability of these institutions. Materials and Methods: This research is descriptive-analytical in terms of method, practical in terms of purpose, and the method of collecting information is two documentary and survey methods. The statistical population of the research included all the members of the village development groups and microcredit funds in the target villages of the RFLDL project of Sarayan city, based on the Kochran formula and matching with the Karjesi and Morgan table. Net people were selected as a statistical sample. After confirming the validity of the expert's opinions, the reliability of the questionnaire was 0.83, which shows the appropriate reliability of the researcher-made questionnaire. Data analysis was done using SPSS software. Results: The results related to the extraction of obstacles to the stability of social and economic networks were classified and prioritized in the form of 5 groups of social-cultural, economic, administrative, educational-promotional and policy-management factors. Based on this, in the socio-cultural factors, the items ‘not paying attention to the structural characteristics and composition of groups’, ‘lack of commitment and moral responsibility in some members of the group,’ and ‘lack of a clear pattern for the preservation and survival of groups’, in the disciplinary factors, The items ‘Irregularity in holding group meetings’ and ‘Irregularity of members to participate in meetings’, in the economic factors of the items "small financial capital of the fund’, ‘the low amount of loans of the fund’ and ‘the fund's inability to conclude contracts and attract capital from other sources’, in the educational-promotional factors of the items ‘non-simultaneity of job training with the granting of loans to create jobs’ and ‘insufficient training for the effective use of loans and job creation’ and in the policy-management factors of the item ‘failure to provide government facilities for support From the funds, they had the highest priority. Conclusion: In general, the results of this research show that policy-management factors and social factors, especially the structure and composition of social and economic institutions, are the most important obstacles to their sustainability. Therefore, it is suggested to form cooperative institutions based on network analysis studies in order to achieve the appropriate composition of members.

Keywords: cooperative institution, social capital, network analysis, participation, Sarayan.

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Authors: Emma S. Bowers

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Perturbations in global environments and temperatures have heightened the urgency of creating cost-efficient, energy-neutral building techniques. Structural responses to this thermal crisis have included designs (including those of the building standard PassivHaus) with airtightness, window placement, insulation, solar orientation, shading, and heat-exchange ventilators as potential solutions or interventions. Limitations in the predictability of the circulation of cooled air through the ambient temperature gradients throughout a structure are one of the major obstacles facing these enhanced building methods. A diverse range of air-cooling devices utilizing varying technologies is implemented around the world. Many of them worsen the problem of climate change by consuming energy. Using natural ventilation principles of air buoyancy and density to circulate fresh air throughout a building with no energy input can combat these obstacles. A unique prototype of an energy-neutral air-circulation system was constructed in order to investigate potential temperature and pressure gradients related to the stack effect (updraft of air through a building due to changes in air pressure). The stack effect principle maintains that since warmer air rises, it will leave an area of low pressure that cooler air will rush in to fill. The result is that warmer air will be expelled from the top of the building as cooler air is directed through the bottom, creating an updraft. Stack effect can be amplified by cooling the air near the bottom of a building and heating the air near the top. Using readily available, mostly recyclable or biodegradable materials, an insulated building module was constructed. A tri-part construction model was utilized: a subterranean earth-tube heat exchanger constructed of PVC pipe and placed in a horizontally oriented trench, an insulated, airtight cube aboveground to represent a building, and a solar chimney (painted black to increase heat in the out-going air). Pressure and temperature sensors were placed at four different heights within the module as well as outside, and data was collected for a period of 21 days. The air pressures and temperatures over the course of the experiment were compared and averaged. The promise of this design is that it represents a novel approach which directly addresses the obstacles of air flow and expense, using the physical principle of stack effect to draw a continuous supply of fresh air through the structure, using low-cost and readily available materials (and zero manufactured energy). This design serves as a model for novel approaches to creating temperature controlled buildings using zero energy and opens the door for future research into the effects of increasing module scale, increasing length and depth of the earth tube, and shading the building. (Model can be provided).

Keywords: air circulation, PassivHaus, stack effect, thermal gradient

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Authors: Mohamad Najari, Gilbert Grondin, Marwan El-Rich

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Design trucks in standard codes are selected based on the amount of damage they cause on structures-specifically bridges- and roads to represent the real traffic loads. Some limited numbers of trucks are run on a bridge one at a time and the damage on the bridge is recorded for each truck. One design track is also run on the same bridge “n” times -“n” is the number of trucks used previously- to calculate the damage of the design truck on the same bridge. To make these damages equal a reduction factor is needed for that specific design truck in the codes. As the limited number of trucks cannot be the exact representative of real traffic through the life of the structure, these reduction factors are not accurately calculated and they should be modified accordingly. Started on July 2004, the vehicle load data were collected in six weigh in motion (WIM) sites owned by Alberta Transportation for eight consecutive years. This database includes more than 200 million trucks. Having these data gives the opportunity to compare the effect of any standard fatigue trucks weigh and the real traffic load on the fatigue life of the bridges which leads to a modification for the fatigue truck factor in the code. To calculate the damage for each truck, the truck is run on the bridge, moment history of the detail under study is recorded, stress range cycles are counted, and then damage is calculated using available S-N curves. A 2000 lines FORTRAN code has been developed to perform the analysis and calculate the damages of the trucks in the database for all eight fatigue categories according to Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CSA S-16). Stress cycles are counted using rain flow counting method. The modification factors for design truck (CL-625) are calculated for two different bridge configurations and ten span lengths varying from 1 m to 200 m. The two considered bridge configurations are single-span bridge and four span bridge. This was found to be sufficient and representative for a simply supported span, positive moment in end spans of bridges with two or more spans, positive moment in interior spans of three or more spans, and the negative moment at an interior support of multi-span bridges. The moment history of the mid span is recorded for single-span bridge and, exterior positive moment, interior positive moment, and support negative moment are recorded for four span bridge. The influence lines are expressed by a polynomial expression obtained from a regression analysis of the influence lines obtained from SAP2000. It is found that for design truck (CL-625) fatigue truck factor is varying from 0.35 to 0.55 depending on span lengths and bridge configuration. The detail results will be presented in the upcoming papers. This code can be used for any design trucks available in standard codes.

Keywords: bridge, fatigue, fatigue design truck, rain flow analysis, FORTRAN

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Authors: Vinay Kumar Vanjakula, Frank Adam

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The generation of electricity through wind power is one of the leading renewable energy generation methods. Due to abundant higher wind speeds far away from shore, the construction of offshore wind turbines began in the last decades. However, the installation of offshore foundation-based (monopiles) wind turbines in deep waters are often associated with technical and financial challenges. To overcome such challenges, the concept of floating wind turbines is expanded as the basis of the oil and gas industry. For such a floating system, stabilization in harsh conditions is a challenging task. For that, a robust heavy-weight gravity anchor is needed. Transportation of such anchor requires a heavy vessel that increases the cost. To lower the cost, the gravity anchor is designed with ballast chambers that allow the anchor to float while towing and filled with water when lowering to the planned seabed location. The presence of such a large structure may influence the flow field around it. The changes in the flow field include, formation of vortices, turbulence generation, waves or currents flow breaking and pressure differentials around the seabed sediment. These changes influence the installation process. Also, after installation and under operating conditions, the flow around the anchor may allow the local seabed sediment to be carried off and results in Scour (erosion). These are a threat to the structure's stability. In recent decades, rapid developments of research work and the knowledge of scouring on fixed structures (bridges and monopiles) in rivers and oceans have been carried out, and very limited research work on scouring around a bluff-shaped gravity anchor. The objective of this study involves the application of different numerical models to simulate the anchor towing under waves and calm water conditions. Anchor lowering involves the investigation of anchor movements at certain water depths under wave/current. The motions of anchor drift, heave, and pitch is of special focus. The further study involves anchor scour, where the anchor is installed in the seabed; the flow of underwater current around the anchor induces vortices mainly at the front and corners that develop soil erosion. The study of scouring on a submerged gravity anchor is an interesting research question since the flow not only passes around the anchor but also over the structure that forms different flow vortices. The achieved results and the numerical model will be a basis for the development of other designs and concepts for marine structures. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) numerical model will build in OpenFOAM and other similar software.

