Search results for: underground paths

Authors: Živa Ravnikar, Alfonso Bahillo Martinez, Barbara Goličnik Marušić

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Climate change mitigation has been formally adopted and announced by countries over the globe, where cities are targeting carbon neutrality through various more or less successful, systematic, and fragmentary actions. The article is based on the fact that environmental conditions affect human comfort and the usage of space. Urban planning can, with its sustainable solutions, not only support climate mitigation in terms of a planet reduction of global warming but as well enabling natural processes that in the immediate vicinity produce environmental conditions that encourage people to walk or cycle. However, the article draws attention to the importance of integrating climate consideration into urban planning, where detailed environmental data play a key role, enabling urban planners to improve or monitor environmental conditions on cycle paths. In a practical aspect, this paper tests a particular ICT tool, a prototype used for environmental data. Data gathering was performed along the cycling lanes in Ljubljana (Slovenia), where the main objective was to assess the tool's data applicable value within the planning of comfortable cycling lanes. The results suggest that such transportable devices for in-situ measurements can help a researcher interpret detailed environmental information, characterized by fine granularity and precise data spatial and temporal resolution. Data can be interpreted within human comfort zones, where graphical representation is in the form of a map, enabling the link of the environmental conditions with a spatial context. The paper also provides preliminary results in terms of the potential of such tools for identifying the correlations between environmental conditions and different spatial settings, which can help urban planners to prioritize interventions in places. The paper contributes to multidisciplinary approaches as it demonstrates the usefulness of such fine-grained data for better consideration of microclimatology in urban planning, which is a prerequisite for creating climate-comfortable cycling lanes promoting active mobility.

Keywords: information and communication technology tools, urban planning, human comfort, microclimate, cycling lanes

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Authors: Alejandra Letelier, Anja Heilmann, Richard G. Watt, Stephen Jivraj, Georgios Tsakos

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Background: Socioeconomic position (SEP) influences adult health. People who experienced material disadvantages in childhood or adulthood tend to have higher adult disease levels than their peers from more advantaged backgrounds. Even so, life is a dynamic process and contains a series of transitions that could lead people through different socioeconomic paths. Research on social mobility takes this into account by adopting a trajectory approach, thereby providing a long-term view of the effect of SEP on health. Aim: The aim of this research examines the effects of intergenerational social mobility on adult general health, oral health and functioning in a population aged 50 and over in England. Methods: This study is based on the secondary analysis of data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Using cross-sectional data, nine social trajectories were created based on parental and adult occupational socio-economic position. Regression models were used to estimate the associations between social trajectories and the following outcomes: adult self-rated health, self-rated oral health, oral health related quality of life, total tooth loss and grip strength; while controlling for socio-economic background and health related behaviours. Results: Associations with adult SEP were generally stronger than with childhood SEP, suggesting a stronger influence of proximal rather than distal SEP on health and oral health. Compared to the stable high group, being in the low SEP groups in childhood and adulthood was associated with poorer health and oral health for all examined outcome measures. For adult self-rated health and edentulousness, graded associations with social mobility trajectories were observed. Conclusion: Intergenerational social mobility was associated with self-rated health and total tooth loss. Compared to only those who remained in a low SEP group over time reported worse self-rated oral health and oral health related quality of life, and had lower grip strength measurements. Potential limitations in relation to data quality will be discussed.

Keywords: social determinants of oral health, social mobility, socioeconomic position and oral health, older adults oral health

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Authors: Lazhar Zourgui

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Opuntia species are used as local medicinal interventions for chronic diseases and as food sources, mainly because they possess nutritional properties and biological activities. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill, commonly known as prickly pear or nopal cactus, is the most economically valuable plant in the Cactaceae family worldwide. It is a tropical or subtropical plant native to tropical and subtropical America, which can grow in arid and semi-arid climates. It belongs to the family of angiosperms dicotyledons Cactaceae of which about 1500 species of cacti are known. The Opuntia plant is distributed throughout the world and has great economic potential. There are differences in the phytochemical composition of Opuntia species between wild and domesticated species and within the same species. It is an interesting source of plant bioactive compounds. Bioactive compounds are compounds with nutritional benefits and are generally classified into phenolic and non-phenolic compounds and pigments. Opuntia species are able to grow in almost all climates, for example, arid, temperate, and tropical climates, and their bioactive compound profiles change depending on the species, cultivar, and climatic conditions. Therefore, there is an opportunity for the discovery of new compounds from different Opuntia cultivars. Health benefits of prickly pear are widely demonstrated: There is ample evidence of the health benefits of consuming prickly pear due to its source of nutrients and vitamins and its antioxidant properties due to its content of bioactive compounds. In addition, prickly pear is used in the treatment of hyperglycemia and high cholesterol levels, and its consumption is linked to a lower incidence of coronary heart disease and certain types of cancer. It may be effective in insulin-independent type 2 diabetes mellitus. Opuntia ficus-Indica seed oil has shown potent antioxidant and prophylactic effects. Industrial applications of these bioactive compounds are increasing. In addition to their application in the pharmaceutical industries, bioactive compounds are used in the food industry for the production of nutraceuticals and new food formulations (juices, drinks, jams, sweeteners). In my lecture, I will review in a comprehensive way the phytochemical, nutritional, and bioactive compound composition of the different aerial and underground parts of Opuntia species. The biological activities and applications of Opuntia compounds are also discussed.

Keywords: medicinal plants, cactus, Opuntia, actives biomolecules, biological activities

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Authors: Emanuela Zilli, Antonella Ruffatto, Davide Bonaldo, Stefano Bevilacqua, Tommaso Caputo, Luisa Fontana, Carmelina Saraceno, Antonio Sturaroo, Teodoro Sava, Antonio Madia

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The new Hospital in Cittadella - ULSS 6 Euganea Health Trust, in the North-East of Italy (400 beds, project completion date in 2026), will partially take the place of the existing building. Interesting features have been suggested in order to project a modern, “environmental-friendly” and “people-friendly” building. Specific multidisciplinary meetings (involving stakeholders and professionals with different backgrounds) have been organized on a periodic basis in order to guarantee the appropriate implementation of logistic and organizational solutions related to eco-sustainability, integration with the context, and the concept of “design for all” and “humanization of care.” The resulting building will be composed of organic shapes determined by the external environment (sun movement, climate, landscape, pre-existing buildings, roads) and the needs of the internal environment (areas of care and diagnostic-treatment paths reorganized with experience gained during the pandemic), with extensive use of renewable energy, solar panels, a 4th-generation heating system, sanitised and maintainable surfaces. There is particular attention to the quality of the staff areas, which include areas dedicated to psycho-physical well-being (relax points, yoga gym), study rooms, and a centralized conference room. Outdoor recreational spaces and gardens for music and watercolour therapy will be included; atai-chi gym is dedicated to oncology patients. Integration in the urban and social context is emphasized through window placement toward the gardens (maternal-infant, mental health, and rehabilitation wards). Service areas such as dialysis, radiology, and labs have views of the medieval walls, the symbol of the city’s history. The new building has been designed to pursue the maximum level of eco-sustainability, harmony with the environment, and integration with the historical, urban, and social context; the concept of humanization of care has been considered in all the phases of the project management.

