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PurposePrevious life cycle assessments (LCAs) of buildings and building components show a broad range of values for the impact of maintenance and replacement, some highlighting these operations as major hotspots while others consider them insignificant. This article highlights methodological aspects explaining this discrepancy. The influence of three aspects is investigated further in a case study of façade materials: the reference study period (RSP), service life data, and the use of a round-up number of operations or annualized impacts.MethodsA comparative LCA of seven façade alternatives is carried out as an illustrative case study. For each alternative, global warming potential (GWP) is calculated using three possible RSPs, four possible material service lives (one from industry practitioners and low, standard and high values from a generic database), and two possible calculation methods (round-up or annualized impacts).Results and discussionWhile the same façade alternative had the lowest GWP in all cases, different methodological choices significantly affected the GWP and respective ranking of other alternatives. Some alternatives showed a significant increase in GWP over longer RSPs, while others were still dominated by the impact of initial production after 200 years. In nearly all cases, generic service life data lead to a higher GWP than data from industry practitioners. Major discrepancies were found between generic and practitioner data in some cases, e.g., for the brick façade. In most cases, annualized impacts led to a slightly lower (or equal) GWP than using a round-up number of operations. However, when a major operation happens shortly before the end of the RSP, the annualized method leads to considerably lower GWP.ConclusionsMaintenance and replacement are rarely significant over a 50-year RSP but sometimes become hotspots over longer RSPs. Using round-up operations or annualized impacts does not make much difference in average, but leads to significantly different results in specific cases. As building LCA enters certification and regulation, there is a need to harmonize such methodological choices, as they affect LCA results, hotspot identification, and recommendations. Discrepancies in service life data also call for the gathering of reliable data.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered to be indispensable in modern society. Major advances in LIBs depend on the development of new high-performance electrode materials, which requires a fundamental understanding of their properties. First-principles calculations have become a powerful technique in developing new electrode materials for high-energy–density LIBs in terms of predicting and interpreting the characteristics and behaviors of electrode materials, understanding the charge/discharge mechanisms at the atomic scale, delivering rational design strategies for electrode materials, etc. In this review, we present an overview of first-principles calculation methods and highlight their valuable role in contemporary research on LIB cathode materials. This overview focuses on three LIB cathode scenarios, which are divided by their cationic/anionic redox mechanisms. Then, representative examples of rational cathode design based on theoretical predictions are presented. Finally, we present a personal perspective on the current challenges and future directions of first-principles calculations in LIBs.

The authors propose a freezing method for liquidating the consequences of oil spills using liquid nitrogen. For freezing flat surfaces contaminated with oil, a cryogenic device with a set of two-zone modules is developed. Contaminants located in hard-to-reach places or places with complex surface relief are treated with a pistol-type liquid nitrogen sprayer. A prototype pistol-type device has been created, experimental studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution. Based on the proposed cryogenic devices, mathematical models have been developed for calculating the main parameters of freezing contaminated soil with liquid and gaseous nitrogen — the duration of the process and the final temperature. A calculation of these parameters of the oil freezing process is necessary for practical implementation of the proposed cryogenic devices, and the calculation methods used are applicable for any technogenic pollution.

To analyze and compare the features and strengths of different methods for calculating the biophysical properties of meridian points, and thus propose corresponding suggestions to fully achieve the research and application value of biophysical properties of meridian points. We searched and collected the literature on the imbalance of biophysical properties of meridian points between January 1, 2005 and March 1, 2020 in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database (Wanfang), Chongqing VIP Database (CQVIP) and PubMed database, and then analyzed, compared, and summarized the applied methods for calculating the imbalance degree of the biophysical properties of meridian points. The current methods for calculating the imbalance degree of the biophysical properties of meridian points are diverse and can be summarized as the following three: direct comparison of the measured values of the left and right namesake points, difference method, and ratio method. The low uniformity of the calculation methods has limited the promotion and application of its research results. In future research on the biophysical properties of meridian points, multidisciplinary cooperation in terms of imbalance degree calculation methods, detection instruments, and health data models is necessary to achieve more widely applicable scientific conclusions and more generalized experimental results.

