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This paper analyzes the process of reordering and intensification associated with the Spanish cereal sector, which began in 1937 under Franco's regime. Considering the process as a practice of design and spatial re-planning of the territory, the first stage focuses on the reordering of the sector through an intense state interventionism in the processes of production, distribution, and consumption of cereals. The second stage, framed in a context of significant economic development in the country encouraged by the international context, focuses on the adoption of multiple measures for the intensification of production. Approached from an anthropic perspective of instrumentalisation of the natural environment, this process would lead to the reconfiguration of the structure of operations and to the alteration of part of the biophysical and sociocultural components of the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Italy built its ammasso silo network in the 1930s for two purposes: to stockpile grain and to symbolize fascist power. Much of the network was destroyed in World War II, and over half of the silos still standing are now disused and in disrepair. These structures should be protected and refurbished because they are part of Italy's historic and agro-industrial heritage and because reusing existing buildings instead of constructing new ones reduces the carbon footprint. To evaluate silo repurposing potential, a method developed for inventorying Spanish silos was adapted and applied to the 30 remaining ammasso silos. The method explores the general features, construction, equipment, and socioeconomic environment of each silo. All extant ammasso silos have machinery for receiving, storing, and dispatching grain, and most have equipment for cleaning, sorting, weighing, and packaging. Vertical-cell silos are challenging to convert, unlike horizontally-oriented silos and other open-plan agro-industrial buildings. Even so, some have already been made over into shops, leisure areas, museums, and even homes. Examples of silo reuse in other countries, such as Spain and Portugal, can offer further useful insights. However, socio-economic indicators suggest that silo repurposing projects are viable only in large population centres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work aimed to evaluate the effect of ensiling density on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of Pennisetum giganteum silages. The silage was ensiled in laboratory silos (1 L), and three treatments were designed according to different ensiling densities: (1) low density (LD, 750 kg/m3); (2) medium density (MD, 900 kg/m3); and (3) high density (HD, 1050 kg/m3). During ensiling, the silage was sampled for a fermentation quality analysis. All silages were well preserved, as indicated by the high lactic acid (LA) content and low pH (<4.2). The MD treatment had the highest acetic acid content (24.9 g/kg dry matter) and the HD treatment had the lowest ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) content (68.2 g/kg total nitrogen, TN) among all silages after 45 days of ensiling. The aerobic stability of HD, MD, and LD persisted for 51 h, 54 h, and 48 h, respectively. The NH3-N contents of HD and MD were below 80 g/kg TN during aerobic exposure. These results show that the increase in ensiling density improved the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of Pennisetum giganteum silages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students who require intensive individualized intervention often demonstrate needs in both academic and behavioral domains. However, practices around assessment and development of interventions are often siloed and separate, which can be a barrier to implementing intensive individualized support in an integrated manner to maximize efficiency. In this article, we provide a blueprint for educators to work collaboratively to complete an integrated assessment that can lead to developing a truly integrated individualized intervention. We also share a vignette demonstrating how team members might create a team to complete an integrated assessment and create a corresponding intervention plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces to an international audience the 'encyclopaedic approach' to geographical historiography. This approach was developed at the Free University of Amsterdam between 1961 and 1987 by Marcus Heslinga and Andries Kouwenhoven. Signalling how contemporary geography is hampered by the silofication of different subdisciplines and how a better understanding of our shared and pluriform histories can help overcome these silos, the encyclopaedic approach demonstrates how an 'engaged pluralist' historiography of geography could take shape. Testifying to its bridge-building character, the approach was developed in response to decades of acerbic conflict between rivalling schools of human geography in the Netherlands. Its central premises involve an acknowledgement that geography is a dynamic discipline with shifting formal and material objects and an empirical strategy to map and relate these different conceptual fields. • Chronicles the encyclopaedic approach to the history of human geography developed by Marcus Heslinga and Andries Kouwenhoven. • Situates the emergence of the engaged pluralist encyclopaedic approach in the history of Dutch human geography. • Discusses how the encyclopaedic approach inspiresto overcome the silofication and fragmentation of contemporary geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the impact of gravity material density on wall pressure and flow patterns during silo discharge using indoor tests and numerical simulations. A self-developed semi-cylindrical flat-bottomed circular silo was utilized in the indoor tests. The