Keywords: anchor lowering, anchor towing, gravity anchor, computational fluid dynamics, scour

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Authors: Abiodun Afolabi, Rufus Adesoji Adedoyin

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This study investigated and compared the effects of gym-based exercise programme (GEBP) and audio-visual guided home-based exercise programme (AVGHBEP) on selected Anthropometric variables (Weight (W), Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), Hip Circumference (HC), Thigh Circumference (TC), Waist-Hip-Ratio (WHR), Waist-Height-Ratio (WHtR), Waist-Thigh-Ratio (WTR), Biceps Skinfold Thickness (BSFT), Triceps Skinfold Thickness (TSFT), Suprailliac Skinfold Thickness (SISFT), Subscapular Skinfold Thickness (SSSFT) and Percent Body Fat (PBF)); and Cardiovasular variables (Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) and Heart Rate (HR)) of overweight and obese students of Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria, with a view to providing information and evidence for GBEP and AVGHBEP in reducing overweight and obesity for promoting cardiovascular fitness. Eighty overweight and obese students (BMI ≥ 25 Kg/m²) were involved in this pretest-posttest quasi experimental study. Participants were randomly assigned into GBEP (n = 40) and AVGBBEP (n = 40) groups. Anthropometric and cardiovascular variables were measured using a weighing scale, height meter, tape measure, skinfold caliper and electronic sphygmomanometer following standard protocols. GBEP and AVGHBEP were implemented following a circuit training (aerobic and resistance training) pattern with a duration of 40-60 minutes, thrice weekly for twelve weeks. GBEP consisted of gymnasium supervised exercise programme while AVGHBEP is a Visual Display guided exercise programme conducted at the home setting. Data were analyzed by Descriptive and Inferential Statistics. The mean ages of the participants were 22.55 ± 2.55 and 23.65 ± 2.89 years for the GBEP group and AVGHBEP group, respectively. Findings showed that in the GBEP group, there were significant reductions in anthropometric variables and adiposity measures of Weight, BMI, BSFT, TSFT, SISFT, SSSFT, WC, HC, TC, WHtR, and PBF at week 12 of the study. Similarly, in the AVGHBEP group, there were significant reductions in Weight, BMI, BSFT, TSFT, SISFT, SSSFT, WC, HC, TC, WHtR and PBF at the 12th week of intervention. Comparison of the effects of GEBP and AVGHBEP on anthropometric variables and measures of adiposity showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups in weight, BMI, BSFT, TSFT, SISFT, SSSFT, WC, HC, TC, WHR, WHtR, WTR and PBF between the two groups at week 12 of the study. Furthermore, findings on the effects of exercise on programmes on cardiovascular variables revealed that significant reductions occurred in SBP in GBEP group and AVGHBEP group respectively. Comparison of the effects of GBEP and AVGHBEP on cardiovascular variables showed that there was no significant difference in SBP, DBP and HR between the two groups at week 12 of the study. It was concluded that the Audio-Visual Guided Home-based Exercise Programme was as effective as the Gym-Based Exercise Programme in causing a significant reduction in anthropometric variables and body fat among college students who are overweight and obese over a period of twelve weeks. Both Gymnasium-Based Exercise Programme and Audio-Visual Guided Home-Based Exercise Programme led to significant reduction in Systolic Blood Pressure over a period of weeks. Audio-Visual Guided Home-Based Exercise Programme can, therefore, be used as an alternative therapy in the non-pharmacological management of people who are overweight and obese.

Keywords: gym-based exercises, audio-visual guided home-based exercises, anthropometric parameters, cardiovascular parameters, overweight students, obese students

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Authors: Marius Zemp

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Evidentials indicate how the speaker obtained the information conveyed in a statement. Detailed diachronic-functional accounts of evidential contrasts found in the Greater Himalayan Region (GHR) reveal that contrasting evidentials are not only defined against each other but also that most of them once had different aspecto-temporal (TA) values which must have aligned when their contrast was conventionalized. Based on these accounts, the present paper sheds light on hitherto unidentified mechanisms of grammatical change. The main insights of the present study were facilitated by ‘functional reconstruction’, which (i) revolves around morphemes which appear to be used in divergent ways within a language and/or across different related languages, (ii) persistently devises hypotheses as to how these functional divergences may have developed, and (iii) retains those hypotheses which most plausibly and economically account for the data. Based on the dense and detailed grammatical literature on the Tibetic language family, the author of this study is able to reconstruct the initial steps by which its evidentiality systems developed: By the time Proto-Tibetan started to be spread across much of Central Asia in the 7th century CE, verbal concatenations with and without a connective -s had become common. As typical for resultative constructions around the globe, Proto-Tibetan *V-s-’dug ‘was there, having undergone V’ (employing the simple past of ’dug ‘stay, be there’) allowed both for a perfect reading (‘the state resulting from V holds at the moment of speech’) and an inferential reading (‘(I infer from its result that) V has taken place’). In Western Tibetic, *V-s-’dug grammaticalized in its perfect meaning as it became contrasted with perfect *V-s-yod ‘is there, having undergone V’ (employing the existential copula yod); that is, *V-s-’dug came to mean that the speaker directly witnessed the profiled result of V, whereas *V-s-yod came to mean that the speaker does not depend on direct evidence of the result, as s/he simply knows that it holds. In Eastern Tibetic, on the other hand, V-s-’dug grammaticalized in its inferential past meaning as it became contrasted with past *V-thal ‘went past V-ing’ (employing the simple past of thal ‘go past’); that is, *V-s-’dug came to mean that the profiled past event was inferred from its result, while *V-thal came to mean that it was directly witnessed. Hence, depending on whether it became contrasted with a perfect or a past construction, resultative V-s-’dug grammaticalized either its direct evidential perfect or its inferential past function. This means that in both cases, evidential readings of constructions with distinct but overlapping TA-values became contrasted, and in order for their contrasting meanings to grammaticalize, the constructions had to agree on their tertium comparationis, which was their shared TA-value. By showing that other types of evidential contrasts in the GHR are also TA-aligned, while no single markers (or privative contrasts) are found to have grammaticalized evidential functions, the present study suggests that, at least in this region of the world, evidential meanings grammaticalize only in equipollent contrasts, which always end up TA-aligned.

Keywords: evidential contrasts, functional-diachronic accounts, grammatical change, himalayan languages, tense/aspect-alignment

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Authors: Kanduru Lokesh, Venkitasamy Kesavan

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The unique structural features of spiro-oxindoles with diverse biological activities have made them privileged structures in new drug discovery. The key structural characteristic of these compounds is the spiro ring fused at the C-3 position of the oxindole core with varied heterocyclic motifs. Structural diversification of heterocyclic scaffolds to synthesize new chemical entities as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals is one of the important goals of synthetic organic chemists. Nitrogen and oxygen containing heterocycles are by far the most widely occurring privileged structures in medicinal chemistry. The structural complexity and distinct three-dimensional arrangement of functional groups of these privileged structures are generally responsible for their specificity against biological targets. Structurally diverse compound libraries have proved to be valuable assets for drug discovery against challenging biological targets. Thus, identifying a new combination of substituents at C-3 position on oxindole moiety is of great importance in drug discovery to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the drugs. The development of suitable methodology for the synthesis of spiro-oxindole compounds has attracted much interest often in response to the significant biological activity displayed by the both natural and synthetic compounds. So creating structural diversity of oxindole scaffolds is need of the decade and formidable challenge. A general way to improve synthetic efficiency and also to access diversified molecules is through the annulation reactions. Annulation reactions allow the formation of complex compounds starting from simple substrates in a single transformation consisting of several steps in an ecologically and economically favorable way. These observations motivated us to develop the annulation reaction protocol to enable the synthesis of a new class of spiro-oxindole motifs which in turn would enable the enhancement of molecular diversity. As part of our enduring interest in the development of novel, efficient synthetic strategies to enable the synthesis of biologically important oxindole fused spirocarbocyclic systems, We have developed an efficient methodology for the construction of highly functionalized spirocarbocyclic oxindoles through [4+2] annulation of phthalides via Hauser annulation. functionalized spirocarbocyclic oxindoles was accomplished for the first time in the literature using Hauser annulation strategy. The reaction between methyleneindolinones and arylsulfonylphthalides catalyzed by cesium carbonate led to the access of new class of biologically important spiro[indoline-3,2'-naphthalene] derivatives in very good yields. The synthetic utility of the annulated product was further demonstrated by fluorination Using NFSI as a fluorinating agent to furnish corresponding fluorinated product.