Accurate assessment of changes in climate conditions and their impacts on different sectors including agriculture, animal husbandry, wildlife, environment, and so forth can affect the appropriate natural disaster management. The aridity index defined by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) is one of the most widely used indices in the evaluation of climate conditions based on the ratio of precipitation (P) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) parameters. In this study, the impact of changes on PET calculation methods (6 PET calculation methods) in values of UNEP aridity index were compared by analyzing the data series of 28 synoptic stations with various climate conditions on monthly and seasonal time scales in Iran from 1967 to 2017. Therefore, it is determined to apply the FAO Penman–Monteith (FPM) equation as the reference method to measure PET. According to the results, based on the GEE method (Backward Generalized Estimating Equations) within monthly and seasonal time scales, calculated UNEP aridity index based on Hargreaves–Samani (HS), Jensen–Haise (JH), and Blaney–Criddle (BC) equations, respectively had the most similarities with calculated UNEP Aridity Index based on FPM method. The clustering analysis indicated that values of calculated UNEP aridity index within the monthly and seasonal time scales using JH, HS and BC equations are strikingly similar to the values of calculated UNEP aridity index using the FPM method. The average similarity rates of the calculated UNEP aridity index using JH and HS equations and by FPM method were 98.35% and 98.34% within a 1-month time scale and 98.11% and 98.09% within a 3-month time scale, respectively.

In this manuscript, we present recent findings concerning concordance and discrepancy between biological measures and self-reports of these three outcomes of HIV programs: HIV status, adherence to antiretroviral medications (ARVs) and use of and adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis medication (PrEP), and condom use/unprotected sex. Recent studies suggest that three successive rapid HIV tests (for those whose first test in positive) might be reasonably inexpensive and valid biological data to collect to combine with self-reports of HIV status, dried blood spots sufficiently affordable to combine with self-reports of adherence to ARVs and use of or adherence to PrEP, and that the discrepancy between self-reports of condom use and biomarkers of unprotected sex may be relatively small in high-income countries. Additional work on assessment of incorrect condom usage and breakage, standardized self-report measures of condom use, and more private data collection methodologies in low-income settings might reduce the recent observed discrepancies even further. Concordance between self-reports of HIV and biomarkers indicating HIV positive status has varied considerably, with much lower rates in low-income countries, where the stigma of HIV is still very high. Recommendation is for combining self-report data with the results of three successive rapid tests for those testing positive. For adherence, again agreement between self-reports and a variety of more objective and/or biological measures is only moderate. Dried blood spots (DBS) may be sufficiently inexpensive in low-resource settings that this may be the best biological method to combine with self-reports. In publications over the last 8 years, the discrepancy between self-reports of condom use and biomarkers for unprotected sex may be even lower than 20% after controlling for other features of the study, particularly in high-income countries. Our results suggest that more careful assessment of incorrect condom use and breakage as reasons other than intentional misreporting should be investigated more carefully and that more private data collection methods such as audio, computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) might be employed more often in low-resource settings to reduce this discrepancy in those settings further. In addition, further analysis of the discrepancy between self-reports of condom use and biomarkers should be conducted of published studies using the correct calculation methods to be more certain of these findings.

Fire and elevated temperature are important considerations for design of concrete structures, for both normal and nuclear facilities. In India, the present design guidelines for concrete subjected to fire and elevated temperature are limited to prescriptive minimum dimension and minimum cover. The other approach suggested is fire test based, and being resource intensive, is considered only for special cases of design. The various provisions of Indian standards are discussed and compared to the international standards. Fire test data for concrete/reinforcement properties at elevated temperature for Indian materials are scarce, and hence, the calculation methods are difficult to apply for Indian concrete. Validation of such methods for India is required, which again can only happen after generation of adequate database. The article highlights the present research needs for fire design of Indian concrete, along with development of analysis methodologies/guidelines for fire design of concrete structures, assessment of fire-affected concrete structures, and combination of the fire/temperature load with other extreme loads such as impact, seismic load, or missile load using advanced approaches. This article could serve as reference for designers as well as the starting point for several research initiatives in India and thereby is expected to improve the state of the art of fire design of concrete structures in India in the long term.