custom pressure sensors were embedded in the silo walls to measure the wall pressure. The cameras were used to record the evolution of flow patterns. Two types of gravity materials were selected with different densities and an average particle size of 5.5 mm: ceramic balls (referred to as ceramic particles) and soybeans. Five discharge tests were then conducted on each material. Subsequently, discrete element (DEM) numerical simulations were performed to supplement the test observations. The experimental and numerical simulations were combined to explore the effects of gravity material density on the flow pattern and wall pressure. The results reveal that there was a similar flow evolution of ceramic particles and soybeans, indicating the transitions from the mass, funnel, and mixed flow to the tubular flow. There was a dynamic variation in the boundary between the flowing and stationary zones during discharge. The boundary of the stationary zone remained stable at the early and middle stages of discharge, with an angle of 54.03° and a height of 0.310 m. In the late stage of discharge, the flowing boundary on the surface of the gravity material was intersected with the stationary zone boundary at an angle of 28.5°, ultimately forming a "detention zone" near the bottom of the silo with an angle of 28.5° and a height of 0.120 m. The density of the gravity material then dominated the fluctuation of wall pressure. The materials with the higher gravity density caused the more intense variations in the pressure on the silo wall. Among them, the ceramic particles shared a greater pressure amplitude than the soybeans. There was no influence of gravity material density on the location of the peak lateral pressure. The peak points of lateral pressure for both ceramic particles and soybeans were located at approximately 3/10 of the silo wall height from the bottom. During the initial discharge (the first 5 s, accounting for 1.43% of the total discharge duration), there was a sharp increase in the wall pressure of ceramic particles and soybeans, with peak increments of 263% for ceramic particles and 257% for soybeans. At the very beginning of the discharge, the wall pressure increased rapidly in a very short time, inevitably causing an impact on the silo wall. This test verified that the silo failures frequently occurred at the beginning of discharge in the practical scenarios. According to the evolution of the mesoscopic force chain during discharge, the ceramic particles with the higher gravity density exerted greater pressure on the silo wall via the force chain network. The fluctuation of wall pressure was directly related to the breaking, reformation, and arching of the force chains. Furthermore, there was a direct connection between the transmission of the mesoscopic force chain network, force chain rupture, and reformation, as well as the macroscopic distribution of wall pressure. These findings can provide theoretical support and test evidence for the optimal design and safe operation of silo structures. The insights can be gained to mitigate the risks for the high efficiency in the structural integrity of silos during material handling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a review of the book "Aramague. Essay on local history" written by José Miguel Rodríguez Yanes about the history of the municipality of Los Silos in Tenerife. The book stands out for its originality in using historical images as a starting point to explore the municipality's past. It is divided into two volumes and covers from the colonization in the 16th century to the mid-20th century. The importance of prominent families throughout the centuries in Los Silos is highlighted. The text analyzes the socio-economic inequality in Los Silos during the 19th and 20th centuries, highlighting the stratification of the population and the political evolution in the locality. The author uses various forms of historiography, making this book an important reference for researching the past of Los Silos and the Canary Islands in general. [Extracted from the article]

In this work, a numerical study of the effects of soil-structure interaction (SSI) and granular material-structure interaction (GSI) on the nonlinear response and seismic capacity of flat-bottomed storage silos is conducted. A series of incremental dynamic analyses (IDA) are performed on a case of large reinforced concrete silo using 10 seismic recordings. The IDA results are given by two average IDA capacity curves, which are represented, as well as the seismic capacity of the studied structure, with and without a consideration of the SSI while accounting for the effect of GSI. These curves are used to quantify and evaluate the damage of the studied silo by utilizing two damage indices, one based on dissipated energy and the other on displacement and dissipated energy. The cumulative energy dissipation curves obtained by the average IDA capacity curves with and without SSI are presented as a function of the base shear, and these curves allow one to obtain the two critical points and the different limit states of the structure. It is observed that the SSI and GSI significantly influence the seismic response and capacity of the studied structure, particularly at higher levels of PGA. Moreover, the effect of the SSI reduces the damage index of the studied structure by 4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an experimental investigation on the flow and clogging of bi-disperse mixtures of coarse and fine grains of different densities passing through small orifices. We vary the density ratio (coarse/fine) from 1.87 down to 0.79 by using amaranth seeds, glass and ceramic beads of similar size as the fine species in combination with 2.0 mm glass beads as the coarse grains. We analyzed the effect of the density ratio on the effective flow