Keywords: Hauser-Kraus annulation, spiro carbocyclic oxindoles, oxindole-ester, fluoridation

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Authors: Nasser Koleini Mamaghani, Sara Mostowfi

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The complexity of public space design makes it difficult for designers to simultaneously consider all issues for thorough decision-making. Among public spaces, the public space around people’s house is the most prominent space that affects and impacts people’s daily life. Considering recreational public spaces in cities, their main purpose would be to design for experiences that enable a deep feeling of peace and a moment of being away from the hectic daily life. Respecting human emotions and restoring natural environments, although difficult and to some extent out of reach, are key issues for designing such spaces. In this paper we propose to analyse the structure of recreational public spaces and the related emotional impressions. Furthermore, we suggest investigating how these structures influence people’s choice for public spaces by using differential semantics. According to Kansei methodology, in order to evaluate a situation appropriately, the assessment variables must be adapted to the user’s mental scheme. This means that the first step would have to be the identification of a space’s conceptual scheme. In our case study, 32 Kansei words and 4 different locations, each with a different sensual experience, were selected. The 4 locations were all parks in the city of Tehran (Iran), each with a unique structure and artifacts such as a fountain, lighting, sculptures, and music. It should be noted that each of these parks has different combination and structure of environmental and artificial elements like: fountain, lightning, sculpture, music (sound) and so forth. The first one was park No.1, a park with natural environment, the selected space was a fountain with motion light and sculpture. The second park was park No.2, in which there are different styles of park construction: ways from different countries, the selected space was traditional Iranian architecture with a fountain and trees. The third one was park No.3, the park with modern environment and spaces, and included a fountain that moved according to music and lighting. The fourth park was park No.4, the park with combination of four elements: water, fire, earth, wind, the selected space was fountains squirting water from the ground up. 80 participant (55 males and 25 females) aged from 20-60 years participated in this experiment. Each person filled the questionnaire in the park he/she was in. Five-point semantic differential scale was considered to determine the relation between space details and adjectives (kansei words). Received data were analyzed by multivariate statistical technique (factor analysis using SPSS statics). Finally the results of this analysis are criteria as inspiration which can be used in future space designing for creating pleasant feeling in users.

Keywords: environmental design, differential semantics, Kansei engineering, subjective preferences, space

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Authors: Magdalena Grudzińska

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Passive systems allow solar radiation to be converted into thermal energy thanks to appropriate building construction. Greenhouse systems are particularly worth attention, due to the low costs of their realization and strong architectural appeal. The paper discusses the energy effects of using passive greenhouse systems, such as glazed balconies, in an example residential building. The research was carried out for five localities in Poland, belonging to climatic zones different in terms of external air temperature and insolation: Koszalin, Poznań, Lublin, Białystok and Zakopane The analysed apartment had a floor area of approximately 74 m² Three thermal zones were distinguished in the flat - the balcony, the room adjacent to it, and the remaining space, for which various internal conditions were defined. Calculations of the energy demand were made using the dynamic simulation program, based on the control volume method. The climatic data were represented by Typical Meteorological Years, prepared on the basis of source data collected from 1971 to 2000. In each locality, the introduction of a passive greenhouse system led to a lower demand for heating in the apartment, and the shortening of the heating season. The smallest effectiveness of passive solar energy systems was noted in Białystok. Demand for heating was reduced there by 14.5% and the heating season remained the longest, due to low temperatures of external air and small sums of solar radiation intensity. In Zakopane, energy savings came to 21% and the heating season was reduced to 107 days, thanks to the greatest insolation during winter. The introduction of greenhouse systems caused an increase in cooling demand in the warmer part of the year, but total energy demand declined in each of the discussed places. However, potential energy savings are smaller if the building's annual life cycle is taken into consideration, and amount from 5.6% up to 14%. Koszalin and Zakopane are localities in which the greenhouse system allows the best energy results to be achieved. It should be emphasized that favourable conditions for introducing greenhouse systems are connected with different climatic conditions. In the seaside area (Koszalin) they result from high temperatures in the heating season and the smallest insolation in the summer period, while in the mountainous area (Zakopane) they result from high insolation in the winter and low temperatures in the summer. In the region of middle and middle-eastern Poland active systems (such as solar energy collectors or photovoltaic panels) could be more beneficial, due to high insolation during summer. It is assessed that passive systems do not eliminate the need for traditional heating in Poland. They can, however, substantially contribute to lower use of non-renewable fuels and the shortening of the heating season. The calculations showed diversification in the effectiveness of greenhouse systems resulting from climatic conditions, and allowed to identify areas which are the most suitable for the passive use of solar radiation.

Keywords: solar energy, passive greenhouse systems, glazed balconies, climatic conditions

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Authors: Tam Viet Hoang

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With a plethora of new mobility services and payment systems found in our cities and across modern public transportation systems, several cities globally have turned to common ticketing systems to help navigate this complexity. Helping to create time and space-differentiated fare structures and tariff schemes, common ticketing systems can optimize transport utilization rates, achieve cost efficiencies, and provide key incentives to specific target groups. However, not all cities and transportation systems have enjoyed a smooth journey towards the adoption, roll-out, and servicing of common ticketing systems, with both the experiences of success and failure being attributed to a wide variety of critical factors. Using case study research as a methodology and cities as the main unit of analysis, this research will seek to address the fundamental question of “what are the critical factors for the success and failure of common ticketing systems?” Using rail/train systems as the entry point for this study will start by providing a background to the evolution of transport ticketing and justify the improvements in operational efficiency that can be achieved through common ticketing systems. Examining the socio-economic benefits of common ticketing, the research will also help to articulate the value derived for different key identified stakeholder groups. By reviewing case studies of the implementation of common ticketing systems in different cities, the research will explore lessons learned from cities with the aim to elicit factors to ensure seamless connectivity integrated e-ticketing platforms. In an increasingly digital age and where cities are now coming online, this paper seeks to unpack these critical factors, undertaking case study research drawing from literature and lived experiences. Offering us a better understanding of the enabling environment and ideal mixture of ingredients to facilitate the successful roll-out of a common ticketing system, interviews will be conducted with transport operators from several selected cities to better appreciate the challenges and strategies employed to overcome those challenges in relation to common ticketing systems. Meanwhile, as we begin to see the introduction of new mobile applications and user interfaces to facilitate ticketing and payment as part of the transport journey, we take stock of numerous policy challenges ahead and implications on city-wide and system-wide urban planning. It is hoped that this study will help to identify the critical factors for the success and failure of common ticketing systems for cities set to embark on their implementation while serving to fine-tune processes in those cities where common ticketing systems are already in place. Outcomes from the study will help to facilitate an improved understanding of common pitfalls and essential milestones towards the roll-out of a common ticketing system for railway systems, especially for emerging countries where mass rapid transit transport systems are being considered or in the process of construction.