To assess whether the outcomes of toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in eyes with oblique astigmatism can be improved by direct measurements of posterior corneal astigmatism using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) instead of by using anterior corneal measurements alone. Retrospective case series. Two toric IOL power calculation methods were compared: anterior corneal astigmatism was used in the keratometry group, whilst total corneal astigmatism determined by ray tracing through the measured anterior and posterior corneal surfaces was used in the AS-OCT group. In a total of 279 eyes of 232 patients, subgroup analysis was conducted for with-the-rule (WTR) (85 eyes in the keratometry group and 34 eyes in the AS-OCT group), against-the-rule (ATR) (73/29 eyes), and oblique (26/32 eyes) astigmatism. In the WTR and ATR astigmatism groups, the uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was significantly better in the AS-OCT group than in the keratometry group (P = 0.012 and P

Hydrodynamic lubrication of rectangular micro-textures on sliding contact surfaces is investigated using numerical calculation methods. The theoretical models for the slider surface are developed and the film pressure is used to evaluate the hydrodynamic lubrication based on the Reynolds equation. Meanwhile, the geometry and distribution of the rectangular dimples are optimized for maximizing the average film pressure. Results show that the film pressure is dependent on the geometry and distribution of the rectangular micro-dimples. The optimal geometry of the single rectangular dimple is obtained, and the spacing has an important influence on the film pressure. The distribution types of rectangular dimples affect the hydrodynamic lubrication significantly and the interlaced array of the rectangular micro-dimples is beneficial to enhancing the hydrodynamic lubrication. Meanwhile, the rectangular dimples with 72° interlaced angle exhibits the best effectivity.

Calculating the resistance of ventilation air-conditioning ducts under nonfully developed flow is a crucial problem that must be addressed. Based on the characteristics of the resistance in ventilation air-conditioning ducts, the truncation method—a computational method that is appropriate for nonfully developed flow boundary conditions—was proposed in this study. The resistance distributions in the upstream and downstream ducts from typical local components, including reducers, bends and tee ducts, were investigated. Using the resistance values of the local components under fully developed flow, the resistances that did not belong to nonfully developed flow were truncated and removed. Finally, the calculation steps of the proposed method were discussed, an engineering case study was presented, and the accuracy of the developed model was analyzed. The results showed that for the local components in the system (reducers, bends and tee ducts), their proportions of the total resistance exhibited similar trends under different width-to-height ratios. The resistance of these local components included upstream resistance, downstream resistance and their own resistance. The upstream resistance accounted for 2%–6% of the total resistance, whereas the downstream resistance of the reducers, bends and tee ducts accounted for 40%–60% of the total resistance. A functional relationship was established between the local resistance and cutoff distance of the reducers, bends and tee ducts. Hence, the truncation method can calculate the local resistance from the cutoff distance. Moreover, in the presented engineering case study, the error between the actual measured resistance values and those simulated with the truncation method was only 4.28%, which was far less than that of the results simulated with the traditional calculation methods (53.64%).

For a laterally loaded pile with its head keyed into the cap, pile head actually rotates in spite of the restraint of the cap. Being aware of this fact, some parameters were put forward to represent the degree of rotational restraint at pile top, and many calculation methods of lateral pile responses were then developed. However, the presented solutions are only for piles under pure lateral loads. In fact, they are usually under the vertical loads simultaneously, caused by the weights of themselves and superstructures. Besides, the slight initial inclination of pile shaft is inevitable in engineering. Some researchers raised solutions of lateral responses of the slightly inclined single pile under combined vertical and lateral loads, but the partially fixed-head condition and the elastoplasticity of soil were not considered. In this study, elastoplastic semi-analytical solutions of lateral responses of the slightly inclined single pile under combined vertical and lateral loads were deduced, in which the rotational restraint coefficient was used to represent the degree of rotational restraint at pile top, and the three-parameter model of the coefficient of subgrade reaction was employed. The computer program was developed thereafter. The effectiveness and advantage of the obtained solutions were validated by the comparison among existing solutions, presented solutions and model test results. Sensitivity analysis was carried out for parameters such as the initial inclination angle of pile shaft, the rotational restraint coefficient, and the vertical load. Eventually, effects of each parameter on lateral pile responses were presented and discussed.

In the present paper the different ways of assessing the annual effective dose due to ingestion of radionuclides by drinking water consumption were examined and exemplified. On a set of 10 samples the gross alpha activity, the gross beta activity, the concentration of 210Po, 210Pb, 238U, 232Th and, 226Ra were measured. The highest annual effective dose values assessed by relying on the investigated sample set were found by using the rationale according to which all the gross alpha and beta activity is due to the alpha and beta radionuclide, with the highest effective dose coefficient, namely 210Po and 210Pb/228Ra, respectively.

Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) is extensively applied in the field of maintenance and reinforcement. In the actual reinforcement of concrete structures, most reinforced concrete (RC) members are in a cracked state and the existing calculation methods seldom consider the initial damage of concrete, especially the effect of severe damage on the crack of RC members. Therefore, it is necessary to propose a model for accurately evaluating the crack width of the repaired different damage state concrete members with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) sheet. This study presents an experimental investigation on the crack behaviors of the CFRP sheet flexural-strengthened pre-damaged RC beams based on the results of an experimental program involving ten specimens. The influence of the pre-damaged level, reinforcement ratio and CFRP sheet strengthening layer on the crack development, failure characteristics, crack spacing and crack width is analyzed and discussed. Taking into account the influence of the CFRP sheet strengthening layer and pre-damaged level, a formula for predicting the average crack spacing is proposed, and then an analytical model for the crack width prediction of the flexural-strengthened high pre-damaged beams is established based on the calculation model of the crack width of the ordinary RC beams. The predicted results agree well with test values including data of this study and experimental data of 64 sets of references.

To review the rockburst proneness (or tendency) criteria of rock materials and compare the judgment accuracy of them, twenty criteria were summarized, and their judgment accuracy was evaluated and compared based on the laboratory tests on fourteen types of rocks. This study begins firstly by introducing the twenty rockburst proneness criteria, and their origins, definitions, calculation methods and grading standards were summarized in detail. Subsequently, to evaluate and compare the judgment accuracy of the twenty criteria, a series of laboratory tests were carried out on fourteen types of rocks, and the rockburst proneness judgment results of the twenty criteria for the fourteen types of rocks were obtained accordingly. Moreover, to provide a unified basis for the judgment accuracy evaluation of above criteria, a classification standard (obtained according to the actual failure results and phenomena of rock specimen) of rockburst proneness in laboratory tests was introduced. The judgment results of the twenty criteria were compared with the judgment results of this classification standard. The results show that the judgment results of the criterion based on residual elastic energy (REE) index are completely consistent with the actual rockburst proneness, and the other criteria have some inconsistent situations more or less. Moreover, the REE index is based on the linear energy storage law and defined in form of a difference value and considered the whole failure process, and these superior characteristics ensure its accuracy. It is believed that the criterion based on REE index is comparatively more accurate and scientific than other criteria, and it can be recommended to be applied to judge the rockburst proneness of rock materials.

Conventional feature description methods have large errors in froth features due to the fact that the image during the zinc flotation process of froth flotation is dynamic, and the existing image features rarely have time series information. Based on the conventional froth size distribution characteristics, this paper proposes a size trend core feature (STCF) considering the froth size distribution, i.e., a feature centered on the time series of the froth size distribution. The core features of the trend are extracted, the inter-frame change factor and the inter-frame stability factor are given and two calculation methods of the feature factors are proposed. Meanwhile, the STCF feature algorithm was established based on the core features by adding the inter-frame change factor and the inter-frame stability factor. Finally, a flotation condition recognition model based on BP neural network was established. The experiments show that the recognition model has achieved excellent results, proving that the method proposed effectively overcomes the limitation of the lack of dynamic information in the existing traditional size distribution features and the introduction of the two factors can improve the classification accuracy to varying degrees.

The assumption that Ptolemy adopted star coordinates from a star catalog by Hipparchus is investigated based on Hipparchus’ equatorial star coordinates in his Commentary on the phenomena of Aratus and Eudoxus. Since Hipparchus’ catalog was presumably based on an equatorial coordinate system, his star positions must have been converted into the ecliptical system of Ptolemy’s catalog in his Almagest. By means of a statistical analysis method, data groups consistent with this conversion of coordinates are identified. The found groups show a high degree of agreement between Hipparchus’ and Ptolemy’s data. The value of the obliquity of the ecliptic underlying the conversion is estimated by adjustment and statistically agrees with Ptolemy’s value of this parameter. The results allow the assumption that Ptolemy’s coordinates were determined from Hipparchus’ coordinates by an accurate star globe or even by calculation. For a calculative derivation of ecliptical coordinates from equatorial ones, possible calculation methods are discussed considering the mathematics of the Almagest.