Keywords: environmental-friendly, humanization, eco-sustainability, new hospital

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Authors: Jacques M. Berner, Monja Gerber, Gillian L. Maggs-Kolling, Stuart J. Piketh

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The enigmatic melon species, Acanthosicyos horridus Welw. ex Hook. f., locally known as !nara, is endemic to the hyper-arid Namib Desert, where it thrives in sandy dune areas and dry river banks. The Namib Desert is characterized by extreme weather conditions which include high temperatures, very low rainfall, and extremely dry air. Plant and animals that have made the Namib Dessert their home are dependent on non-rainfall water inputs, like fog, dew and water vapor, for survival. Fog is believed to be the most important non-rainfall water input for most of the coastal Namib Desert and is a life line to many Namib plants and animals. It is commonly assumed that the !nara plant is adapted and dependent upon coastal fog events. The !nara plant shares many comparable adaptive features with other organisms that are known to exploit fog as a source of moisture. These include groove-like structures on the stems and the cone-like structures of thorns. These structures are believed to be the driving forces behind directional water flow that allow plants to take advantage of fog events. The !nara-fog interaction was investigated in this study to determine the dependence of !nara on these fog events, as it would illustrate strategies to benefit from non-rainfall water inputs. The direct water uptake capacity of !nara shoots was investigated through absorption tests. Furthermore, the movement and behavior of fluorescent water droplets on a !nara stem were investigated through time-lapse macrophotography. The shoot water potential was measured to investigate the effect of fog on the water status of !nara stems. These tests were used to determine whether the morphology of !nara has evolved to exploit fog as a non-rainfall water input and whether the !nara plant has adapted physiologically in response to fog. Chlorophyll a fluorescence was used to compare the photochemical efficiency of !nara plants on days with fog events to that on non-foggy days. The results indicate that !nara plants do have the ability to take advantage of fog events as commonly believed. However, the !nara plant did not exhibit visible signs of drought stress and this, together with the strong shoot water potential, indicates that these plants are reliant on permanent underground water sources. Chlorophyll a fluorescence data indicated that temperature stress and wind were some of the main abiotic factors influencing the plants’ overall vitality.

Keywords: Acanthosicyos horridus, chlorophyll a fluorescence, fog, foliar absorption, !nara

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Authors: Nesrine Frifita

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In recent years, serious interest in underground sources has led to more intensive studies of depth, thickness, geometry and properties of aquifers. Geophysical method is the common technique used in discovering the subsurface. However, determining the exact location of groundwater in subsurface layers is one of problems that needs to be resolved. While the biggest problem is the quality of the groundwater which suffers from pollution risk especially with water shortage in arid regions under a remarkable climate change. The present study was conducted using electrical resistivity tomography at Jeffara coastal area in Southeast Tunisia to image the potential shallow aquifer and studying their physical properties. The purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics and depth of the Smar aquifer. Therefore, it can be used as a reference in groundwater drilling in order to guide the farmers and to improve the living of the inhabitants of nearby cities. The use of the Winner-Schlumberger array for data acquisition is suitable to obtain a deeper profile in areas with homogeneous layers. For that, six electrical resistivity profiles were carried out in Smar watershed using 72 electrodes with 4 and 5 m spacing. The resistivity measurements were carefully interpreted by a least-square inversion technique using the RES2DINV program. Findings show that the Smar aquifer has about 31 m thickness and it extends to 36.5 m depth in the downstream area of Oued Smar. The defined depth and geometry of Smar aquifer indicate that the sedimentary cover thins toward the coast, and the Smar shallow aquifer becomes deeper toward the West. While the resistivity values show a significant contrast even reaching < 1 Ωm in ERT1, this resistivity value can be related to the saline water that foretells a risk of pollution and bad groundwater quality. The ERT1 geoelectrical model defines an unsaturated zone, while under ERT3 site, the geoelectrical model presents a saturated zone, which reflect a low resistivity values indicate the locally surface water coming from the nearby Office of the National Sanitation Utility (ONAS) that can be a source of recharge of the studied shallow aquifer and more deteriorate the groundwater quality in this region.

Keywords: electrical resistivity tomography, groundwater, recharge, smar aquifer, southeastern tunisia

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Authors: Matheus Madureira Matos, Alexandre Rodrigues Farias

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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a vital imaging technique used in both clinical and pre-clinical areas to obtain detailed anatomical and functional information. However, MRI scans can be expensive, time-consuming, and often require the use of anesthetics to keep animals still during the imaging process. Anesthetics are commonly administered to animals undergoing MRI scans to ensure they remain still during the imaging process. However, prolonged or repeated exposure to anesthetics can have adverse effects on animals, including physiological alterations and potential toxicity. Minimizing the duration and frequency of anesthesia is, therefore, crucial for the well-being of research animals. In recent years, various sampling trajectories have been investigated to reduce the number of MRI measurements leading to shorter scanning time and minimizing the duration of animal exposure to the effects of anesthetics. Compressed sensing (CS) and sampling trajectories, such as cartesian, spiral, and radial, have emerged as powerful tools to reduce MRI data while preserving diagnostic quality. This work aims to apply CS and cartesian, spiral, and radial sampling trajectories for the reconstruction of MRI of the abdomen of mice sub-sampled at levels below that defined by the Nyquist theorem. The methodology of this work consists of using a fully sampled reference MRI of a female model C57B1/6 mouse acquired experimentally in a 4.7 Tesla MRI scanner for small animals using Spin Echo pulse sequences. The image is down-sampled by cartesian, radial, and spiral sampling paths and then reconstructed by CS. The quality of the reconstructed images is objectively assessed by three quality assessment techniques RMSE (Root mean square error), PSNR (Peak to Signal Noise Ratio), and SSIM (Structural similarity index measure). The utilization of optimized sampling trajectories and CS technique has demonstrated the potential for a significant reduction of up to 70% of image data acquisition. This result translates into shorter scan times, minimizing the duration and frequency of anesthesia administration and reducing the potential risks associated with it.

Keywords: compressed sensing, magnetic resonance, sampling trajectories, small animals

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Authors: Mine Koyaz, M. Cem Altun

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Selection of the materials satisfying the expected performances is significantly important for any design. Today, with the constantly evolving and developing technologies, the material options are so wide that the necessity of the use of some support tools in the selection process is arising. Therefore, as a sub process of building element design, a systematic material selection tool is developed, that defines four main steps of the material selection; definition, research, comparison and decision. The main purpose of the tool is being an educational instrument that would show a methodic way of material selection in architectural detailing for the use of architecture students. The tool predefines the possible uses of various material databases and other sources of information on material properties. Hence, it is to be used as a guidance for designers, especially with a limited material knowledge and experience. The material selection tool not only embraces technical properties of materials related with building elements’ functional requirements, but also its sensual properties related with the identity of design and its environmental impacts with respect to the sustainability of the design. The method followed in the development of the tool has two main sections; first the examination and application of the existing methods and second the development of trial versions and their applications. Within the scope of the existing methods; design support tools, methodic approaches for the building element design and material selection process, material properties, material databases, methodic approaches for the decision making process are examined. The existing methods are applied by architecture students and newly graduate architects through different design problems. With respect to the results of these applications, strong and weak sides of the existing material selection tools are presented. A main flow chart of the material selection tool has been developed with the objective to apply the strong aspects of the existing methods and develop their weak sides. Through different stages, a different aspect of the material selection process is investigated and the tool took its final form. Systematic material selection tool, within the building element design process, guides the users with a minimum background information, to practically and accurately determine the ideal material that is to be chosen, satisfying the needs of their design. The tool has a flexible structure that answers different needs of different designs and designers. The trial version issued in this paper shows one of the paths that could be followed and illustrates its application over a design problem.

Keywords: architectural education, building element design, material selection tool, systematic approach

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Authors: Adetona Abbassa, Aliyu Shakirat B.