Keywords: common ticketing, public transport, urban strategies, Bangkok, Fukuoka, Sydney

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Authors: Walter Vera-Ortega, Idoia Busnadiego, Sam J. Wilson

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Introduction: Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) is responsible for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a leading cause of death worldwide infecting millions of people each year. Despite intensive research in vaccine development, therapies against HIV-1 infection are not curative, and the huge genetic variability of HIV-1 challenges to drug development. Current animal models for HIV-1 research present important limitations, impairing the progress of in vivo approaches. Macaques require a CD8+ depletion to progress to AIDS, and the maintenance cost is high. Mice are a cheaper alternative but need to be 'humanized,' and breeding is not possible. The development of an HIV-1 clone able to replicate in mice is a challenging proposal. The lack of human co-factors in mice impedes the function of the HIV-1 accessory proteins, Tat and Rev, hampering HIV-1 replication. However, Tat and Rev function can be replaced by constitutive/chimeric promoters, codon-optimized proteins and the constitutive transport element (CTE), generating a novel HIV-1 clone able to replicate in mice without disrupting the amino acid sequence of the virus. By minimally manipulating the genomic 'identity' of the virus, we propose the generation of an HIV-1 clone able to replicate in mice to assist in antiviral drug development. Methods: i) Plasmid construction: The chimeric promoters and CTE copies were cloned by PCR using lentiviral vectors as templates (pCGSW and pSIV-MPCG). Tat mutants were generated from replication competent HIV-1 plasmids (NHG and NL4-3). ii) Infectivity assays: Retroviral vectors were generated by transfection of human 293T cells and murine NIH 3T3 cells. Virus titre was determined by flow cytometry measuring GFP expression. Human B-cells (AA-2) and Hela cells (TZMbl) were used for infectivity assays. iii) Protein analysis: Tat protein expression was determined by TZMbl assay and HIV-1 capsid by western blot. Results: We have determined that NIH 3T3 cells are able to generate HIV-1 particles. However, they are not infectious, and further analysis needs to be performed. Codon-optimized HIV-1 constructs are efficiently made in 293T cells in a Tat and Rev independent manner and capable of packaging a competent genome in trans. CSGW is capable of generating infectious particles in the absence of Tat and Rev in human cells when 4 copies of the CTE are placed preceding the 3’LTR. HIV-1 Tat mutant clones encoding different promoters are functional during the first cycle of replication when Tat is added in trans. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the development of an HIV-1 Tat-Rev independent clone is challenging but achievable aim. However, further investigations need to be developed prior presenting our HIV-1 clone as a candidate model for research.

Keywords: codon-optimized, constitutive transport element, HIV-1, long terminal repeats, research model

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Authors: Małgorzata Golonka, Jadwiga Laska

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Self-healing polymers are one of the most investigated groups of smart materials. As materials engineering has recently focused on the design, production and research of modern materials and future technologies, researchers are looking for innovations in structural, construction and coating materials. Based on available scientific articles, it can be concluded that most of the research focuses on the self-healing of cement, concrete, asphalt and anticorrosion resin coatings. In our study, a method of obtaining and testing the properties of several types of microcapsules for use in self-healing polymer materials was developed. A method to obtain microcapsules exhibiting various mechanical properties, especially compressive strength was developed. The effect was achieved by using various polymer materials to build the shell: urea-formaldehyde resin (UFR), melamine-formaldehyde resin (MFR), melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin (MUFR). Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) was used as the core material due to the possibility of its polymerization according to the ring-opening olefin metathesis (ROMP) mechanism in the presence of a solid Grubbs catalyst showing relatively high chemical and thermal stability. The ROMP of dicyclopentadiene leads to a polymer with high impact strength, high thermal resistance, good adhesion to other materials and good chemical and environmental resistance, so it is potentially a very promising candidate for the self-healing of materials. The capsules were obtained by condensation polymerization of formaldehyde with urea, melamine or copolymerization with urea and melamine in situ in water dispersion, with different molar ratios of formaldehyde, urea and melamine. The fineness of the organic phase dispersed in water, and consequently the size of the microcapsules, was regulated by the stirring speed. In all cases, to establish such synthesis conditions as to obtain capsules with appropriate mechanical strength. The microcapsules were characterized by determining the diameters and their distribution and measuring the shell thickness using digital optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, as well as confirming the presence of the active substance in the core by FTIR and SEM. Compression tests were performed to determine mechanical strength of the microcapsules. The highest repeatability of microcapsule properties was obtained for UFR resin, while the MFR resin had the best mechanical properties. The encapsulation efficiency of MFR was much lower compared to UFR, though. Therefore, capsules with a MUFR shell may be the optimal solution. The chemical reaction between the active substance present in the capsule core and the catalyst placed outside the capsules was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The obtained autonomous repair systems (microcapsules + catalyst) were introduced into polyethylene in the extrusion process and tested for the self-repair of the material.

Keywords: autonomic self-healing system, dicyclopentadiene, melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin, microcapsules, thermoplastic materials

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Authors: Mohammad Moridzadeh, Gholamreza Mesri

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The effectiveness of lime treatment of soils has been commonly evaluated in terms of improved workability and increased undrained unconfined compressive strength in connection to road and airfield construction. The most common method of strength measurement has been the unconfined compression test. However, if the objective of lime treatment is to improve long-term stability of first-time or reactivated landslides in stiff clays and shales, permanent changes in the size and shape of clay particles must be realized to increase drained frictional resistance. Lime-soil interactions that may produce less platy and larger soil particles begin and continue with time under the highly alkaline pH environment. In this research, pH measurements are used to monitor chemical environment and progress of reactions. Atterberg limits are measured to identify changes in particle size and shape indirectly. Also, fully softened and residual strength measurements are used to examine an improvement in frictional resistance due to lime-soil interactions. The main variables are soil plasticity and mineralogy, lime content, water content, and curing period. Lime effect on frictional resistance is examined using samples of clays with different mineralogy and characteristics which may react with lime to various extents. Drained direct shear tests on reconstituted lime-treated clay specimens with various properties have been performed to measure fully softened shear strength. To measure residual shear strength, drained multiple reversal direct shear tests on precut specimens were conducted. This way, soil particles are oriented along the direction of shearing to the maximum possible extent and provide minimum frictional resistance. This is applicable to reactivated and part of first-time landslides. The Brenna clay, which is the highly plastic lacustrine clay of Lake Agassiz causing slope instability along the banks of the Red River, is one of the soil samples used in this study. The Brenna Formation characterized as a uniform, soft to firm, dark grey, glaciolacustrine clay with little or no visible stratification, is full of slickensided surfaces. The major source of sediment for the Brenna Formation was the highly plastic montmorillonitic Pierre Shale bedrock. The other soil used in this study is one of the main sources of slope instability in Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), i.e. the Beaumont clay. The shear strengths of untreated and treated clays were obtained under various normal pressures to evaluate the shear envelope nonlinearity.

Keywords: Brenna clay, friction resistance, lime treatment, residual

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Authors: Linna Li

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The capability to move around places is doubtless very important for individuals to maintain good health and social functions. People’s activities in space and time have long been a research topic in behavioral and socio-economic studies, particularly focusing on the highly dynamic urban environment. By analyzing groups of people who share similar activity patterns, many socio-economic and socio-demographic problems and their relationships with individual behavior preferences can be revealed. Los Angeles, known for its large population, ethnic diversity, cultural mixing, and entertainment industry, faces great transportation challenges such as traffic congestion, parking difficulties, and long commuting. Understanding people’s travel behavior and movement patterns in this metropolis sheds light on potential solutions to complex problems regarding urban mobility. This project visualizes people’s trajectories in Greater Los Angeles (L.A.) Area over a period of two months using Twitter data. A Python script was used to collect georeferenced tweets within the Greater L.A. Area including Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange counties. Information associated with tweets includes text, time, location, and user ID. Information associated with users includes name, the number of followers, etc. Both aggregated and individual activity patterns are demonstrated using various geovisualization techniques. Locations of individual Twitter users were aggregated to create a surface of activity hot spots at different time instants using kernel density estimation, which shows the dynamic flow of people’s movement throughout the metropolis in a twenty-four-hour cycle. In the 3D geovisualization interface, the z-axis indicates time that covers 24 hours, and the x-y plane shows the geographic space of the city. Any two points on the z axis can be selected for displaying activity density surface within a particular time period. In addition, daily trajectories of Twitter users were created using space-time paths that show the continuous movement of individuals throughout the day. When a personal trajectory is overlaid on top of ancillary layers including land use and road networks in 3D visualization, the vivid representation of a realistic view of the urban environment boosts situational awareness of the map reader. A comparison of the same individual’s paths on different days shows some regular patterns on weekdays for some Twitter users, but for some other users, their daily trajectories are more irregular and sporadic. This research makes contributions in two major areas: geovisualization of spatial footprints to understand travel behavior using the big data approach and dynamic representation of activity space in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Unlike traditional travel surveys, social media (e.g., Twitter) provides an inexpensive way of data collection on spatio-temporal footprints. The visualization techniques used in this project are also valuable for analyzing other spatio-temporal data in the exploratory stage, thus leading to informed decisions about generating and testing hypotheses for further investigation. The next step of this research is to separate users into different groups based on gender/ethnic origin and compare their daily trajectory patterns.