Long non-coding RNA(lncRNA) is one of the non-coding RNAs longer than 200 nucleotides and it has no protein encoding function. LncRNA plays a key role in many biological processes. Studying the RNA-binding protein (RBP) binding sites on the lncRNA chain helps to reveal epigenetic and post-transcriptional mechanisms, to explore the physiological and pathological processes of cancer, and to discover new therapeutic breakthroughs. To improve the recognition rate of RBP binding sites and reduce the experimental time and cost, many calculation methods based on domain knowledge to predict RBP binding sites have emerged. However, these prediction methods are independent of nucleotides and do not take into account nucleotide statistics. In this paper, we use a high-order statistical-based encoding scheme, then the encoded lncRNA sequences are fed into a hybrid deep learning architecture named AC-Caps. It consists of a joint processing layer(composed of attention mechanism and convolutional neural network) and a capsule network. The AC-Caps model was evaluated using 31 independent experimental data sets from 12 lncRNA-binding proteins. In experiments, our method achieves excellent performance, with an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.967 and an average accuracy (ACC) of 92.5%, which are 0.014, 2.3%, 0.261, 28.9%, 0.189, and 21.8% higher than HOCCNNLB, iDeepS, and DeepBind, respectively. The results show that the AC-Caps method can reliably process the large-scale RBP binding site data on the lncRNA chain, and the prediction performance is better than existing deep-learning models. The source code of AC-Caps and the datasets used in this paper are available at https://github.com/JinmiaoS/AC-Caps .

In order to study the compression behavior of rectangular steel reinforced concrete columns with built-in steel tubes under different eccentric loads, three 1/10 scale specimens were designed and monotonic loading tests were carried out on them. The dimensions, steel bars and steel tube of the three specimens were the same except for the location of the loading point. The eccentricity ratios of the three specimens were 0, 0.25 and 0.5, respectively. The failure modes, load-bearing capacity and displacement characteristics of the test specimens were analyzed. According to the Chinese code, the load-bearing capacity calculation principles and methods of steel reinforced concrete columns with built-in steel tube were investigated for the comparison. The study shows that the peak vertical loads of specimens decrease and the corresponding vertical and horizontal peak displacement increase as the eccentricity increases. The load-bearing capacity calculation results from Chinese code are slightly smaller than the test result because of the unconsidered sleeve effect of the internal steel tube. The errors between them are small, and the calculation methods are beneficial to ensure the structural safety.

To give a basic understanding of the experimentally observed difference between Cr2O3 and Al2O3 scales on carbon permeation, we employed the first-principles calculation methods to predict atomistic structures, formation energies, and carbon binding energies of Σ11 $${{\left\{ {10\bar{1}1} \right\}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\left\{ {10\bar{1}1} \right\}} {\left\{ {10\bar{1}\bar{1}} \right\}}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\left\{ {10\bar{1}\bar{1}} \right\}}}$$ tilt grain boundaries (GB) in both α-Al2O3 and α-Cr2O3 with a corundum structure. Owing to different surface terminations, we predicted two distinct kinds of stable atomistic structures for the GB: one with measurable voids and high formation energy, and the other with a compact interface and low formation energy. The predicted GB structures agree with experimental images. No significant structural difference was found for the same GB in α-Al2O3 and α-Cr2O3. Moreover, we predicted that atomic carbon would bind to the Σ11 $${{\left\{ {10\bar{1}1} \right\}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\left\{ {10\bar{1}1} \right\}} {\left\{ {10\bar{1}\bar{1}} \right\}}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\left\{ {10\bar{1}\bar{1}} \right\}}}$$ GB in α-Cr2O3 appreciably more strongly than in α-Al2O3. Therefore, our computational results suggest that chemical affinity rather than geometric structure of the GBs is related to different carbon permeation behaviors in Al2O3 and Cr2O3 scales.

Background/Aims To examine the effect of pharmacologic dilation on biometric parameters measured by the Lenstar LS 900, and whether these changes affect the power of the calculated intraocular lens (IOL) using multivariable formulas in an undilated versus pharmacologically dilated state. Methods Prospective study of 98 phakic eyes from 53 patients. Axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), and keratometry (K) readings were measured. The first set of measurements was taken prior to dilation. After dilation (pupil diameter ≥6.0mm), a second set of measurements was taken. The Barrett, Olsen, Hill-RBF, Haigis, SRK/T, and Holladay I formulas were used to calculate IOL power before and after dilation. Two calculation methods were used: Method A used a commonly available IOL targeted to achieve the lowest myopic spheroequivalent residual refraction (LMP); Method B calculated ideal IOL power for emmetropia (IPE). Results Statistically significant increases were seen in CCT (p