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The study area is part of Bosso local Government, enclosed within Longitude 6.25’ to 6.31’ and Latitude 9.35’ to 9.45’, an area of 16x8 km², within the basement region of central Nigeria. The region is a host to Nigerian Airforce base 12 (NAF 12quick response) and its staff quarters, the headquarters of Bosso local government, the Independent National Electoral Commission’s two offices, four government secondary schools, six primary schools and Minna international airport. The area suffers an acute shortage of water from November when rains stop to June when rains commence within North Central Nigeria. A way of addressing this problem is a reconnaissance method to delineate possible fractures and fault lines that exists within the region by sampling the Aeromagnetic data and using an appropriate analytical algorithm to delineate these fractures. This is followed by an appropriate ground truthing method that will confirm if the fracture is connected to underground water movement. The first vertical derivative for structural analysis, reveals a set of lineaments labeled AA’, BB’, CC’, DD’, EE’ and FF’ all trending in the Northeast – Southwest directions. AA’ is just below latitude 9.45’ above Maikunkele village, cutting off the upper part of the field, it runs through Kangwo, Nini, Lawo and other communities. BB’ is at Latitude 9.43’ it truncated at about 2Km before Maikunkele and Kuyi. CC’ is around 9.40’ sitting below Maikunkele runs down through Nanaum. DD’ is from Latitude 9.38’; interestingly no community within this region where the fault passes through. A result from the three sites where Vertical Electrical Sounding was carried out reveals three layers comprised of topsoil, intermediate Clay formation and weathered/fractured or fresh basement. The depth to basement map was also produced, depth to the basement from the ground surface with VES A₂, B5, D₂ and E₁ to be relatively deeper with depth values range between 25 to 35 m while the shallower region of the area has a depth range value between 10 to 20 m. Hence, VES A₂, A₅, B₄, B₅, C₂, C₄, D₄, D₅, E₁, E₃, and F₄ are high conductivity zone that are prolific for groundwater potential. The depth range of the aquifer potential zones is between 22.7 m to 50.4 m. The result from site C is quite unique though the 3 layers were detected in the majority of the VES points, the maximum depth to the basement in 90% of the VES points is below 8 km, only three VES points shows considerably viability, which are C₆, E₂ and F₂ with depths of 35.2 m and 38 m respectively but lack of connectivity will be a big challenge of chargeability.

Keywords: lithology, aeromagnetic, aquifer, geoelectric, iso-resistivity, basement, vertical electrical sounding(VES)

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Authors: Hanna Schübel, Ivo Wallimann-Helmer

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In order to reach the goal of the Paris Agreement to not overshoot 1.5°C of warming above pre-industrial levels, various countries including the UK and Switzerland have committed themselves to net zero emissions by 2050. The employment of negative emission technologies (NETs) is very likely going to be necessary for meeting these national objectives as well as other internationally agreed climate targets. NETs are methods of removing carbon from the atmosphere and are thus a means for addressing climate change. They range from afforestation to technological measures such as direct air capture and carbon storage (DACCS), where CO2 is captured from the air and stored underground. As all so-called geoengineering technologies, the development and deployment of NETs are often subject to moral hazard arguments. As these technologies could be perceived as an alternative to mitigation efforts, so the argument goes, they are potentially a dangerous distraction from the main target of mitigating emissions. We think that this is a dangerous argument to make as it may hinder the development of NETs which are an essential element of net zero emission targets. In this paper we argue that the moral hazard argument is only problematic if we do not reflect upon which levels of emissions are at stake in order to meet net zero emissions. In response to the moral hazard argument we develop an account of which levels of emissions in given societies should be mitigated and not be the target of NETs and which levels of emissions can legitimately be a target of NETs. For this purpose, we define four different levels of emissions: the current level of individual emissions, the level individuals emit in order to appear in public without shame, the level of a fair share of individual emissions in the global budget, and finally the baseline of net zero emissions. At each level of emissions there are different subjects to be assigned responsibilities if societies and/or individuals are committed to the target of net zero emissions. We argue that all emissions within one’s fair share do not demand individual mitigation efforts. The same holds with regard to individuals and the baseline level of emissions necessary to appear in public in their societies without shame. Individuals are only under duty to reduce their emissions if they exceed this baseline level. This is different for whole societies. Societies demanding more emissions to appear in public without shame than the individual fair share are under duty to foster emission reductions and are not legitimate to reduce by introducing NETs. NETs are legitimate for reducing emissions only below the level of fair shares and for reaching net zero emissions. Since access to NETs to achieve net zero emissions demands technology not affordable to individuals there are also no full individual responsibilities to achieve net zero emissions. This is mainly a responsibility of societies as a whole.

Keywords: climate change, mitigation, moral hazard, negative emission technologies, responsibility

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Authors: Lucia Varra, Marzia Timolo

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The interest of scholars towards corporate sustainability has strengthened in recent years in parallel with the growing need to undertake paths of cultural and organizational change, as a way for greater competitiveness and stakeholders’ satisfaction. In fact, studies on the business sustainability, while on the one hand have integrated the three dimensions of sustainability that existed for some time in the economic approaches (economic, environmental and social dimensions), on the other hand did not give rise to an organic construct that puts together the aspects of strategic management with corporate social responsibility and even less with the organizational issues. Therefore some important questions remain open: Which organizational structure and which operational mechanisms are coherent or propitious to a sustainability strategy? Existing studies appear to be fragmented, although some aspects have shared importance: knowledge management, human resource, management, leadership, innovation, etc. The construction of a model of sustainable organization that supports the sustainability strategy no longer seems to be postponed, as is its connection with the main practices of measuring corporate social responsibility performance. The paper aims to identify the organizational characteristics of a sustainable corporate. To this end, from a theoretical point of view the work examines the main existing literary contributions and, from a practical point of view, it presents a business case referring to a service organization that for years has undertaken the sustainability strategy. This paper is divided into two parts: the first part concerns a review of the main articles on the strategic management topic and the main organizational issues raised by the literature, such as knowledge management, leadership, innovation, etc.; later, a modeling of the main variables examined by scholars and an integration of these with the international measurement standards of CSR is proposed. In the second part, using the methodology of the case study company, the hypotheses and the structure of the proposed model that aims to integrate the strategic issues with the organizational aspects and measurement of sustainability performance, are applied to an Italian company, which has some organizational and human resource management interventions are in place to align strategic decisions with the structure and operating mechanisms of the structure. The case presented supports the hypotheses of the model.

Keywords: CSR, strategic management, sustainable leadership, sustainable human resource management, sustainable organization

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Authors: Debasmita Misra, Arthur Nash

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Energy security and sufficiency enables the economic development and welfare of a nation or a society. Currently, the global energy system is dominated by fossil fuels, which is a non-renewable energy resource, which renders vulnerability to energy security. Hence, many nations have begun augmenting their energy system with renewable energy resources, such as solar, wind, biomass and hydro. However, with climate change, how sustainable are some of the renewable energy resources in the future is a matter of concern. Geothermal energy resources have been underexplored or underexploited in global renewable energy production and security, although it is gaining attractiveness as a renewable energy resource. The question is, whether geothermal energy resources are more sustainable than other renewable energy resources. High-temperature reservoirs (> 220 °F) can produce electricity from flash/dry steam plants as well as binary cycle production facilities. Most of the world’s high enthalpy geothermal resources are within the seismo-tectonic belt. However, exploration for geothermal energy is of great importance in conventional geothermal systems in order to improve its economic viability. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use and development of several exploration methods for geo-thermal resources, such as seismic or electromagnetic methods. The thermal infrared band of the Landsat can reflect land surface temperature difference, so the ETM+ data with specific grey stretch enhancement has been used to explore underground heat water. Another way of exploring for potential power is utilizing fairway play analysis for sites without surface expression and in rift zones. Utilizing this type of analysis can improve the success rate of project development by reducing exploration costs. Identifying the basin distribution of geologic factors that control the geothermal environment would help in identifying the control of resource concentration aside from the heat flow, thus improving the probability of success. The first step is compiling existing geophysical data. This leads to constructing conceptual models of potential geothermal concentrations which can then be utilized in creating a geodatabase to analyze risk maps. Geospatial analysis and other GIS tools can be used in such efforts to produce spatial distribution maps. The goal of this paper is to discuss how climate change may impact renewable energy resources and how could a synthesized analysis be developed for geothermal resources to ensure sustainable and cost effective exploitation of the resource.