rate of the coarse species, the segregation during flow and the clogging for a range of orifice diameters. As in previous studies, the flow of the coarse grains is facilitated by the fine species, which prevents clogging. We show that the effective flow rate of the coarse species is virtually independent of the density ratio. These results suggest that in practical applications with the goal of clogging reduction, the density of the fine species used to ease the flow is not a relevant parameter and can be selected based on practical or economic constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose is to study seismic response and dynamic lateral pressure of the silo wall with different storage conditions under the earthquake. FEM was used to conduct dynamic time history analysis of the silo. The seismic response of the empty silo was smaller than that of the filled silos, and for the latter, under seismic action, the bulk sand particles and the silo wall had a more complex dynamic interaction, and nodes displacements on the wall and columns mainly fluctuated rising. For the deformation of the bulk sand, it was similar to a parabolic pattern in section, the closer to the silo center the greater the deformation was, and the farther away from the silo center the smaller the deformation was. The maximum acceleration was near the top of the wall in the empty silo, near the middle of the wall in contact with bulk sand in the filled silos. Nodes maximum overpressure coefficient was 1.6 and 2.9 in half fully and fully filled silos, respectively, but the coefficient 2.9 was greater than the standardized value of 2.0, therefore, the suggested overpressure coefficient was proposed. Meanwhile, Mises stress was investigated, and it was smaller in the empty silo, but larger in the filled silos, particularly in and around the ring beam due to the dynamic interaction between the sand and the silo wall, where the stiffness had a sudden change, and the maximum stress at the ring beam increased gradually with the seismic action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020, caused extensive destruction and significant casualties, prompting inquiries into its scale and impact on neighboring structures. Speculation arose regarding the role of the nearby port silos in shielding western Beirut from the blast. This study leverages insights from previous research and uses a tailored blast wave propagation model to settle the debate on the silos' effectiveness in mitigating blast impacts. The analysis challenges prevailing notions: firstly, that the silos offered substantial protection, and secondly, the assumption linking the transient "window" phenomenon in the Wilson cloud to a similar opening in the preceding pressure front. Contrary to expectation, the pressure at the shock front remains continuous, albeit lower on the leeward side behind the silos. Downstream lateral regions experience pressure amplification due to the constructive interference of waves diffracted around the silos, with significant attenuation observed close (10 m) behind them—approximately 12%, 58%, and 2% of free-air values for overpressure, specific impulse, and specific energy, respectively. However, this shielding effect diminishes with distance, with the blast wave intensity largely restored at 450 m. Consequently, the silos' shadowing effect was limited to nearby port structures and part of the Lebanese navy base, which still incurred severe damage. The lesser impact on western Beirut is attributed to its greater distance from the explosion rather than the silos' protective influence. These findings suggest a reevaluation of urban disaster mitigation strategies, emphasizing geographical positioning over structural barriers and advocating for a holistic approach to urban resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flour mills are one of the workplaces with occupational health hazards due to irregular workplaces and environments where insufficient attention is paid to workers' safety. In this context, considering the extent of difficulties faced by workers in flour mills, hazards and risks that could affect the health and occupational safety of workers were investigated in a sample of flour mills in Iğdır province. The data obtained as a result of the research was ranked using the matrix method. The study identified 68 specific risks, of which 38% were identified as unacceptable risks requiring immediate action and 33% as risks requiring medium-term action. The results show that among the factors negatively affecting the health of workers, the respiratory hazard level of wheat dust with RS:15 (l:3, s:5) and the explosion hazard with RS:20 (l:4, s:5) occupy significant positions. Despite the emphasis on the importance of hygiene standards, serious deficiencies were identified, such as RS:20, which is considered high risk. In addition, the presence of many machines, such as conveyors, silos, compressors and rollers, was found to increase the risks on the system in the range of RS:20-25, which could lead to serious injury or death. Bacteria and microorganisms, such as RS:16-18, proliferate due to the low availability of personal hygiene facilities in the factory. For each identified risk, the necessary control measures are proposed and it is emphasized that protective measures should also be taken even after the implementation of these measures. Among the factors that negatively affect the health of workers in flour mills are the lack of use of personal protective equipment, working in dirty conditions, the presence of elements that can cause respiratory problems, as well as injuries related to carrying heavy loads on slippery floors and using unprotected machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a reflection on the author's recognition for their contributions to utilizing economics in the sustainable management of environmental resources. The author discusses the importance of breaking down disciplinary silos in fisheries science and emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical engagement, and global jurisdiction in addressing environmental challenges. The author also highlights their work in interdisciplinary oceans and fisheries economics, including their role as Project Director of the OceanCanada Partnership, which aims to foster resilient and sustainable oceans along Canada's coasts. The article concludes with a call for responsible resource extraction and the preservation of the ocean's ecosystem for future generations. [Extracted from the article]