Keywords: geovisualization, human mobility pattern, Los Angeles, social media

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Authors: Gabrielle Peck, Ryan Hayes

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Polyurethane (PU) foam is typically sold as acoustic foam that is often used as sound insulation in settings such as night clubs and bars. As a construction product, PU is tested by being glued to the walls and ceiling of the ISO 9705 room corner test room. However, when heat is applied to PU foam, it melts and burns as a pool fire due to it being a thermoplastic. The current test layout is unable to accurately measure mass loss and doesn’t allow for the material to burn as a pool fire without seeping out of the test room floor. The lack of mass loss measurement means gas yields pertaining to smoke toxicity analysis can’t be calculated, which makes data comparisons from any other material or test method difficult. Additionally, the heat release measurements are not representative of the actual measurements taken as a lot of the material seeps through the floor (when a tray to catch the melted material is not used). This research aimed to modify the ISO 9705 test to provide the ability to measure mass loss to allow for better calculation of gas yields and understanding of decomposition. It also aimed to accurately measure smoke toxicity in both the doorway and duct and enable dilution factors to be calculated. Finally, the study aimed to examine if doubling the fuel loading would force under-ventilated flaming. The test layout was modified to be a combination of the SBI (single burning item) test set up inside oof the ISO 9705 test room. Polyurethane was tested in two different ways with the aim of altering the ventilation condition of the tests. Test one was conducted using 1 x SBI test rig aiming for well-ventilated flaming. Test two was conducted using 2 x SBI rigs (facing each other inside the test room) (doubling the fuel loading) aiming for under-ventilated flaming. The two different configurations used were successful in achieving both well-ventilated flaming and under-ventilated flaming, shown by the measured equivalence ratios (measured using a phi meter designed and created for these experiments). The findings show that doubling the fuel loading will successfully force under-ventilated flaming conditions to be achieved. This method can therefore be used when trying to replicate post-flashover conditions in future ISO 9705 room corner tests. The radiative heat generated by the two SBI rigs facing each other facilitated a much higher overall heat release resulting in a more severe fire. The method successfully allowed for accurate measurement of smoke toxicity produced from the PU foam in terms of simple gases such as oxygen depletion, CO and CO2. Overall, the proposed test modifications improve the ability to measure the smoke toxicity of materials in different fire conditions on a large-scale.

Keywords: flammability, ISO9705, large-scale testing, polyurethane, smoke toxicity

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Authors: Marita Pigłowska, Beata Kurc, Paweł Daszkiewicz

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Railway vehicles are divided into two groups: traction (powered) vehicles and wagons. The traction vehicles include locomotives (line and shunting), railcars (sometimes referred to as railbuses), and multiple units (electric and diesel), consisting of several or a dozen carriages. In vehicles with diesel traction, fuel energy (petrol, diesel, or compressed gas) is converted into mechanical energy directly in the internal combustion engine or via electricity. In the latter case, the combustion engine generator produces electricity that is then used to drive the vehicle (diesel-electric drive or electric transmission). In Poland, such a solution dominates both in heavy linear and shunting locomotives. The classic diesel drive is available for the lightest shunting locomotives, railcars, and passenger diesel multiple units. Vehicles with electric traction do not have their own source of energy -they use pantographs to obtain electricity from the traction network. To determine the competitiveness of the hydrogen propulsion system, it is essential to understand how it works. The basic elements of the construction of a railway vehicle drive system that uses hydrogen as a source of traction force are fuel cells, batteries, fuel tanks, traction motors as well as main and auxiliary converters. The compressed hydrogen is stored in tanks usually located on the roof of the vehicle. This resource is supplemented with the use of specialized infrastructure while the vehicle is stationary. Hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell, where it oxidizes. The effect of this chemical reaction is electricity and water (in two forms -liquid and water vapor). Electricity is stored in batteries (so far, lithium-ion batteries are used). Electricity stored in this way is used to drive traction motors and supply onboard equipment. The current generated by the fuel cell passes through the main converter, whose task is to adjust it to the values required by the consumers, i.e., batteries and the traction motor. The work will attempt to construct a fuel cell with unique electrodes. This research is a trend that connects industry with science. The first goal will be to obtain hydrogen on a large scale in tube furnaces, to thoroughly analyze the obtained structures (IR), and to apply the method in fuel cells. The second goal is to create low-energy energy storage and distribution station for hydrogen and electric vehicles. The scope of the research includes obtaining a carbon variety and obtaining oxide systems on a large scale using a tubular furnace and then supplying vehicles. Acknowledgments: This work is supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Education, project "The best of the best! 4.0", number 0911/MNSW/4968 – M.P. and grant 0911/SBAD/2102—B.K.

Keywords: railway, hydrogen, fuel cells, hybrid vehicles

Procedia PDF Downloads 173

Authors: Tsitsi Nyukurayi Muparari, Walter Timo De Vries, Jaap Zevenbergen

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The nature of Land administration accommodates diversity in terms of both spatial data handling activities and the expertise involved, which supposedly aims to satisfy the unpredictable demands of land data and the diverse demands of the customers arising from the land. However, it is known that strategic decisions of restructuring are in most cases repelled in favour of complex structures that strive to accommodate professional diversity and diverse roles in the field of Land administration. Yet despite of this widely accepted knowledge, there is scanty theoretical knowledge concerning the psychological methodologies that can extract the deeper perceptions from the diverse spatial expertise in order to explain the invisible control arm of the polarised reception of the ideas of change. This paper evaluates Q methodology in the context of a cadastre and land registry merger (under one agency) using the Swedish cadastral system as a case study. Precisely, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of Q methodology towards modelling the diverse psychological perceptions of spatial professionals who are in a widely contested decision of merging the cadastre and land registry components of Land administration using the Swedish cadastral system as a case study. An empirical approach that is prescribed by Q methodology starts with the concourse development, followed by the design of statements and q sort instrument, selection of the participants, the q-sorting exercise, factor extraction by PQMethod and finally narrative development by logic of abduction. The paper uses 36 statements developed from a dominant competing value theory that stands out on its reliability and validity, purposively selects 19 participants to do the Qsorting exercise, proceeds with factor extraction from the diversity using varimax rotation and judgemental rotation provided by PQMethod and effect the narrative construction using the logic abduction. The findings from the diverse perceptions from cadastral professionals in the merger decision of land registry and cadastre components in Sweden’s mapping agency (Lantmäteriet) shows that focus is rather inclined on the perfection of the relationship between the legal expertise and technical spatial expertise. There is much emphasis on tradition, loyalty and communication attributes which concern the organisation’s internal environment rather than innovation and market attributes that reveals customer behavior and needs arising from the changing humankind-land needs. It can be concluded that Q methodology offers effective tools that pursues a psychological approach for the evaluation and gradations of the decisions of strategic change through extracting the local perceptions of spatial expertise.