Keywords: exploration, geothermal, renewable energy, sustainable

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Authors: Hamid Fallah

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Undoubtedly, flood is known as a natural disaster, and in practice, flood is considered the most terrible natural disaster in the world both in terms of loss of life and financial losses. From 1988 to 1997, about 390,000 people were killed by natural disasters in the world, 58% of which were related to floods, 26% due to earthquakes, and 16% due to storms and other disasters. The total damages in these 10 years were about 700 billion dollars, which were 33, 29, 28% related to floods, storms and earthquakes, respectively. In this regard, the worrisome point has been the increasing trend of flood deaths and damages in the world in recent decades. The increase in population and assets in flood plains, changes in hydro systems and the destructive effects of human activities have been the main reasons for this increase. During rain and snow, some of the water is absorbed by the soil and plants. A percentage evaporates and the rest flows and is called runoff. Floods occur when the soil and plants cannot absorb the rainfall, and as a result, the natural river channel does not have the capacity to pass the generated runoff. On average, almost 30% of precipitation is converted into runoff, which increases with snow melting. Floods that occur differently create an area called flood plain around the river. River floods are often caused by heavy rains, which in some cases are accompanied by snow melt. A flood that flows in a river without warning or with little warning is called a flash flood. The casualties of these rapid floods that occur in small watersheds are generally more than the casualties of large river floods. Coastal areas are also subject to flooding caused by waves caused by strong storms on the surface of the oceans or waves caused by underground earthquakes. Floods not only cause damage to property and endanger the lives of humans and animals, but also leave other effects. Runoff caused by heavy rains causes soil erosion in the upstream and sedimentation problems in the downstream. The habitats of fish and other animals are often destroyed by floods. The high speed of the current increases the damage. Long-term floods stop traffic and prevent drainage and economic use of land. The supports of bridges, river banks, sewage outlets and other structures are damaged, and there is a disruption in shipping and hydropower generation. The economic losses of floods in the world are estimated at tens of billions of dollars annually.

Keywords: flood, hydrological engineering, gis, dam, small hydropower, suitablity

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Authors: Yi Meng, Yun Gao

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Having spent significant periods studying and working in North America and Europe, we, as two Chinese art educators, have been profoundly shaped by both Eastern and Western cultures. Consequently, our ambition is to enrich students' learning experiences by delving into and merging both cultural perspectives for innovative, creative expressions. This exposition draws on our action research study on students' visual literacy practices in a visual literacy course at a prominent Chinese university. The central premise was to explore innovative art forms by cross-utilizing various aspects of diverse cultures. By examining distinct cultural elements, we encouraged students to break away from familiar approaches and forge new paths in their creative endeavors. In implementing our curriculum, we utilized a multimodal pedagogy that deviated from the predominant print-based presentations typically employed in our classroom settings. This pedagogical approach effectively encouraged students to critically analyze the artifact, imbue it with their understanding and perspectives, and then produce an original piece. This approach also motivated students to leverage the semiotic potential of various communicative modes to address diverse cultural issues through their multimodal designs. To demonstrate the potential for cultural amalgamation, we utilized the artwork of Hong Kong-based artist Tik Ka. His works epitomize the fusion of Chinese traditions with Western pop culture, which served as a visual and conceptual reference point for students. Seeing how these distinct cultural elements could coexist and enrich each other in Tik Ka's work was inspiring and motivating for the students. Taken together, these pedagogical strategies helped create a dialogical space where students could actively experience, analyze, and negotiate complex modes of expression. This environment fostered active learning, encouraging students to apply their knowledge, question their assumptions, and reconsider their perspectives. Overall, such a unique approach to visual literacy education has the potential to reshape students' understanding of both cultures. By encouraging them to critically engage with their multimodal designs, we promoted an in-depth, nuanced appreciation of these diverse cultural heritages. The students no longer just interpreted and replicated images—they actively contributed to a dynamic and ongoing conversation between cultures.

Keywords: multimodal pedagogy, creative expressions, visual literacy education, multimodal designs

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Authors: Qier Wu, Issam Takla, Thomas Rougelot, Nicolas Burlion

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In the framework of French underground disposal of intermediate level radioactive wastes, concrete is widely used as a construction material for containers and tunnels. Drying shrinkage is one of the most disadvantageous phenomena of concrete structures. Cracks generated by differential shrinkage could impair the mechanical behavior, increase the permeability of concrete and act as a preferential path for aggressive species, hence leading to an overall decrease in durability and serviceability. It is of great interest to understand the drying shrinkage phenomenon in order to predict and even to control the strains of concrete. The question is whether the results obtained from laboratory samples are in accordance with the measurements on a real structure. Another question concerns the influence of reinforcement on drying shrinkage of concrete. As part of a global project with Andra (French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency), the present study aims to experimentally investigate the scale effect as well as the influence of reinforcement on the development of drying shrinkage of two high performance concretes (based on CEM I and CEM V cements, according to European standards). Various sizes of samples are chosen, from ordinary laboratory specimens up to real-scale specimens: prismatic specimens with different volume-to-surface (V/S) ratios, thin slices (thickness of 2 mm), cylinders with different sizes (37 and 160 mm in diameter), hollow cylinders, cylindrical columns (height of 1000 mm) and square columns (320×320×1000 mm). The square columns have been manufactured with different reinforcement rates and can be considered as mini-structures, to approximate the behavior of a real voussoir from the waste disposal facility. All the samples are kept, in a first stage, at 20°C and 50% of relative humidity (initial conditions in the tunnel) in a specific climatic chamber developed by the Laboratory of Mechanics of Lille. The mass evolution and the drying shrinkage are monitored regularly. The obtained results show that the specimen size has a great impact on water loss and drying shrinkage of concrete. The specimens with a smaller V/S ratio and a smaller size have a bigger drying shrinkage. The correlation between mass variation and drying shrinkage follows the same tendency for all specimens in spite of the size difference. However, the influence of reinforcement rate on drying shrinkage is not clear based on the present results. The second stage of conservation (50°C and 30% of relative humidity) could give additional results on these influences.

Keywords: concrete, drying shrinkage, mass evolution, reinforcement, scale effect

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Authors: Neil Bar, Andrew Heweston

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Probability of failure (PF) often appears alongside factor of safety (FS) in design acceptance criteria for rock slope, underground excavation and open pit mine designs. However, the design acceptance criteria generally provide no guidance relating to how PF should be calculated for homogeneous and heterogeneous rock masses, or what qualifies a ‘reasonable’ PF assessment for a given slope design. Observational and kinematic methods were widely used in the 1990s until advances in computing permitted the routine use of numerical modelling. In the 2000s and early 2010s, PF in numerical models was generally calculated using the point estimate method. More recently, some limit equilibrium analysis software offer statistical parameter inputs along with Monte-Carlo or Latin-Hypercube sampling methods to automatically calculate PF. Factors including rock type and density, weathering and alteration, intact rock strength, rock mass quality and shear strength, the location and orientation of geologic structure, shear strength of geologic structure and groundwater pore pressure influence the stability of rock slopes. Significant engineering and geological judgment, interpretation and data interpolation is usually applied in determining these factors and amalgamating them into a geotechnical model which can then be analysed. Most factors are estimated ‘approximately’ or with allowances for some variability rather than ‘exactly’. When it comes to numerical modelling, some of these factors are then treated deterministically (i.e. as exact values), while others have probabilistic inputs based on the user’s discretion and understanding of the problem being analysed. This paper discusses the importance of understanding the key aspects of slope design for homogeneous and heterogeneous rock masses and how they can be translated into reasonable PF assessments where the data permits. A case study from a large open pit gold mine in a complex geological setting in Western Australia is presented to illustrate how PF can be calculated using different methods and obtain markedly different results. Ultimately sound engineering judgement and logic is often required to decipher the true meaning and significance (if any) of some PF results.