We investigated the clogging behavior observed during the flow of aspherical particles from a silo in the presence of spherical particles of different sizes and proportions using flow visualization experiments and discrete element method simulations. The size of the avalanche, essentially the tendency of clogging, exhibits non-monotonic dependence on the spherical particle volume fraction. For small enough content of spherical particles, the clogging tendency intensifies, whereas it reduces rapidly for high enough spherical particle fractions, with a minimum in between. The non-monotonic behavior is observed to persist over for different spherical particle sizes. The overall behavior is shown to arise due to competing effects between the localized total particle fraction influencing avalanche strength and mean size of the particles exiting the silo, influencing the probability of arch formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The central objective of this paper is to propose and test a model for the development of network governance structures to respond to the silo effect in the innovation management process in a large research organization. Method: A case study was used with the objective of building a governance model that could address the problems derived from the silo effect. To achieve the objective, validation workshops were held, with teams being challenged to reflect on the mechanisms and basic rules used to assemble the model. Results: The efforts made to inhibit the silo effect in the organization investigated were successful. Internal events were held to exchange knowledge between research centers, which resulted in greater stimulation of connections between these and other actors throughout the innovation ecosystem. Conclusions: The governance model adopted to mitigate the problems derived from the silo effect proved to be effective in promoting interaction between research centers on issues related to open innovation. The model, supported by mechanisms and basic rules inserted in the key actions, proved to be efficient in promoting a more intense relationship between the research units of the institution studied, resulting in new network actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was focused on the analysis of the emission of volatile compounds as an indicator of changes in the quality degradation of corn groats with 14% and 17% moisture content (wet basis) using an electronic nose (Agrinose) at changing vertical pressure values. The corn groats were used in this study in an unconsolidated state of 0 kPa (the upper free layer of bulk material in the silo) and under a consolidation pressure of 40 kPa (approximately 3 m from the upper layer towards the bottom of the silo) and 80 kPa (approximately 6 m from the upper layer towards the bottom of the silo). The consolidation pressures corresponded to the vertical pressures acting on the layers of the bulk material bed in medium-slender and low silos. Chromatographic determinations of volatile organic compounds were performed as reference tests. The investigations confirmed the correlation of the electronic nose response with the quality degradation of the groats as a function of storage time. An important conclusion supported by the research results is that, based on the determined levels of intensity of volatile compound emission, the electronic nose is able to distinguish the individual layers of the bulk material bed undergoing different degrees of quality degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an anthropologist currently working in the policy realm, I provide insights on the value of anthropology and its potential for growth and impact, both within and beyond academia. Drawing from my experiences studying in graduate school, teaching in academia, and holding nonacademic jobs, I suggest that anthropology can flourish by breaking free from disciplinary boundaries and silos, challenging conventional notions of scholarship, and by "studying in." The next 50 years of anthropology can be brighter, more inclusive, and more accessible if the discipline's practitioners think more critically about how we do our research and who we share our research with, what we frame as research and scholarship, and how we train and support the next generation of anthropologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability and migration are typically treated as discrete policy spheres in international, national, and local fora, separated in governance structures and institutions. This results in policy incoherence that hinders just transitions toward more sustainable societies cognizant of mobile realities. This explorative effort identifies the (dis)connections between policy domains using data collected on how the sustainability-migration nexus is governed in four countries with a special emphasis on urban areas: Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States. Results of 73 interviews show that migration and sustainability actors find it challenging to see how they could be working together and that migrants are rarely conceived of as sustainability actors and/or targeted