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Found 6327 publications

Slope stabilisation of railway embankments over loose subgrades using deep-mixed columns

Morteza Esmaeili Farshad Astaraki

Publication Name: Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Ground Improvement

Publication Date: 2022-12-01

Volume: 175

Issue: 4

Page Range: 247-260

Description:

An investigation was undertaken into the stability of railway embankment slopes over soft subgrades stabilised by deep-mixed columns (DMCs). Three 1:10 scale laboratory embankments were constructed over unreinforced and reinforced subgrade with DMCs in square and triangle patterns. The load-settlement responses of both embankments and columns were measured. The laboratory embankments were then mathematically modelled and the results were compared. After validation, a comprehensive parametric study was carried out to evaluate the factor of safety (FoS) of the embankment side slopes against sliding. Five embankment soil types from poor to high strength, three heights from 1.5 to 10 m and various DMC improvement area ratios from 0 to 65% were considered. The experimental outcomes indicated an increase of nearly 63% in the bearing capacity of both DMC-supported embankments compared with the unreinforced one. Regarding the parametric study, a minimum required FoS of 1.5 was observed for 1.5 m embankments of all soil types stabilised with a 60% improvement ratio. The greatest safety increase was associated with a 1.5 m height embankment with poor soil type, which showed a 36% increase.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1680/jgrim.20.00049

Reliability-based numerical analysis of glulam beams reinforced by CFRP plate

Majid Movahedi Rad Dániel Harrach Muayad Habashneh

Publication Name: Scientific Reports

Publication Date: 2022-12-01

Volume: 12

Issue: 1

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Most existed researches consider deterministic numerical analysis when dealing with structural models. However, the test results reveal that uncertainties are existing in most cases regarding some considerations such as material randomness and the lack of experience. Therefore, proposing a probabilistic design models have got attention of researchers according to its important role in predicting accurate performance of the structures. The aim of the proposed work is to consider reliability-based analysis in numerical modelling of glulam beams reinforced with CFRP plates as well as unreinforced glulam beams by considering the properties of used timber material as random variables having mean value and standard deviation taking into consideration that the findings of this study have shown that the reliability index is worked efficiently as a limit which controls the process. Hill yield criterion model is adopted with respect to the data which is obtained from the experimental tests in order to validate the models. Furthermore, a detailed comparison between the reinforced and unreinforced glulam beams are proposed to see the effect of introducing the CFRP plates as a reinforcement material. The results of this study have successfully given a deep understanding of how the uncertainties plays a crucial role on the resulted deformations and stresses in which it was founded by making a comparison between deterministic and probabilistic numerical analysis.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17751-6

Student Burnout in Higher Education: From Lockdowns to Classrooms

Marta Konczosne Szombathelyi Kevin Jackson

Publication Name: Education Sciences

Publication Date: 2022-12-01

Volume: 12

Issue: 12

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

During the spring 2021 semester, COVID-19 forced most universities around the world to teach exclusively online in a very short time frame. This situation reversed itself, however, during the fall 2021 semester when COVID-19 restrictions were lifted as teachers and students returned to classrooms. This study includes ninety-seven international students who participated in surveys at the beginning and the end of the fall 2021 semester, which included questions related to burnout, self-efficacy, resiliency, home environments, and technical issues. Students were asked to reflect on their educational experiences during the spring 2021 and fall 2021 semesters. The purpose of this study is to identify and examine the most significant changes that occurred between these two semesters. The results indicate a significant shift in student burnout as challenges with home environments were replaced with ones related to returning to the classroom. Even as the concerns about COVID-19 lessen, higher education institutions must understand the magnitude and permanence of its impact.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/educsci12120842

Development of a Fuzzy Inference System Based Rapid Visual Screening Method for Seismic Assessment of Buildings Presented on a Case Study of URM Buildings

O. Kegyes-Brassai Ferenc Lilik Nurullah Bektaş

Publication Name: Sustainability Switzerland

Publication Date: 2022-12-01

Volume: 14

Issue: 23

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Many conventional rapid visual screening (RVS) methods for the seismic assessment of existing structures have been designed over the past three decades, tailored to site-specific building features. The objective of implementing RVS is to identify the buildings most susceptible to earthquake-induced damage. RVS methods are utilized to classify buildings according to their risk level to prioritize the buildings at high seismic risk. The conventional RVS methods are employed to determine the damage after an earthquake or to make safety assessments in order to predict the damage that may occur in a building before an impending earthquake. Due to the subjectivity of the screener based on visual examination, previous research has shown that these conventional methods can lead to vagueness and uncertainty. Additionally, because RVS methods were found to be conservative and to be partially accurate, as well as the fact that some expert opinion based developed RVS techniques do not have the capability of further enhancement, it was recommended that RVS methods be developed. Therefore, this paper discusses a fuzzy logic based RVS method development to produce an accurate building features responsive examination method for unreinforced masonry (URM) structures, as well as a way of revising existing RVS methods. In this context, RVS parameters are used in a fuzzy-inference system hierarchical computational pattern to develop the RVS method. The fuzzy inference system based RVS method was developed considering post-earthquake building screening data of 40 URM structures located in Albania following the earthquake in 2019 as a case study. In addition, FEMA P-154, a conventional RVS method, was employed to screen considered buildings to comparatively demonstrate the efficiency of the developed RVS method in this study. The findings of the study revealed that the proposed method with an accuracy of 67.5% strongly outperformed the conventional RVS method by 42.5%.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/su142316318

Modelling biophoton emission kinetics based on the initial intensity value in Helianthus annuus plants exposed to different types of stress