Keywords: cadastre, factor extraction, land administration merger, land registry, q-methodology, rotation

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Authors: Camilla Simoncelli

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The connection between language and cognition has been one of the main interests of linguistics from several years. According to the Sapir-Whorf Linguistic Relativity Theory, the way we perceive reality depends on the language we speak which in turn has a central role in the human cognition. This paper is in line with this research work with the aim of analyzing how language structures reflect on our cognitive abilities even in the description of space, which is generally considered as a human natural and universal domain. The main objective is to identify the differences in the encoding of spatial inclusion relationships in French and Italian speakers to make evidence that a significant variation exists at various levels even in two similar systems. Starting from the constitution a corpora, the first step of the study has been to establish the relevant complex prepositions marking an inclusion relation in French and Italian: au centre de, au cœur de, au milieu de, au sein de, à l'intérieur de and the opposition entre/parmi in French; al centro di, al cuore di, nel mezzo di, in seno a, all'interno di and the fra/tra contrast in Italian. These prepositions had been classified on the base of the type of Noun following them (e.g. mass nouns, concrete nouns, abstract nouns, body-parts noun, etc.) following the Collostructional Analysis of lexemes with the purpose of analyzing the preferred construction of each preposition comparing the relations construed. Comparing the Italian and the French results it has been possible to define the degree of representativeness of each target Noun for the chosen preposition studied. Lexicostatistics and Statistical Association Measures showed the values of attraction or repulsion between lexemes and a given preposition, highlighting which words are over-represented or under-represented in a specific context compared to the expected results. For instance, a Noun as Dibattiti has a negative value for the Italian Al cuore di (-1,91), but it has a strong positive representativeness for the corresponding French Au cœur de (+677,76). The value, positive or negative, is the result of a hypergeometric distribution law which displays the current use of some relevant nouns in relations of spatial inclusion by French and Italian speakers. Differences on the kind of location conceptualization denote syntactic and semantic constraints based on spatial features as well as on linguistic peculiarity, too. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the domain of spatial relations is basic to human experience and is linked to universally shared perceptual mechanisms which create mental representations depending on the language use. Therefore, linguistic coding strongly correlates with the way spatial distinctions are conceptualized for non-verbal tasks even in close language systems, like Italian and French.

Keywords: cognitive semantics, cross-linguistic variations, locational terms, non-verbal spatial representations

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Authors: Haley Gershon

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The transition from using fossil fuel-based building material to formulating eco-friendly and biobased building materials plays a key role in sustainable building. The growing demand on a global level for biobased materials in the building and construction industries heightens the importance of carbon-14 testing, an analytical method used to determine the percentage of biobased content that comprises a material’s ingredients. This presentation will focus on the use of carbon-14 analysis within the building materials sector. Carbon-14, also known as radiocarbon, is a weakly radioactive isotope present in all living organisms. Any fossil material older than 50,000 years will not contain any carbon-14 content. The radiocarbon method is thus used to determine the amount of carbon-14 content present in a given sample. Carbon-14 testing is performed according to ASTM D6866, a standard test method developed specifically for biobased content determination of material in solid, liquid, or gaseous form, which requires radiocarbon dating. Samples are combusted and converted into a solid graphite form and then pressed onto a metal disc and mounted onto a wheel of an accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) machine for the analysis. The AMS instrument is used in order to count the amount of carbon-14 present. By submitting samples for carbon-14 analysis, manufacturers of building materials can confirm the biobased content of ingredients used. Biobased testing through carbon-14 analysis reports results as percent biobased content, indicating the percentage of ingredients coming from biomass sourced carbon versus fossil carbon. The analysis is performed according to standardized methods such as ASTM D6866, ISO 16620, and EN 16640. Products 100% sourced from plants, animals, or microbiological material are therefore 100% biobased, while products sourced only from fossil fuel material are 0% biobased. Any result in between 0% and 100% biobased indicates that there is a mixture of both biomass-derived and fossil fuel-derived sources. Furthermore, biobased testing for building materials allows manufacturers to submit eligible material for certification and eco-label programs such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred Program. This program includes a voluntary labeling initiative for biobased products, in which companies may apply to receive and display the USDA Certified Biobased Product label, stating third-party verification and displaying a product’s percentage of biobased content. The USDA program includes a specific category for Building Materials. In order to qualify for the biobased certification under this product category, examples of product criteria that must be met include minimum 62% biobased content for wall coverings, minimum 25% biobased content for lumber, and a minimum 91% biobased content for floor coverings (non-carpet). As a result, consumers can easily identify plant-based products in the marketplace.

Keywords: carbon-14 testing, biobased, biobased content, radiocarbon dating, accelerator mass spectrometry, AMS, materials

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Authors: Bastien Sanglard, Lou Magnat, Ligia Barna, Julian Carrey, Sébastien Lachaize

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Cooking is a primary need for humans, several techniques being used around the globe based on different sources of energy: electricity, solid fuel (wood, coal...), fuel or liquefied petroleum gas. However, all of them leads to direct or indirect greenhouse gas emissions and sometimes health damage in household. Therefore, the solar concentrated power represent a great option to lower the damages because of a cleaner using phase. Nevertheless, the construction phase of the solar cooker still requires primary energy and materials, which leads to environmental impacts. The aims of this work is to analyse the ecological impacts of a commercialaluminium parabola and to compare it with other means of cooking, taking the boiling of 2 litres of water three times a day during 40 years as the functional unit. Life cycle assessment was performed using the software Umberto and the EcoInvent database. Calculations were realized over more than 13 criteria using two methods: the international panel on climate change method and the ReCiPe method. For the reflector itself, different aluminium provenances were compared, as well as the use of recycled aluminium. For the structure, aluminium was compared to iron (primary and recycled) and wood. Results show that climate impacts of the studied parabola was 0.0353 kgCO2eq/kWh when built with Chinese aluminium and can be reduced by 4 using aluminium from Canada. Assessment also showed that using 32% of recycled aluminium would reduce the impact by 1.33 and 1.43 compared to the use of primary Canadian aluminium and primary Chinese aluminium, respectively. The exclusive use of recycled aluminium lower the impact by 17. Besides, the use of iron (recycled or primary) or wood for the structure supporting the reflector significantly lowers the impact. The impact categories of the ReCiPe method show that the parabola made from Chinese aluminium has the heaviest impact - except for metal resource depletion - compared to aluminium from Canada, recycled aluminium or iron. Impact of solar cooking was then compared to gas stove and induction. The gas stove model was a cast iron tripod that supports the cooking pot, and the induction plate was as well a single spot plate. Results show the parabolic solar cooker has the lowest ecological impact over the 13 criteria of the ReCiPe method and over the global warming potential compared to the two other technologies. The climate impact of gas cooking is 0.628kgCO2/kWh when used with natural gas and 0.723 kgCO2/kWh when used with a bottle of gas. In each case, the main part of emissions came from gas burning. Induction cooking has a global warming potential of 0.12 kgCO2eq/kWh with the electricity mix of France, 96.3% of the impact being due to electricity production. Therefore, the electricity mix is a key factor for this impact: for instance, with the electricity mix of Germany and Poland, impacts are 0.81kgCO2eq/kWh and 1.39 kgCO2eq/kWh, respectively. Therefore, the parabolic solar cooker has a real ecological advantages compared to both gas stove and induction plate.