populations of sustainability policy. Despite the cross-sectoral nature of sustainability, it appears that migration and sustainability are sequestered into silos that hinder collaborative actions. Lamenting the existence of silos is not enough to encourage new lines of thinking or practice in how sustainability is governed; therefore, we examine the evidence to ascertain current barriers blocking synergetic governance and the opportunities for change perceived by respondents via three critical elements of transformations toward sustainability: structural, systemic, and enabling conditions. We argue that for sustainability transitions to happen, a wider set of societal actors needs to be included from policy intention to action, but that this transformation may require more than policy integration via horizontal coordination. It demands reflexivity and pluralistic pathways that close vertical gaps between national and municipal levels and diminish structural inequalities as they intersect with migration type and status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of high-rise objects in solid rocks characterized by frequent changes in its vertical profile requires a more detailed study of lithological layers, tectonic characteristics and analysis of physical and mechanical parameters. Layers of different strength and characteristics in all elements make it possible to separate it by geological environments, in order to choose the most favorable one for the foundation of objects. As part of the construction of additional silos at the existing "Molaris" Mill complex in Kozluk near Zvornik, research was conducted at the central points of the future facilities and the immediate surroundings. Investigation works up to a depth of 12.0 m defined all the complexity of the terrain structure in a small area. Conducted research on rock samples from exploration works and from the open terrain profile showed differences in the physical and mechanical characteristics of softer rocks susceptible to solubility in water. Separated environments show that the foundation of objects cannot be done only in one environment, given the folds of the layers in a very small area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early-life environments have an immense influence on long-term health outcomes. We have started to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association but have made little progress in reducing the disease burden of environmentally mediated neurological and psychiatric illness. Here, we highlight barriers to innovation and how they may be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of post-harvest pest management in agricultural products, the adoption of modified atmospheres presents an eco-friendly alternative to conventional pesticides. This study focuses on nitrogen gas as a potential agent for insect control in stored commodities, utilizing computational simulations (by employing the convection–diffusion equation) to investigate its penetration and distribution within two common storage configurations: chamber-contained pallets and silos. The results highlight the influence of boundary conditions, commodity porosity, and convection effects on nitrogen dispersion. In chamber scenarios, the first boundary condition considers that pallets are placed inside a chamber with uniform (99.5%) nitrogen concentration, whereas in the second one, the concentration gradually increases from 78% to 99.5%. The average duration required for O 2 concentration to reach 1% is approximately 10.7 h and 133.3 h for the two boundary conditions, respectively. Among the agricultural commodities, walnuts (kernels) exhibit the shortest duration, while prunes require the longest time. In silos, convection and diffusion interact to establish a consistent diffusion layer thickness. Most agricultural products exhibit similar behavior, with average times of 13.5 h, 25.4 h, and 37.0 h for three heights (10 m, 20 m, and at the silo's top at 30 m), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation focuses on the experimental determination of critical mechanical properties of various granular materials, namely cement, sand, wheat, granulated sugar, and wheat flour, which are essential in the design of silos. These properties, crucial for defining the behavior of materials stored in silos through numerical methods, have been less documented in existing literature. Conducted at the Research Laboratory of Civil Engineering and Hydraulics of 8 May 1945 University, Guelma, Algeria, a series of geotechnical tests, including triaxial, ring shear, and Oedometric tests, were employed to ascertain a range of properties: internal friction angle, apparent cohesion, specific weight, elastic modulus, Poisson ratio, particle-to-steel wall friction coefficient, and dilatancy angle. It was observed that sand and sugar exhibit the highest rigidity, as indicated by their elastic moduli. In terms of compressibility, sugar, wheat, and wheat flour demonstrated the greatest extent. Discrepancies between the results of triaxial and shear tests suggest a probable influence of material consolidation methods on outcomes. While certain findings aligned with previous studies, discrepancies in materials like cement and sand necessitate additional testing for verification. This study proposes recommended values for these mechanical properties, contributing significantly to the field of silo design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raw materials are usually stored in the form of particles in silos, such as the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical field. The motion of granular materials can vary greatly in the flow of gases and liquids, due to their discrete particle aggregates. It is difficult to accurately explain using traditional theories, such as solid or fluid