Keywords: probability of failure, point estimate method, Monte-Carlo simulations, sensitivity analysis, slope stability

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Authors: Alvaro Figueira, Bruno Cabral

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Nowadays, students are used to be assessed through an online platform. Educators have stepped up from a period in which they endured the transition from paper to digital. The use of a diversified set of question types that range from quizzes to open questions is currently common in most university courses. In many courses, today, the evaluation methodology also fosters the students’ online participation in forums, the download, and upload of modified files, or even the participation in group activities. At the same time, new pedagogy theories that promote the active participation of students in the learning process, and the systematic use of problem-based learning, are being adopted using an eLearning system for that purpose. However, although there can be a lot of feedback from these activities to student’s, usually it is restricted to the assessments of online well-defined tasks. In this article, we propose an automatic system that informs students of abnormal deviations of a 'correct' learning path in the course. Our approach is based on the fact that by obtaining this information earlier in the semester, may provide students and educators an opportunity to resolve an eventual problem regarding the student’s current online actions towards the course. Our goal is to prevent situations that have a significant probability to lead to a poor grade and, eventually, to failing. In the major learning management systems (LMS) currently available, the interaction between the students and the system itself is registered in log files in the form of registers that mark beginning of actions performed by the user. Our proposed system uses that logged information to derive new one: the time each student spends on each activity, the time and order of the resources used by the student and, finally, the online resource usage pattern. Then, using the grades assigned to the students in previous years, we built a learning dataset that is used to feed a machine learning meta classifier. The produced classification model is then used to predict the grades a learning path is heading to, in the current year. Not only this approach serves the teacher, but also the student to receive automatic feedback on her current situation, having past years as a perspective. Our system can be applied to online courses that integrate the use of an online platform that stores user actions in a log file, and that has access to other student’s evaluations. The system is based on a data mining process on the log files and on a self-feedback machine learning algorithm that works paired with the Moodle LMS.

Keywords: data mining, e-learning, grade prediction, machine learning, student learning path

Procedia PDF Downloads 100

Authors: Badawi Mahmoud, Eid Mohamed, Salih Hytham, Tahoun Mamdouh

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Cultural properties made of types of materials; we can classify them broadly into three categories. There are organic cultural properties which have their origin in the animal and plant kingdoms. There are the inorganic cultural properties made of metal or stone. Then there are those made of both organic and inorganic materials such as metal with wood. Most cultural properties are made from several materials rather than from one single material. Cultural properties reveal a lot of information about the past and often have great artistic value. It is important to extend the life of cultural properties and preserve themif possible, that is intended to preserve them for future generations. The study of metallic relics usually includes examining the techniques used to make them and the extent to which they have corroded. The conservation science of archaeological artifacts demands an accurate grasp of the interior of the article, which cannot be seen. This is essential to elucidate the method of manufacture and provides information that is important for cleaning, restoration, and other processes of conservation. Conservation treatment does not ensure the prevention of further degradation of the archaeological artifact. Instead, it is an attempt to inhibit further degradation as much as possible. Ancient metallic artifacts are made of many materials. Some are made of a single metal, such as iron, copper, or bronze. There are also composite relics made of several metals. Almost all metals (except gold) corrode while they rest underground. Corrosion is caused by the interaction of oxygen, water, and various ions. Chloride ions play a major role in the advance of corrosion. Excavated metallic relics are usually scientifically examined as to their structure and materials and treated for preservation before being displayed for exhibition or stored in a storehouse. Bird statue hermit body is made of wood and legs and beak bronze, the object broken separated to three parts. This statue came to Grand Egyptian Museum – Conservation Centre (GEM-CC) Inorganic Lab. Statuette representing the god djehoty shaped of the bird (ibis) sculpture made of bronze and wood the body of statues made from wood and bronze from head and leg and founded remains of black resin maybe it found with mummy, the base installed by wooden statue of the ancient writings there dating, the archaeological unit decided the dating is 3rd intermediate period - late period. This study aims to do conservation process for this statue, attempt to inhibit further degradation as much as possible and fill fractures and cracks in the wooden part.

Keywords: inorganic materials, metal, wood, corrosion, ibis

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Authors: Huu Hue Van

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The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and flow into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Climate Change Research Institute at University of Can Tho, in studying the possible consequences of climate change, has predicted that, many provinces in the Mekong Delta will be flooded by the year 2030. The Mekong Delta lacks fresh water in the dry season. Being served for daily life, industry and agriculture in the dry season, the water is mainly taken from layers of soil contained water under the ground (aquifers) depleted water; the water level in aquifers have decreased. Previously, the Mekong Delta can withstand two bad scenarios in the future: 1) The Mekong Delta will be submerged into the sea again: Due to subsidence of the ground (over-exploitation of groundwater), subsidence of constructions because of the low groundwater level (10 years ago, some of constructions were built on the foundation of Melaleuca poles planted in Mekong Delta, Melaleuca poles have to stay in saturated soil layer fully, if not, they decay easyly; due to the top of Melaleuca poles are higher than the groundwater level, the top of Melaleuca poles will decay and cause subsidence); erosion the river banks (because of the hydroelectric dams in the upstream of the Mekong River is blocking the flow, reducing the concentration of suspended substances in the flow caused erosion the river banks) and the delta will be flooded because of sea level rise (climate change). 2) The Mekong Delta will be deserted: People will migrate to other places to make a living because of no planting due to alum capillary (In Mekong Delta, there is a layer of alum soil under the ground, the elevation of groundwater level is lower than the the elevation of layer of alum soil, alum will be capillary to the arable soil layer); there is no fresh water for cultivation and daily life (because of saline intrusion and groundwater depletion in the aquifers below). Mekong Delta currently has about seven aquifers below with a total depth about 500 m. The water mainly has exploited in the middle - upper Pleistocene aquifer (qp2-3). The major cause of two bad scenarios in the future is over-exploitation of water in aquifers. Therefore, studying and building water reservoirs in seven aquifers will solve many pressing problems such as preventing subsidence, providing water for the whole delta, especially in coastal provinces, favorable to nature, saving land ( if we build the water lake on the surface of the delta, we will need a lot of land), pollution limitation (because when building some hydraulic structures for preventing the salt instrutions and for storing water in the lake on the surface, we cause polluted in the lake)..., It is necessary to build a reservoir under the ground in aquifers in the Mekong Delta. The super-sized reservoir will contribute to the existence and development of the Mekong Delta.