Katalin Somfalvi-Tóth Zsolt Pónya

Publication Name: Scientific Reports

Publication Date: 2022-12-01

Volume: 12

Issue: 1

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Biophoton radiation also referred to as ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) is used to denote a spontaneous and permanent photon emission associated with oxidative processes in cells and seems to universally occur in all living systems as a result of the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are produced under stress conditions. The measurement of this biophoton emission allows for a non-invasive approach in monitoring phenological stages throughout plant development which has direct relevance in agriculture research. In this study, the emission of photons emanating from sunflower (Helianthus annuus, L.) plants exposed to biotic and abiotic stress has been investigated. In healthy plants raised under controlled growth conditions UPE was low whereas in stressed individuals it considerably increased; particularly upon water stress. The kinetics of the signal is shown to reveal an exponential decay with characteristic dynamics, which appears to reflect different physiological states concomitantly setting in upon stress. The dynamics of the signal decay is shown to vary according to the type of stress applied (biotic vs. abiotic) hence suggesting a putative relationship between the kinetic traits of change in the signal intensity-decay and stress. Intriguingly, the determination of the change in the intensity of biophoton emission that ensued in a short time course was possible by using the initial biophoton emission intensity. The predictability level of the equations demonstrated the applicability of the model in a corroborative manner when employing it in independent UPE-measurements, thus permitting to forecast the intensity change in a very accurate way over a short time course. Our findings allow the notion that albeit stress confers complex and complicated changes on oxidative metabolism in biological systems, the employment of biophoton imaging offers a feasible method making it possible to monitor oxidative processes triggered by stress in a non-invasive and label-free way which has versatile applications especially in precision agriculture.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06323-3

Improving Customer Satisfaction for SMES in Emerging Countries: A Comparative Study of Hungary and Indonesia

Santi Setyaningsih Peter Kelle

Publication Name: Studies in Business and Economics

Publication Date: 2022-12-01

Volume: 17

Issue: 3

Page Range: 204-223

Description:

Improving Customer Satisfaction (CS) is a key strategical goal for companies, especially for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). The objective of this research is to find and rank the major factors supporting CS. We focus on SMEs in two emerging markets located in two countries with different geographical and supply chain environments. We test a conceptual framework that includes several factors supporting CS. The data were collected from Hungarian and Indonesian SMEs by online questionnaire. We used statistical analysis such as Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Model (SEM) to test our model and hypothesis. Based on the survey of the top management of the SMEs, the three factors that have a significant positive effect on CS in both countries are Market Pressure (MP), Organizational Culture (OC), and Corporate Strategy (CStra). The rank order is MP followed by OC and CStra in Hungary; MP, CStra, and OC for Indonesia. Even though many scholars discussed CS, a few studies have shown the connection between CS and the successful implementation of SCM. Evaluating and ranking the supporting factors contributes to the literature and business practice of SME decision-making related to SCM.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.2478/sbe-2022-0056

DNA extraction and STR profiling from histological slides

Viktor Soma Poór Gabor Kovacs Vivien Fejes Marah Alhabahbeh Zsolt Pádár

Publication Name: Forensic Science International Genetics Supplement Series

Publication Date: 2022-12-01

Volume: 8

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: 176-177

Description:

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks are commonly used in the field of pathology and forensic pathology as a source of histological slides. For postmortem kinship analysis or identification, DNA can be extracted from blocks with specialized kits. However, when an STR profile should be generated from single microscope slides, the removal of the coverslip and the limited sample size poses unique challenges. We aimed to test the effectivity of agitated xylene incubation to dissolve the mounting material to facilitate the coverslip removal. DNA extraction tests were performed on 5- to 7-year-old histological slides. Xylol was used to dissolve the mounting medium to facilitate cover slide removal, one set of samples was shaken during incubation, and the other set was left still. It was found that shaking the sample while bathed in xylol decreased the incubation time from three days to two days. Agitation not just reduced the processing time but increased the quality of acquired STR profiles: on average 30% more alleles were detected from the shaken samples compared to the still bathed ones.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigss.2022.10.026

Correction to: Response of wheat to combined application of nitrogen and phosphorus along with compost (Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology, (2022), 25, 5, (557-564), 10.1007/s12892-022-00151-7)

Zoltán Molnár Tibor Janda Lamnganbi Mutum Tagesse Ergudo Wogene Kabato

Publication Name: Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology

Publication Date: 2022-12-01

Volume: 25

Issue: 5

Page Range: 621

Description:

Due to unfortunate oversight author names have been misspelt.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1007/s12892-022-00155-3

The catalyst-like role of forensic genetics in the developmental process of Hungarian wildlife forensics

Petra Zenke Viktor Soma Poór Mónika Nogel Gabor Kovacs Zsolt Pádár

Publication Name: Forensic Science International Genetics Supplement Series

Publication Date: 2022-12-01

Volume: 8

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: 263-264

Description:

The anthropocentric nature of forensic sciences has been changing continuously over the years and this process is continuing today. Due to its universality and multilateral implementation, and the fragmented nature of forensic epistemology, the information provided by forensic genetics can play a pivotal role in forensic science. At the same time, the link between forensic genetics and non-human forensic biological evidence has become unquestionable. It may highlight the modern requirements of forensic science, and this connection is also able to provide useful and sufficient examples for developmental processes in wildlife forensics. Obviously, the local formations, organizations, and operations of wildlife forensics can be different worldwide, but the detection and punishment of wildlife-related criminal behavior, as well as the prevention of further crimes, play a relevant role in these processes everywhere.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigss.2022.10.056