mechanics, and condensed matter physics. Particularly, the silo can serve as one of the most important carriers to store the particulate matter. It is still lacking in a comprehensive unified theory for the silo subjected to complex forces. Among them, the irregularity of rice seeds has a significant impact on the unloading in the silo, due to the nature of loose particles. Therefore, it is of great significance to clarify the impact of rice seed discharge flow in the silo. Auxiliary devices can also be added to transform the central into the overall flow bin. Simple and effective fluid modification can be used to adjust the structure of silos for the better particle flow. This study aims to explore the impact mechanism of different fluid modifications on the flow of rice seed particles during discharge in the silo. The transformation of the population flow pattern was achieved from the central to the overall flow for better population flow. The discrete element method (DEM) was selected to construct the traditional silo, vertical disturbance, and horizontal disturbance silo models. Rice seed particle models were established for the discharge simulation. The flow pattern was compared with the actual discharge experiment in the silo. A series of experiments was also conducted to verify the accuracy of the discrete element model and numerical simulation. The mass flow index (MFI) and z-axis particle velocity indicated that the particle velocity in the central region of traditional and vertically disturbed silos decreased with the increase of particle stacking height, whereas, the particle velocity increased in the sidewall region. There was a decrease in the particle velocity in the sidewall area of the horizontally disturbed silo, as the particle stacking height increased, whereas, the particle velocity increased in the central area. Traditionally, the conversion heights of the flow pattern were 130, 118, and 130 mm, respectively, in the vertically and horizontally disturbed silos. There was a variation in the vertical, horizontal, and angular velocity in the different areas of the silo. Specifically, the vertical velocity of the population decreased by 34.82% and 83.46%, respectively, compared with the traditional flow area of the silo under the action of the vertical and horizontal fluid. The fluctuation of population horizontal velocity increased, as the height of particle accumulation decreased in the silo population. The standard deviations of particle horizontal velocity were 0.027 3, 0.018 7, and 0.010 3, respectively, in the traditional silos, vertical and horizontal disturbance silos. There were similar changes in the particle angular velocity in the center and sidewall areas of traditional and vertical disturbance silos. The peak angular velocity was smaller in the center area of vertical disturbance silos, compared with the traditional silos. The variation of particle angular velocity was similar to the traditional silo in the flow area of a horizontal disturbance. But there was a small variation of particle angular velocity in a horizontal disturbance silo. The finding can provide the theoretical reference for the fluid design standards, structural and positional parameters, particularly for the high available area of the silo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a study on the evaluation of seismic fragility of cylindrical ground-supported steel silos intended for storing solid material. Silos are a key facility in industrial processes. For example, cylindrical steel silos constitute the main structural component for several industrial activities, such as the ones aimed at the production of food and beverage, and seismic actions can cause high economic losses and long functionality interruptions. Thus, the main goal of this paper is to propose a numerical procedure aimed to assess the seismic fragility of different cylindrical steel silos, accounting for varying geometries and service conditions (i.e., filling level of granular-like material), and observing different failure modes. In detail, a set of smooth steel silos was selected, considering different geometrical configurations (i.e., varying from squattest to slenderest structures). Different service conditions were simulated, with the aim to observe the behaviour of empty and filled silos (30%, 60%, and 90% of filling degree with respect to the maximum capacity). For each configuration, a detailed numerical model was developed under proper boundary conditions, adequately simulating the shell structure, the solid material inside, and the interactions between them. After validating the numerical models against existing literature data, three different failure modes were identified and assessed, accounting for the most recurrent post-elastic buckling type (i.e., elephant foot) and considering the possible occurrence of the elastic ones (i.e., diamond or similar shape failures at the middle and top of the structures). Both static and dynamic analyses were performed to identify the most probable failure modes and evaluate the probability of exceeding each one. As the output of the proposed approach, the seismic performance of each silo under a specific limit state was provided in the form of fragility curves. The results highlight some novel aspects, starting from the role that service conditions assume in the silos seismic performance up to the possible differences in terms of failure modes for different silos geometrical structural configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continued global increase in the prevalence of obesity prompted a meeting at the Royal Society of London investigating causal mechanisms of the disease, 'Causes of obesity: theories, conjectures, and evidence' in October 2022. Evidence presented indicates areas of obesity science where there have been