Keywords: aquifers, aquifers storage, groundwater, land subsidence, underground reservoir

Procedia PDF Downloads 60

Authors: Wilko Planje, Remco Pollé, Frank van Buuren

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An increased share of renewable energy sources in the built environment implies the usage of energy buffers to match supply and demand and to prevent overloads of existing grids. Compact heat storage systems based on thermochemical materials (TCM) are promising to be incorporated in future installations as an alternative for regular thermal buffers. This is due to the high energy density (1 – 2 GJ/m3). In order to determine the feasibility of TCM-based systems on building level several installation configurations are simulated and analyzed for different mixes of renewable energy sources (solar thermal, PV, wind, underground, air) for apartments/multistore-buildings for the Dutch situation. Thereby capacity, volume and financial costs are calculated. The simulation consists of options to include the current and future wind power (sea and land) and local roof-attached PV or solar-thermal systems. Thereby, the compact thermal buffer and optionally an electric battery (typically 10 kWhe) form the local storage elements for energy matching and shaving purposes. Besides, electric-driven heat pumps (air / ground) can be included for efficient heat generation in case of power-to-heat. The total local installation provides both space heating, domestic hot water as well as electricity for a specific case with low-energy apartments (annually 9 GJth + 8 GJe) in the year 2025. The energy balance is completed with grid-supplied non-renewable electricity. Taking into account the grid capacities (permanent 1 kWe/household), spatial requirements for the thermal buffer (< 2.5 m3/household) and a desired minimum of 90% share of renewable energy per household on the total consumption the wind-powered scenario results in acceptable sizes of compact thermal buffers with an energy-capacity of 4 - 5 GJth per household. This buffer is combined with a 10 kWhe battery and air source heat pump system. Compact thermal buffers of less than 1 GJ (typically volumes 0.5 - 1 m3) are possible when the installed wind-power is increased with a factor 5. In case of 15-fold of installed wind power compact heat storage devices compete with 1000 L water buffers. The conclusion is that compact heat storage systems can be of interest in the coming decades in combination with well-retrofitted low energy residences based on the current trends of installed renewable energy power.

Keywords: compact thermal storage, thermochemical material, built environment, renewable energy

Procedia PDF Downloads 221

Authors: Melvin Sethobya, Sithule Xanga, Sechaba Lenong, Lunga Nolakana, Gbenga Adesola

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Mining has been the cornerstone of the South African economy for the last century. Most of the gold mining in South Africa was conducted within the Witwatersrand basin, which contributed to the rapid growth of the city of Johannesburg and capitulated the city to becoming the business and wealth capital of the country. But with gradual depletion of resources, a stoppage in the extraction of underground water from mines and other factors relating to survival of the mining operations over a lengthy period, most of the mines were abandoned and left to pollute the local waterways and groundwater with toxins, heavy metal residue and increased acid mine drainage ensued. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy commissioned a project whose aim is to monitor, maintain, and mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of polluted water mine water flowing into local streams affecting local ecosystems and livelihoods downstream. As part of mitigation efforts, the diagnosis and monitoring of groundwater or surface water polluted sites has become important. Geophysical surveys, in particular, Resistivity and Magnetics surveys, were selected as some of most suitable techniques for investigation of local ingress points along of one the major streams cutting through the Witwatersrand basin, namely the Blesbokspruit, which is found in the eastern part of the basin. The aim of the surveys was to provide information that could be used to assist in determining possible water loss/ ingress from the Blesbokspriut stream. Modelling of geophysical surveys results offered an in-depth insight into the interaction and pathways of polluted water through mapping of possible ingress channels near the Blesbokspruit. The resistivity - depth profile of the surveyed site exhibit a three(3) layered model with low resistivity values (10 to 200 Ω.m) overburden, which is underlain by a moderate resistivity weathered layer (>300 Ω.m), which sits on a more resistive crystalline bedrock (>500 Ω.m). Two locations of potential ingress channels were mapped across the two traverses at the site. The magnetic survey conducted at the site mapped a major NE-SW trending regional linearment with a strong magnetic signature, which was modeled to depth beyond 100m, with the potential to act as a conduit for dispersion of stream water away from the stream, as it shared a similar orientation with the potential ingress channels as mapped using the resistivity method.

Keywords: eletrictrical resistivity, magnetics survey, blesbokspruit, ingress

Procedia PDF Downloads 46

Authors: Leslie Nobler

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African fabrics based specifically on the Dutch Wax Print, or Ankara, popularized during Africa's colonial era, have had an enormous impact on western fashion (especially in the US and UK), in the last half-decade. The trend has had an effect on the world of visual arts as well, which circuitously, also heavily impacts fashion design. In fashion, and notably in celebrity apparel choices, this is in part due to ‘identity’ and taking pride in one's African roots; in the visual arts, artists such as Yinka Shonibare and Njideka Akunyili Crosby are making statements about identity politics, colonialism up through post-colonialism, and racism. The ‘global village’ brought on by the internet has driven this proliferation, as have improvements in the printing technology with which the Ankara print is made, combining wax-resist with roller printing. The newest patterns can now be designed authentically in western African and easily sent electronically to Europe for printing. Examples of Ankara's new reach across the Atlantic abound. They have taken several paths, which the paper will detail. Briefly, the first is its greater utilization in the fashion world, from authentic textile shops in African American neighborhoods to copied (knocked-off) low-end reproductions in discount chains. Secondly, we are seeing far more uses of these textiles/patterns in important works of fine arts from major museums, in Philadelphia to Palm Beach to the Mass MOCA (in the US), all the way to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and everywhere in between. And lastly, but quite significantly, we see this trend throughout social media thanks to Instagram, Pinterest and celebrity photos –even at the recent royal wedding. What shall sustain this major new design direction is that Ankara changes with and adapts to the times. Some of it is now printed in West Africa, often in the Nigeria area. And some may be designed in Europe or even at knock-off apparel studios in NY or Asia. But it stays utterly relevant because the motifs are based on objects and scenes in everyday life. In my design studio and university design classes, this idea is first and foremost, from our big spiritual eye motifs to drawings of our art supplies to the ‘politically-loaded’ chain patterns. This first-hand creativity experience becomes part of the research of this paper, along with historic and contemporary sources of inquiry, both through a literature/image search and anecdotal experience into what is behind this exciting and surprising trend.

Keywords: African wax print, Ankara, identity (politics), textile design, surface design

Procedia PDF Downloads 111

Authors: Bolawole F. Ogunbodede, Mokolade Johnson, Adetunji Adejumo

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High population growth rate, reactive infrastructure provision, inability of physical planning to cope with developmental pace are responsible for waste water crisis in the Lagos Metropolis. Septic tank is still the most prevalent waste-water holding system. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of septage treatment infrastructure. Public waste-water treatment system statistics relative to the 23 million people in Lagos State is worrisome. 1.85 billion Cubic meters of wastewater is generated on daily basis and only 5% of the 26 million population is connected to public sewerage system. This is compounded by inadequate budgetary allocation and erratic power supply in the last two decades. This paper explored community participatory waste-water management alternative at Oworonshoki Municipality in Lagos. The study is underpinned by decentralized Waste-water Management systems in built-up areas. The initiative accommodates 5 step waste-water issue including generation, storage, collection, processing and disposal through participatory decision making in two Oworonshoki Community Development Association (CDA) areas. Drone assisted mapping highlighted building footage. Structured interviews and focused group discussion of land lord associations in the CDA areas provided collaborator platform for decision-making. Water stagnation in primary open drainage channels and natural retention ponds in framing wetlands is traceable to frequent of climate change induced tidal influences in recent decades. Rise in water table resulting in septic-tank leakage and water pollution is reported to be responsible for the increase in the water born infirmities documented in primary health centers. This is in addition to unhealthy dumping of solid wastes in the drainage channels. The effect of uncontrolled disposal system renders surface waters and underground water systems unsafe for human and recreational use; destroys biotic life; and poisons the fragile sand barrier-lagoon urban ecosystems. Cluster decentralized system was conceptualized to service 255 households. Stakeholders agreed on public-private partnership initiative for efficient wastewater service delivery.