Topography (LS factor) is one of the most important controlling factors of soil characteristics and geomorphic processes in the landscape. This study was performed in the Susa Ancient site and aimed to compare the estimation of three different LS factor calculation methods in which the catchment area was calculated based on seven types of flow direction algorithms using DEM with five spatial resolutions. For calculating the LS factor, the catchment area attribute was used to calculate the slope length based on the flow direction. Results showed that the catchment area is an entirely scale-dependent attribute and with decreasing the spatial resolution, the statistical values of catchment area increased. At high spatial resolution, the different flow direction algorithms despite the difference in the flow distribution to the neighboring cells, but the catchment area attributes calculated based on them, are statistically slightly different. By upscaling, the LS factor values calculated in Boehner and Selige and Moore et al. methods increase, whereas in Desmet and Govers method decrease and this change rate indicates that the LS factors calculated by these three methods have the lowest sensitivity to the slope length. At a same scale, the statistics of LS factors calculated based on different flow direction algorithms depicted no considerable different. The single flow direction algorithms of Rh and D8 cause to calculate the lowest mean values of LS factors at all spatial resolutions. The difference between frequency distributions of the LS factors calculated by these three methods increases with decreasing spatial resolution. The statistical analysis of this study confirms that estimating the LS factor scale and calculation method are more important than the type of flow direction algorithm.

ObjectivesDossiers submitted for early benefit assessments in Germany also provide information on the precise determination of the target population (patients eligible for a drug). The situation is complex for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) due to highly specific therapeutic indications. Our aim was to compare the different methodological steps applied to determine the target population in dossiers on drugs for NSCLC.MethodsWe analysed NSCLC dossiers assessed by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) between 01.01.2011 and 31.12.2017. Methodological details regarding the determination of the target population were extracted and compared.ResultsWe analysed 23 NSCLC dossiers. In all dossiers, the target population was determined using the number of all patients with lung cancer as the basis for calculations. This patient population was further reduced in several successive steps by assuming proportions of patients with a specific characteristic (e.g. disease stage). The most important calculation steps were patients with NSCLC (n = 23 dossiers), with a specific disease stage (n = 23), with a specific tumour mutation (n = 14), with a specific tumour histology (n = 7), without prior treatment (n = 15), with pretreatment in second or further treatment lines (n = 17), and/or with specific pretreatments (n = 9). The proportions of patients determined within the same calculation step varied considerably between dossiers.DiscussionThe calculation methods applied and the target population sizes reported in NSCLC dossiers vary considerably. A consensus with regard to the databases and calculation methods used to determine the target population in NSCLC would be helpful to reduce variations.

The feasibility of the calculation model and calculation methods is verified by engine bench test and visual rapid compression machine (RCM) test as reported in this paper. Using AVL software FIRE, the processes of low speed preignition (LSPI) and super knock triggered by the oil particles have been studied by numerical analysis of downsized turbocharged direct injection (DI) engines with different proportions of ethanol-gasoline blended fuel and different operating conditions (1200 r·min−1, 1600 r·min−1). The results show that the E10 and E20 fuel engines produce super knock successively; with the increase of the ethanol proportion, even if the LSPI phenomenon (1200 r·min−1) still occurs and leads to the subsequent knock process, the pressure rise amplitude is obviously reduced, and no super knock phenomenon occurs at the time when the ethanol proportion reaches 30%; there is no LSPI phenomenon in the engine after the blending rate is above 50%. The overall conclusion is that there must be LSPI before the super knock in ethanol-gasoline blended fuel downsized turbocharged DI engines, but the LSPI not always lead to super knock. With the increase of ethanol proportion, even if the LSPI occurs in the engine cylinder, it only causes regular knock.