Keywords: life cycle assessement, solar concentration, cooking, sustainability

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Authors: Kedar Baral

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This study was carried out in Mustang, Kaski, Tanahun, Baitadi, and Jhapa districts of Nepal. The study explored the spatial and temporal pattern of HWC, socio economic factors associated with it, impacts of conflict on life / livelihood of people and survival of wildlife species, and impact of climate change and forest fire onHWC. Study also evaluated people’s attitude towards wildlife conservation and assessed relevant policies and programs. Questionnaire survey was carried out with the 250 respondents, and both socio-demographic and HWC related information werecollected. Secondary information were collected from Divisional Forest Offices and Annapurna Conservation Area Project.HWC events were grouped by season /months/sites (forest type, distances from forest, and settlement), and the coordinates of the events were exported to ArcGIS. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in Excel and R Program. A total of 1465 events were recorded in 5 districts during 2015 and 2019. Out of that, livestock killing, crop damage, human attack, and cattle shed damage events were 70 %, 12%, 11%, and 7%, respectively. Among 151 human attack cases, 23 people were killed, and 128 were injured. Elephant in Terai, common leopard and monkey in Middle Mountain, and snow leopard in high mountains were found as major problematic animals. Common leopard attacks were found more in the autumn, evening, and on human settlement area. Whereas elephant attacks were found higher in winter, day time, and on farmland. Poor people farmers were found highly victimized, and they were losing 26% of their income due to crop raiding and livestock depredation. On the other hand, people are killing many wildlife in revenge, and this number is increasing every year. Based on the people's perception, climate change is causing increased temperature and forest fire events and decreased water sources within the forest. Due to the scarcity of food and water within forests, wildlife are compelled to dwell at human settlement area, hence HWC events are increasing. Nevertheless, more than half of the respondents were found positive about conserving entire wildlife species. Forests outside PAs are under the community forestry (CF) system, which restored the forest, improved the habitat, and increased the wildlife.However, CF policies and programs were found to be more focused on forest management with least priority on wildlife conservation and HWC mitigation. Compensation / relief scheme of government for wildlife damage was found some how effective to manage HWC, but the lengthy process, being applicable to the damage of few wildlife species and highly increasing events made it necessary to revisit. Based on these facts, the study suggest to carry out awareness generation activities to the poor farmers, linking the property of people with the insurance scheme, conducting habitat management activities within CF, promoting the unpalatable crops, improvement of shed house of livestock, simplifying compensation scheme and establishing a fund at the district level and incorporating the wildlife conservation and HWCmitigation programs in CF. Finally, the study suggests to carry out rigorous researches to understand the impacts of current forest management practices on forest, biodiversity, wildlife, and HWC.

Keywords: community forest, conflict mitigation, wildlife conservation, climate change

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Authors: Ben Levenger

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Social life revolves around a central meeting place or gathering space. It is where the community integrates, earns social skills, and ultimately becomes part of the community. Following this premise, public spaces are one of the most important spaces that downtowns offer, providing locations for people to be witnessed, heard, and most importantly, seamlessly integrate into the downtown as part of the community. To facilitate this, these local spaces must be envisioned and designed to meet the changing needs of a downtown, offering a space and purpose for everyone. This paper will dive deep into analyzing, designing, and implementing public space design for small plazas or gathering spaces. These spaces often require a detailed level of study, followed by a broad stroke of design implementation, allowing for adaptability. This paper will highlight how to assess needs, define needed types of spaces, outline a program for spaces, detail elements of design to meet the needs, assess your new space, and plan for change. This study will provide participants with the necessary framework for conducting a grass-roots-level assessment of public space and programming, including short-term and long-term improvements. Participants will also receive assessment tools, sheets, and visual representation diagrams. Urbanism, for the sake of urbanism, is an exercise in aesthetic beauty. An economic improvement or benefit must be attained to solidify these efforts' purpose further and justify the infrastructure or construction costs. We will deep dive into case studies highlighting economic impacts to ground this work in quantitative impacts. These case studies will highlight the financial impact on an area, measuring the following metrics: rental rates (per sq meter), tax revenue generation (sales and property), foot traffic generation, increased property valuations, currency expenditure by tenure, clustered development improvements, cost/valuation benefits of increased density in housing. The economic impact results will be targeted by community size, measuring in three tiers: Sub 10,000 in population, 10,001 to 75,000 in population, and 75,000+ in population. Through this classification breakdown, the participants can gauge the impact in communities similar to their work or for which they are responsible. Finally, a detailed analysis of specific urbanism enhancements, such as plazas, on-street dining, pedestrian malls, etc., will be discussed. Metrics that document the economic impact of each enhancement will be presented, aiding in the prioritization of improvements for each community. All materials, documents, and information will be available to participants via Google Drive. They are welcome to download the data and use it for their purposes.

Keywords: downtown, economic development, planning, strategic

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Authors: Chung-Ming Lo, Chung-Chien Lee

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In many countries, the lifetime prevalence of shoulder pain is up to 70%. In America, the health care system spends 7 billion per year about the healthy issues of shoulder pain. With respect to the origin, up to 70% of shoulder pain is attributed to rotator cuff lesions This study proposed a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to assist radiologists classifying rotator cuff lesions with less operator dependence. Quantitative features were extracted from the shoulder ultrasound images acquired using an ALOKA alpha-6 US scanner (Hitachi-Aloka Medical, Tokyo, Japan) with linear array probe (scan width: 36mm) ranging from 5 to 13 MHz. During examination, the postures of the examined patients are standard sitting position and are followed by the regular routine. After acquisition, the shoulder US images were drawn out from the scanner and stored as 8-bit images with pixel value ranging from 0 to 255. Upon the sonographic appearance, the boundary of each lesion was delineated by a physician to indicate the specific pattern for analysis. The three lesion categories for classification were composed of 20 cases of tendon inflammation, 18 cases of calcific tendonitis, and 18 cases of supraspinatus tear. For each lesion, second-order statistics were quantified in the feature extraction. The second-order statistics were the texture features describing the correlations between adjacent pixels in a lesion. Because echogenicity patterns were expressed via grey-scale. The grey-scale co-occurrence matrixes with four angles of adjacent pixels were used. The texture metrics included the mean and standard deviation of energy, entropy, correlation, inverse different moment, inertia, cluster shade, cluster prominence, and Haralick correlation. Then, the quantitative features were combined in a multinomial logistic regression classifier to generate a prediction model of rotator cuff lesions. Multinomial logistic regression classifier is widely used in the classification of more than two categories such as the three lesion types used in this study. In the classifier, backward elimination was used to select a feature subset which is the most relevant. They were selected from the trained classifier with the lowest error rate. Leave-one-out cross-validation was used to evaluate the performance of the classifier. Each case was left out of the total cases and used to test the trained result by the remaining cases. According to the physician’s assessment, the performance of the proposed CAD system was shown by the accuracy. As a result, the proposed system achieved an accuracy of 86%. A CAD system based on the statistical texture features to interpret echogenicity values in shoulder musculoskeletal ultrasound was established to generate a prediction model for rotator cuff lesions. Clinically, it is difficult to distinguish some kinds of rotator cuff lesions, especially partial-thickness tear of rotator cuff. The shoulder orthopaedic surgeon and musculoskeletal radiologist reported greater diagnostic test accuracy than general radiologist or ultrasonographers based on the available literature. Consequently, the proposed CAD system which was developed according to the experiment of the shoulder orthopaedic surgeon can provide reliable suggestions to general radiologists or ultrasonographers. More quantitative features related to the specific patterns of different lesion types would be investigated in the further study to improve the prediction.

Keywords: shoulder ultrasound, rotator cuff lesions, texture, computer-aided diagnosis

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Authors: Abraham Ampong

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BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: The development of information technology and its influence today is inevitable in the world of education. The development of information technology and communication (ICT) has an impact on the use of teaching aids such as computers and the Internet, for example, E-learning. E-learning is a learning process attained through electronic means. But learning is not merely technology because learning is essentially more about the process of interaction between teacher, student, and source study. The main purpose of the study is to investigate learners’ online learning experiences in a blended learning approach, evaluate how learners’ experience of an online learning environment affects the blended learning approach and examine the future of online learning in a blended learning environment. Blended learning pedagogies have been recognized as a path to improve teacher’s instructional strategies for teaching using technology. Blended learning is perceived to have many advantages for teachers and students, including any-time learning, anywhere access, self-paced learning, inquiry-led learning and collaborative learning; this helps institutions to create desired instructional skills such as critical thinking in the process of learning. Blended learning as an approach to learning has gained momentum because of its widespread integration into educational organizations. METHODOLOGY: Based on the research objectives and questions of the study, the study will make use of the qualitative research approach. The rationale behind the selection of this research approach is that participants are able to make sense of their situations and appreciate their construction of knowledge and understanding because the methods focus on how people understand and interpret their experiences. A case study research design is adopted to explore the situation under investigation. The target population for the study will consist of selected students from selected universities. A simple random sampling technique will be used to select the targeted population. The data collection instrument that will be adopted for this study will be questions that will serve as an interview guide. An interview guide is a set of questions that an interviewer asks when interviewing respondents. Responses from the in-depth interview will be transcribed into word and analyzed under themes. Ethical issues to be catered for in this study include the right to privacy, voluntary participation, and no harm to participants, and confidentiality. INDICATORS OF THE MAJOR FINDINGS: It is suitable for the study to find out that online learning encourages timely feedback from teachers or that online learning tools are okay to use without issues. Most of the communication with the teacher can be done through emails and text messages. It is again suitable for sampled respondents to prefer online learning because there are few or no distractions. Learners can have access to technology to do other activities to support their learning”. There are, again, enough and enhanced learning materials available online. CONCLUSION: Unlike the previous research works focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of blended learning, the present study aims at the respective roles of its two modalities, as well as their interdependencies.