Keywords: health, infrastructure, management, septage, well-being

Procedia PDF Downloads 146

Authors: Nana Bolashvili, Vakhtang Geladze, Tamazi Karalashvili, Nino Machavariani, George Geladze, Davit Kartvelishvili, Ana Karalashvili

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Fresh water is the major natural resource of Georgia. The average perennial sum of the rivers' runoff in Georgia is 52,77 km³, out of which 9,30 km³ inflows from abroad. The major volume of transit river runoff is ascribed to the Chorokhi river. Average perennial runoff in Western Georgia is 41,52 km³, in Eastern Georgia 11,25 km³. The indices of Eastern and Western Georgia were calculated with 50% and 90% river runoff respectively, while the same index calculation for other countries is based on a 50% river runoff. Out of total volume of resources, 133,2 m³/sec (4,21 km³) has been geologically prospected by the State Commission on Reserves and Acknowledged as reserves available for exploitation, 48% (2,02 km³) of which is in Western Georgia and 2,19 km³ in Eastern Georgia. Considering acknowledged water reserves of all categories per capita water resources accounts to 2,2 m³/day, whereas high industrial category -0. 88 m³ /day fresh drinking water. According to accepted norms, the possibility of using underground water reserves is 2,5 times higher than the long-term requirements of the country. The volume of abundant fresh-water reserves in Georgia is about 150 m³/sec (4,74 km³). Water in Georgia is consumed mostly in agriculture for irrigation purposes. It makes 66,4% around Georgia, in Eastern Georgia 72,4% and 38% in Western Georgia. According to the long-term forecast provision of population and the territory with water resources in Eastern Georgia will be quite normal. A bit different is the situation in the lower reaches of the Khrami and Iori rivers which could be easily overcome by corresponding financing. The present day irrigation system in Georgia does not meet the modern technical requirements. The overall efficiency of their majority varies between 0,4-0,6. Similar is the situation in the fresh water and public service water consumption. Organization of the mentioned systems, installation of water meters, introduction of new methods of irrigation without water loss will substantially increase efficiency of water use. Besides new irrigation norms developed from agro-climatic, geographical and hydrological angle will significantly reduce water waste. Taking all this into account we assume that for irrigation agricultural lands in Georgia is necessary 6,0 km³ water, 5,5 km³ of which goes to Eastern Georgia on irrigation arable areas. To increase water supply in Eastern Georgian territory and its population is possible by means of new water reservoirs as the runoff of every river considerably exceeds the consumption volume. In conclusion, we should say that fresh water resources by which Georgia is that rich could be significant source for barter exchange and investment attraction. Certain volume of fresh water can be exported from Western Georgia quite trouble free, without bringing any damage to population and hydroecosystems. The precise volume of exported water per region/time and method/place of water consumption should be defined after the estimation of different hydroecosystems and detailed analyses of water balance of the corresponding territories.

Keywords: GIS, management, rivers, water resources

Procedia PDF Downloads 334

Authors: Ilona Bontenbal

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In this research, the potential for societal change is researched through the idea of migrants as change agents. The viewpoint is on the potential that migrants have for affecting societal change in their country of origin through transmitting transnational peer-to-peer information. The focus is on the information that Russian migrants living in Finland transmit about their experiences and attitudes regarding the Nordic welfare state, its democratic foundation and the social rights embedded in it, to their family and friends in their country of origin. The welfare provision and level of democracy are very different in the two neighbouring countries of Finland and Russia. Finland is a Nordic welfare state with strong democratic institutions and a comprehensive actualizing of civil and social rights. In Russia, the state of democracy has on the other hand been declining, and the social and civil rights of its citizens are constantly undermined. Due to improvements in communications and travel technology, migrants can easily and relatively cheaply stay in contact with their family and friends in their country of origin. This is why it is possible for migrants to act as change agents. By telling about their experiences and attitudes about living in a democratic welfare state, migrants can affect what people in the country or origin know and think about welfare, democracy, and social rights. This phenomenon is approached through the concept of social remittances. Social remittances broadly stand for the ideas, know-how, world views, attitudes, norms of behavior, and social capital that flows through transnational networks from receiving- to sending- country communities and the other way around. The viewpoint is that historically and culturally formed democratic welfare models cannot be copied entirely nor that each country should achieve identical development paths, but rather that migrants themselves choose which aspects they see as important to remit to their acquaintances in their country of origin. This way the potential for social change and the agency of the migrants is accentuated. The empirical research material of this study is based on 30 qualitative interviews with Russian migrants living in Finland. Russians are the largest migrant group in Finland and Finland is a popular migration destination especially for individuals living in North-West Russia including the St. Petersburg region. The interviews are carried out in 2018-2019. The preliminary results indicate that Russian migrants discuss social rights and welfare a lot with their family members and acquaintances living in Russia. In general, the migrants feel that they have had an effect on the way that their friends and family think about Finland, the West, social rights and welfare provision. Democracy, on the other hand, is seen as a more difficult and less discussed topic. The transformative potential that the transmitted information and attitudes could have outside of the immediate circle of acquaintances on larger societal change is seen as ambiguous although not negligible.

Keywords: migrants as change agents, Russian migrants, social remittances, welfare and democracy

Procedia PDF Downloads 157

Authors: Fangliang Chen, Yihe Huang, Tejav Deganyar, Anselm Boehm, Hamid Batoul

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With growing population density and further urbanization, the average noise level in cities is increasing. Excessive noise is not only annoying but also leads to a negative impact on human health. To deal with the increasing city noise, environmental regulations bring up higher standards on acoustic comfort in buildings by mitigating the noise transmission from building envelope exterior to interior. Framed window, door and façade systems are the leading choice for modern fenestration construction, which provides demonstrated quality of weathering reliability, environmental efficiency, and installation ease. The overall sound insulation of such systems depends both on glasses and frames, where glass usually covers the majority of the exposed surfaces, thus it is the main source of sound energy transmission. While frames in modern façade systems become slimmer for aesthetic appearance, which contribute to a minimal percentage of exposed surfaces. Nevertheless, frames might provide substantial transmission paths for sound travels through because of much less mass crossing the path, thus becoming more critical in limiting the acoustic performance of the whole system. There are various methodologies and numerical programs that can accurately predict the acoustic performance of either glasses or frames. However, due to the vast variance of size and dimension between frame and glass in the same system, there is no satisfactory theoretical approach or affordable simulation tool in current practice to access the over acoustic performance of a whole façade system. For this reason, laboratory test turns out to be the only reliable source. However, laboratory test is very time consuming and high costly, moreover different lab might provide slightly different test results because of varieties of test chambers, sample mounting, and test operations, which significantly constrains the early phase design of framed façade systems. To address this dilemma, this study provides an effective analytical methodology to predict the acoustic performance of framed façade systems, based on vast amount of acoustic test results on glass, frame and the whole façade system consist of both. Further test results validate the current model is able to accurately predict the overall sound transmission loss of a framed system as long as the acoustic behavior of the frame is available. Though the presented methodology is mainly developed from façade systems with aluminum frames, it can be easily extended to systems with frames of other materials such as steel, PVC or wood.