advancements, including an increased understanding of biological and physiological processes of weight gain and maintenance, yet it is clear there is still debate on the relative contribution of plausible causes of the modern obesity epidemic. Consensus was reached that obesity is not a reflection of diminished willpower, but rather the confluence of multiple, complex factors. As such, addressing obesity requires multifactorial prevention and treatment strategies. The accumulated evidence suggests that a continued focus primarily on individual-level contributors will be suboptimal in promoting weight management at the population level. Here, we consider individual biological and physiological processes within the broader context of sociodemographic and sociocultural exposures as well as environmental changes to optimize research priorities and public health efforts. This requires a consideration of a systems-level approach that efficiently addresses both systemic and group-specific environmental determinants, including psychosocial factors, that often serve as a barrier to otherwise efficacious prevention and treatment options. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Causes of obesity: theories, conjectures and evidence (Part I)'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cet article fait état des caractéristiques de la chaîne d'actants impliqués dans la diffusion de la bande dessinée au Canada : festivals et prix, bibliothèques publiques, librairies générales, librairies spécialisées en bandes dessinées, boutiques de comics, librairies hybrides tenant de la bande dessinée et des comics et distributeurs. Les lois portant sur les entreprises culturelles, particulièrement la loi québécoise sur le commerce du livre, est aussi prise en compte comme actant à part entière. Ces actants, humains et non humains, constituent, au sens où Bruno Latour emploie cette expression, un acteur réseau, celui de la circulation de l'objet-livre, qu'il soit album de bandes dessinées ou fascicule de comics. L'article étudie ce monde de manière synchronique en s'appuyant sur l'expérience pratiques de personnes impliquées à différents titres dans la diffusion des œuvres, devenant pour la recherche des informateurs privilégiés. L'article fait ressortir l'existence de barrières aux transferts culturels entre les différentes nations qui se partagent le territoire canadien. Malgré le fait que ces barrières existent, les informateurs ont identifié de nombreuses initiatives de médiations interculturelles. This article identifies the characteristics of the chain of agents involved in the circulation of comics in Canada: festivals and awards, public libraries, general bookstores, bookstores specializing in bande dessinée and comics, and distributors. The legal context for the creative industries, particularly in Quebec with its act regulating the book sector, is also taken into account as an agent. Agents, human and non-human, as per Bruno Latour's definition, are influential when they constitute a whole, an actor-network, in this case the actor-network circulating the book-object, whether it is a bande dessinée or a comic book. The article examines this world by taking into account the lived experience of practioners, each of them a privileged informer, involved in the circulation of these works. The article shows that barriers to cultural transfer exist among the different nations who share the Canadian territory. Despite the existence of these barriers, our informers identify numerous initiatives of cultural mediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on binocular vision technology, a target detection and ranging technology suitable for unmanned feeding equipment is studied.A high-precision target detection and recognition and binocular ranging method was designed, and related simulation experiments were carried out. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of the improved recognition and positioning algorithm is 99.53%. When the binocular camera is 40 cm to 90 cm away from the feeding device, the relative error of ranging is between 0.59% and 1.26%, which can effectively assist the short-distance positioning feeding device. It better meets the docking function requirements of the feeding device and the silo, and has positive significance for enhancing the automation level of the feeding device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RGB-D sensors can be a low-cost solution for an accurate silo's content monitoring which is fundamental for its efficient management. Some reference information such as the position and orientation of the sensor with respect to the silo's geometry is fundamental for obtaining correct content measurements from acquired data. Since in real cases this information is not always known, a new method to obtain these measurements is proposed. This, taking as input sensor acquired data (represented as a point cloud), automatically computes the silo's axis to provide a new reference system from which the point cloud can be easily processed. The z-axis of this reference system coincides with the gravity axis and the xy-plane is parallel to the ground plane. It is obtained in a six-step process that exploits the silo geometry properties and an estimation of the shape tensors of the acquired points. The method has been implemented and tested on both synthetic and real silos, considering a complete silo's discharge process and different camera positions. Data acquired at each discharge has been transformed using the new reference system and compared with the silo's ground truth (manually obtained for the real silos). To evaluate the accuracy the input point cloud to adjusted point cloud average distance has been considered. In all the tests, the well-performance of the proposal has been demonstrated, achieving a maximum average distance error