Keywords: online learning, blended learning, technologies, teaching methods

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Authors: Kakali Roy, Sahana P. Raju, Subhra Dhar, Sandipan Dhar

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Introduction: Xeroderma pigmentosa (XP) is a rare inherited (autosomal recessive) disease resulting from impairment in DNA repair that involves recognition and repair of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) induced DNA damage in the nucleotide excision repair pathway. Which results in increased photosensitivity, UVR induced damage to skin and eye, increased susceptibility of skin and ocular cancer, and progressive neurodegeneration in some patients. XP is present worldwide, with higher incidence in areas having frequent consanguinity. Being extremely rare, there is limited literature on XP and associated complications. Here, the clinico-pathological experience (spectrum of clinical presentation, histopathological findings of malignant skin lesions, and progression) of managing 8 cases of XP is presented. Methodology: A retrospective study was conducted in a pediatric tertiary care hospital in eastern India during a ten-year period from 2013 to 2022. A clinical diagnosis was made based on severe sun burn or premature photo-aging and/or onset of cutaneous malignancies at early age (1st decade) in background of consanguinity and autosomal recessive inheritance pattern in family. Results: The mean age of presentation was 1.2 years (range of 7month-3years), while three children presented during their infancy. Male to female ratio was 5:3, and all were born of consanguineous marriage. They presented with dermatological manifestations (100%) followed by ophthalmic (75%) and/or neurological symptoms (25%). Patients had normal skin at birth but soon developed extreme sensitivity to UVR in the form of exaggerated sun tanning, burning, and blistering on minimal sun exposure, followed by abnormal skin pigmentation like freckles and lentiginosis. Subsequently, over time there was progressive xerosis, atrophy, wrinkling, and poikiloderma. Six patients had varied degree of ocular involvement, while three of them had severe manifestation, including madarosis, tylosis, ectropion, Lagopthalmos, Pthysis bulbi, clouding and scarring of the cornea with complete or partial loss of vision, and ophthalmic malignancies. 50% (n=4) cases had skin and ocular pre-malignant (actinic keratosis) and malignant lesions, including melanoma and non melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) like squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in their early childhood. One patient had simultaneous occurrence of multiple malignancies together (SCC, BCC, and melanoma). Subnormal intelligence was noticed as neurological feature, and none had sensory neural hearing loss, microcephaly, neuroregression, or neurdeficit. All the patients had been being managed by a multidisciplinary team of pediatricians, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists and psychiatrists. Conclusion: Although till date there is no complete cure for XP and the disease is ultimately fatal. But increased awareness, early diagnosis followed by persistent vigorous protection from UVR, and regular screening for early detection of malignancies along with psychological support can drastically improve patients’ quality of life and life expectancy. Further research is required on formulating optimal management of XP, specifically the role and possibilities of gene therapy in XP.

Keywords: childhood malignancies, dermato-pathological findings, eastern India, Xeroderma pigmentosa

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Authors: Chahad P. Alexandre

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PIBID-Institutional Program of Scholarships to Encourage Teaching - is a Brazilian government program that counts today with 48.000 students. It's goal is to motivate the students to stay in the teaching undergraduate programs and to help fill the gap of 100.000 teachers that are needed today in the under graduated schools. The major lack of teachers today is in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology. At IFSP-Itapetininga we formatted our physics PIBID based on practical activities. Our students are divided in two São Paulo state government high schools in the same city. The project proposes class activities based on experimentation, observation and understanding of physical phenomena. The didactical experiments are always in relation with the content that the teacher is working, he is the supervisor of the program in the school. Always before an experiment is proposed a little questionnaire to learn about the students preconceptions and one is filled latter to evaluate if now concepts have been created. This procedure is made in order to compare their previous knowledge and how it changed after the experiment is developed. The primary goal of our project is to make the Physics class more attractive to the students and to develop in high school students the interest in learning physics and to show the relation of Physics to the day by day and to the technological world. The objective of the experimental activities is to facilitate the understanding of the concepts that are worked on classes because under experimentation the PIBID scholarship student stimulate the curiosity of the high school student and with this he can develop the capacity to understand and identify the physical phenomena with concrete examples. Knowing how to identify this phenomena and where they are present at the high school student life makes the learning process more significant and pleasant. This proposal make achievable to the students to practice science, to appropriate of complex, in the traditional classes, concepts and overcoming the common preconception that physics is something distant and that is present only on books. This preconception is extremely harmful in the process of scientific knowledge construction. This kind of learning – through experimentation – make the students not only accumulate knowledge but also appropriate it, also to appropriate experimental procedures and even the space that is provided by the school. The PIBID scholarship students, as future teachers also have the opportunity to try experimentation classes, to intervene in the classes and to have contact with their future career. This opportunity allows the students to make important reflection about the practices realized and consequently about the learning methods. Due to this project, we found out that the high school students stay more time focused in the experiment compared to the traditional explanation teachers´ class. As a result in a class, as a participative activity, the students got more involved and participative. We also found out that the physics under graduated students drop out percentage is smaller in our Institute than before the PIBID program started.

Keywords: innovation, projects, PIBID, physics, pre-service teacher experiences

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Authors: Alberto Sanchidrián, José A. Parra, Jesús Alonso, Julián Pecharromán, Antonia Pacios, Consuelo Huerta

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Glass is a commonly used material in building; there is not a unique design solution as plates with a different number of layers and interlayers may be used. In most façades, a security glazing have to be used according to its performance in the impact pendulum. The European Standard EN 12600 establishes an impact test procedure for classification under the point of view of the human security, of flat plates with different thickness, using a pendulum of two tires and 50 kg mass that impacts against the plate from different heights. However, this test does not replicate the actual dimensions and border conditions used in building configurations and so the real stress distribution is not determined with this test. The influence of different boundary conditions, as the ones employed in construction sites, is not well taking into account when testing the behaviour of safety glazing and there is not a detailed procedure and criteria to determinate the glass resistance against human impact. To reproduce the actual boundary conditions on site, when needed, the pendulum test is arranged to be used "in situ", with no account for load control, stiffness, and without a standard procedure. Fracture stress of small and large glass plates fit a Weibull distribution with quite a big dispersion so conservative values are adopted for admissible fracture stress under static loads. In fact, test performed for human impact gives a fracture strength two or three times higher, and many times without a total fracture of the glass plate. Newest standards, as for example DIN 18008-4, states for an admissible fracture stress 2.5 times higher than the ones used for static and wing loads. Now two working areas are open: a) to define a standard for the ‘in situ’ test; b) to prepare a laboratory procedure that allows testing with more real stress distribution. To work on both research lines a laboratory that allows to test medium size specimens with different border conditions, has been developed. A special steel frame allows reproducing the stiffness of the glass support substructure, including a rigid condition used as reference. The dynamic behaviour of the glass plate and its support substructure have been characterized with finite elements models updated with modal tests results. In addition, a new portable impact machine is being used to get enough force and direction control during the impact test. Impact based on 100 J is used. To avoid problems with broken glass plates, the test have been done using an aluminium plate of 1000 mm x 700 mm size and 10 mm thickness supported on four sides; three different substructure stiffness conditions are used. A detailed control of the dynamic stiffness and the behaviour of the plate is done with modal tests. Repeatability of the test and reproducibility of results prove that procedure to control both, stiffness of the plate and the impact level, is necessary.

Keywords: glass plates, human impact test, modal test, plate boundary conditions

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