Keywords: city noise, building facades, sound mitigation, sound transmission loss, framed façade system

Procedia PDF Downloads 26

Authors: Divyanshoo Singh, Hemant Kumar Singh, Kumar Nilankar

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Major engineering constructions and foundations (e.g., dams, tunnels, bridges, underground caverns, etc.) in and around the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand are not only confined within hard and crystalline rocks but also stretched within weak and anisotropic rocks. While constructing within such anisotropic rocks, engineers more often encounter geotechnical complications such as structural instability, slope failure, and excessive deformation. These severities/complexities arise mainly due to inherent anisotropy such as layering/foliations, preferred mineral orientations, and geo-mechanical anisotropy present within rocks and vary when measured in different directions. Of all the inherent anisotropy present within the rocks, major geotechnical complexities mainly arise due to the inappropriate orientation of weak planes (bedding/foliation). Thus, Orientations of such weak planes highly affect the fracture patterns, failure mechanism, and strength of rocks. This has led to an improved understanding of the physico-mechanical behavior of anisotropic rocks with different orientations of weak planes. Therefore, in this study, block samples of phyllite belonging to the Chandpur Group of Lesser Himalaya were collected from the Srinagar area of Uttarakhand, India, to investigate the effect of foliation angles on physico-mechanical properties of the rock. Further, collected block samples were core drilled of diameter 50 mm at different foliation angles, β (angle between foliation plane and drilling direction), i.e., 0⁰, 30⁰, 60⁰, and 90⁰, respectively. Before the test, drilled core samples were oven-dried at 110⁰C to achieve uniformity. Physical and mechanical properties such as Seismic wave velocity, density, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), point load strength (PLS), and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) test were carried out on prepared core specimens. The results indicate that seismic wave velocities (P-wave and S-wave) decrease with increasing β angle. As the β angle increases, the number of foliation planes that the wave needs to pass through increases and thus causes the dissipation of wave energy with increasing β. Maximum strength for UCS, PLS, and BTS was found to be at β angle of 90⁰. However, minimum strength for UCS and BTS was found to be at β angle of 30⁰, which differs from PLS, where minimum strength was found at 0⁰ β angle. Furthermore, failure modes also correspond to the strength of the rock, showing along foliation and non-central failure as characteristics of low strength values, while multiple fractures and central failure as characteristics of high strength values. Thus, this study will provide a better understanding of the anisotropic features of phyllite for the purpose of major engineering construction and foundations within the Himalayan Region.

Keywords: anisotropic rocks, foliation angle, Physico-mechanical properties, phyllite, Himalayan region

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Authors: Aitor Bilbao, Dragos Axinte, John Billingham

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The inverse problem in Energy Beam (EB) Processes consists of defining the control parameters, in particular the 2D beam path (position and orientation of the beam as a function of time), to arrive at a prescribed solution (freeform surface). This inverse problem is well understood for conventional machining, because the cutting tool geometry is well defined and the material removal is a time independent process. In contrast, EB machining is achieved through the local interaction of a beam of particular characteristics (e.g. energy distribution), which leads to a surface-dependent removal rate. Furthermore, EB machining is a time-dependent process in which not only the beam varies with the dwell time, but any acceleration/deceleration of the machine/beam delivery system, when performing raster paths will influence the actual geometry of the surface to be generated. Two different EB processes, Abrasive Water Machining (AWJM) and Pulsed Laser Ablation (PLA), are studied. Even though they are considered as independent different technologies, both can be described as time-dependent processes. AWJM can be considered as a continuous process and the etched material depends on the feed speed of the jet at each instant during the process. On the other hand, PLA processes are usually defined as discrete systems and the total removed material is calculated by the summation of the different pulses shot during the process. The overlapping of these shots depends on the feed speed and the frequency between two consecutive shots. However, if the feed speed is sufficiently slow compared with the frequency, then consecutive shots are close enough and the behaviour can be similar to a continuous process. Using this approximation a generic continuous model can be described for both processes. The inverse problem is usually solved for this kind of process by simply controlling dwell time in proportion to the required depth of milling at each single pixel on the surface using a linear model of the process. However, this approach does not always lead to the good solution since linear models are only valid when shallow surfaces are etched. The solution of the inverse problem is improved by using a discrete adjoint optimization algorithm. Moreover, the calculation of the Jacobian matrix consumes less computation time than finite difference approaches. The influence of the dynamics of the machine on the actual movement of the jet is also important and should be taken into account. When the parameters of the controller are not known or cannot be changed, a simple approximation is used for the choice of the slope of a step profile. Several experimental tests are performed for both technologies to show the usefulness of this approach.

Keywords: abrasive waterjet machining, energy beam processes, inverse problem, pulsed laser ablation

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Authors: Marc Dietrich

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Youth cultures like Punk as much as media relevant to the specific scenes associated with them offer ample opportunity for young people or juvenile adults to construct their personal identities. However, developmental psychology has largely neglected such identity construction processes during the last decades. Such was not always the case: Early developmental psychologists intensely studied youth cultures and their meaningful objects and media in the early 20th century but lost interest when cultural studies and the social sciences occupied the field after World War II. Our project Constructions of Juvenility and Generation(ality), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, reintegrates the study of youth cultures and their meaningful objects and media in a developmental psychology perspective. We present an empirical study of the ways in which youth, juvenility, and generation (ality) are constructed and negotiated in underground media like punk fanzines (a portmanteau of fan and magazine), including both semantic and aesthetic aspects of these construction processes within punk culture. The fanzine sample was accessed by the theoretical sampling strategy typical for GTM studies. Acknowledging fanzines as artful self-produced media by scene members for scene members, we conceptualize them as authentic documents of scene norms and values. Drawing on an analysis of both text and (cover) images in Punk fanzines published in Germany (and within a sample dating from 1981 until 2015) using a novel Visual Grounded Theory approach, we found that: a) Juvenility is a highly contested concept in punk culture. Its semantic quality and valuation varies with the perspectives present within the culture (e.g. embryo punks versus older punks); b) Juvenility is constructed as having energy and being socio-critical that does not depend on biological age; c) Juvenility is regarded not an ideal per se in German Punk culture; Punk culture constructs old age in a largely positive way (e.g., as marker of being real and a historical innovator); d) Juvenility is constructed as a habit that should be kept for life as it is constantly adapted to individual biographical trajectories like specific job situations or having a family. Consequently, identity negotiation as documented in the zines attempts to balance subculturally driven perspectives on life and society with the pragmatic requirements of a bourgeois life. The proposed paper will present the main results of this large-scale study of punk fanzines and show how developmental psychology perspectives as represented in the novel methodology applied in it can advance the study of youth cultures.

Keywords: construction of juvenility, developmental psychology, visual GTM, youth culture, fanzines

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Authors: Maik Kschischo, Dominik Kahl, Philipp Wendland, Andreas Weber

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Understanding and modelling of real-world complex dynamic systems in biology, engineering and other fields is often made difficult by incomplete knowledge about the interactions between systems states and by unknown disturbances to the system. In fact, most real-world dynamic networks are open systems receiving unknown inputs from their environment. To understand a system and to estimate the state dynamics, these inputs need to be reconstructed from output measurements. Reconstructing the input of a dynamic system from its measured outputs is an ill-posed problem if only a limited number of states is directly measurable. A first requirement for solving this problem is the invertibility of the input-output map. In our work, we exploit the fact that invertibility of a dynamic system is a structural property, which depends only on the network topology. Therefore, it is possible to check for invertibility using a structural invertibility algorithm which counts the number of node disjoint paths linking inputs and outputs. The algorithm is efficient enough, even for large networks up to a million nodes. To understand structural features influencing the invertibility of a complex dynamic network, we analyze synthetic and real networks using the structural invertibility algorithm. We find that invertibility largely depends on the degree distribution and that dense random networks are easier to invert than sparse inhomogeneous networks. We show that real networks are often very difficult to invert unless the sensor nodes are carefully chosen. To overcome this problem, we present a sensor node placement algorithm to achieve invertibility with a minimum set of measured states. This greedy algorithm is very fast and also guaranteed to find an optimal sensor node-set if it exists. Our results provide a practical approach to experimental design for open, dynamic systems. Since invertibility is a necessary condition for unknown input observers and data assimilation filters to work, it can be used as a preprocessing step to check, whether these input reconstruction algorithms can be successful. If not, we can suggest additional measurements providing sufficient information for input reconstruction. Invertibility is also important for systems design and model building. Dynamic models are always incomplete, and synthetic systems act in an environment, where they receive inputs or even attack signals from their exterior. Being able to monitor these inputs is an important design requirement, which can be achieved by our algorithms for invertibility analysis and sensor node placement.

Keywords: data-driven dynamic systems, inversion of dynamic systems, observability, experimental design, sensor node placement

Procedia PDF Downloads 127