of less than 6 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents CFD simulations of biomass dust explosions in a newly developed experimental 1 m3 silo apparatus with variable venting, designed and fabricated to operate similarly to the explosivity test standards. The aim of the study is to validate a CFD model under development and investigate its capability to capture the transient effects of a vented explosion. The model is based on OpenFOAM and solves the multiphase (gas-particle) flow using an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach in a two-way regime. It considers the detailed thermochemical conversion of biomass, including moisture evaporation, devolatilization, and char oxidation, along with the homogeneous combustion of gases, turbulence, and radiative heat transfer. The explosion is analyzed in all stages, i.e., dust cloud dispersion, ignition, closed explosion, and vented explosion. The results indicate excellent agreement between the CFD model and experimental tests throughout the sequence. Our findings highlight the critical role of particle size in dust cloud distribution and pre-ignition turbulence, which significantly influences flame dynamics and the explosion itself. This model shows great promise and encourages its application for future investigations of biomass dust explosions in larger-scale geometries, especially in venting situations that fall out of the scope of the NFPA 68 or EN 14491 standards, and to help design effective safety measures to prevent such incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a multi-orifice cylindrical silo, the average flow rates Q1 and QN through one and N orifices, respectively, were first measured for the discharge of water or dry grains and then for the mixture. As expected, Q N = N Q 1 for monophasic discharges. Nevertheless, for the mixture, Q N ≪ N Q 1 , and the effect becomes more notorious as N augments and when the grain size is decreased. A simplified continuum model of a flow through a dynamic porous medium, with hydrodynamic resistance that increases with N, is used to reproduce the experimental results. Additional analysis in a two-dimensional cell reveals interacting parabolic flow profiles of the immersed particles close to the orifices, with a reduction in the average velocities when N is increased, which helps to understand the non-additivity of the total flow rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early detection of the deterioration of grain stored in vertical silos would benefit food safety in these systems. Real-time monitoring of the intergranular variables - temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide and moisture content - was used to determine equilibrium moisture content and dry matter loss in com stored in vertical prototype silos. Quantitative relationships were established for changes in quality variables - germination rate, apparent specific mass, starch content, protein solubility, pasting metrics, lipid activity and mycotoxin contamination. The results demonstrate that integrated monitoring of the equilibrium moisture content and carbon dioxide concentration in the stored corn mass can inform decision making for ideal storage time, loss reduction and food safety. © 2023 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers increasingly recognize that the mind and culture interact at many levels to constitute our lived experience, yet we know relatively little about the extent to which culture shapes the way people appraise their experiences and the likelihood that a given experience will be reported. Experiences that involve claims regarding deities, extraordinary abilities, and/or psychopathology offer an important site for investigating the interplay of mind and culture at the population level. However, the difficulties inherent in comparing culture-laden experiences, exacerbated by the siloing of research on experiences based on discipline-specific theoretical constructs, have limited our ability to do so. We introduce the Inventory of Nonordinary Experiences (INOE), which allows researchers to compare experiences by separating the phenomenological features from how they are appraised and asking about both. It thereby offers a new means of investigating the potentially universal (etic) and culture-specific (emic) aspects of lived experiences. To ensure that the INOE survey items are understood as intended by English speakers in the US and Hindi speakers in India, and thus can serve as a basis for cross-cultural comparison, we used the Response Process Evaluation (RPE) method to collect evidence of item-level validity. Our inability to validate some items drawn from other surveys suggests that they are capturing a wider range of experiences than researchers intend. Wider use of the RPE method would increase the likelihood that survey results are due to the differences that researchers intend to measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on qualitative approaches, post-qualitative is a turn of "becomings," never reached but always moving. Turning from and beyond established qualitative traditions, in the post-qualitative, we pursue the leads of St. Pierre and Lather to push qualitative boundaries and offer Langar - a Sikh cultural practice of collective cooking and consumption of a shared meal as an alternative site of knowledge creation. As part, we harness the philosophical virtues of Langar and utilise its resistive prowess to put forward a methodological footprint that turns from the qualitative yardstick of rigor-tested legitimisation of knowledge. We navigate the ontological turns to locate the post-qualitative determinants of Langar and argue for its methodological rightness that disclaim scientism-based warrantability of knowledge building and acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]