With the rapid development of urban subway tunnel, artificial ground freezing technology is becoming more and more mature. With the natural thawing of horizontal frozen wall, thawing settlement will occur on stratum due to the thawing of frozen soil and the consolidation of thawed soil, which will inevitably bring adverse impact on the surrounding environment of subway tunnel. Therefore, the establishment of a reasonable ground surface thawing settlement prediction method will provide a favorable theoretical support for predicting the ground surface deformation in advance and taking active thawing settlement control measures. In the paper, the time functions of ground surface thawing settlement and consolidation settlement of tunnel horizontal frozen wall are established based on the stochastic medium theory during natural thawing period, and the calculation methods of thawing front radius, inner radius of thawing shrinkage region and inner radius of consolidation region are proposed. The results show that the cumulative ground surface thawing settlement is larger than that of Cai et al. after considering the consolidation of the thawed soil, which fully indicates that the ground surface settlement caused by the drainage and consolidation of the thawed soil cannot be ignored. In addition, the thawing displacement rate of frozen soil is greater than the consolidation displacement rate of thawed soil during the natural thawing and the thawed soil will be consolidated at a lower settlement rate for a long time after the natural thawing period.

The investigation and statistical analysis of structural planes are important in geological surveys. The window sampling method is widely used for structural plane investigations; however, traditional survey methods take considerable time in drawing sketches, measuring the spatial attitude of structural planes, and postprocessing. This article designs and develops an Android smartphone application that uses the window sampling method for structural plane investigation and statistical analysis, and introduces the logic flow, functions design, main algorithms, and statistical calculation methods of the application. After testing, the program can quickly complete the investigative and statistical work and export data such as photos, sketches, rose diagrams, and statistical results. Structural statistical investigation through smartphones can improve survey efficiency, standardize data formats, and facilitate subsequent processing. This article provides a new method and idea for traditional geological investigations.

The injection production ratio of reservoir is influenced by formation pressure, water cut, accumulated water oil ratio, and other factors, and the traditional calculation process is complex, the application scope of traditional methods is different, and the formula conditions are also different, so these methods have their own limitations. To solve the problem, a new injection production ratio calculation model is proposed by using the new water drive type curve, which is widely used in reservoir engineering. Compared with the traditional calculation methods, the new model requires less production data, has a wide range of application and simple calculation process, and only the water cut value is needed at a certain time in the future to estimate the reasonable injection production ratio. Two examples show that the estimated injection production ratios are close to the actual values; the average errors are 7.07% and 4.9%, respectively, which meet the requirements of engineering calculation; and the injection production ratio decreases with the increment of water cut. The new model is useful to determine the injection allocation for different water cut in the future, and provides guidance for the future development of the oilfield.

The elastic scattering properties of ultracold potassium (39K) atoms in the triplet state ($$ a{}^{3}\sum\nolimits_{u}^{ + } {} $$) are investigated using two different kinds of interatomic potentials [the interpolation potential and Lennard-Jones potential (LJ12,6)]. The s-wave scattering lengths for the triplet state are calculated to be 79.4945 $$ a_{0} $$ and 79.3341 $$ a_{0} $$, respectively, by employing the Numerov and semiclassical methods. They are in excellent agreement with the recent theoretical results. It shows that the two atomic potentials and calculation methods are applicable to research the interaction between ultracold atoms.

Purpose: Age, gender, and body size are important factors which are affecting the cerebellar volume (CV). Many neurological diseases lead changes in CV. The aim of this study is to measure CV and the total intracranial volume (TIV) for both genders on magnetic resonance images (MRI), to calculate the CV/TIV volume fraction, and also to determine the normal values that can be regarded clinically significant by determining the total vermis area and vermian subregion areas (V1, V2, and V3). Methods: In this retrospective study, MR images (without any pathological findings) of 200 individuals (100 female, 100 male) between the ages of 20–40 were used. CV and CV/TIV volume fractions, vermian subregion areas, and area fractions were calculated by using the Stereoinvestigator 8.0 (Microbrightfield, USA) software. The volumetric calculations were performed by the point counting method according to the Cavalieri principle, which is one of the volume calculation methods in stereology. Total CV, TIV, cerebellar vermis areas (V1, V2, and V3), and total cerebellum area were measured separately for both groups. Results: The volume of cerebellum was 120.53 ± 11.1 cm3 in males, 105.99 ± 11.2 cm3 in females, TIV was 1304.99 ± 91.7 cm3 in males and 1155.15 ± 85.7 cm3 in females. CV and TIV were statistically higher in males (p = 0.001, p = 0.001 respectively). It was observed that the differences between the genders in terms of CV/TIV disappeared (p = 0.679). The total vermis area was 11.59 ± 1.3 cm2 in males and 10.85 ± 1.3 cm2 in females. V1 area, V3 area, and the total vermis area were found statistically higher in males (p = 0.05, p = 0.006, p = 0.007 respectively). It was determined that the area fraction of V2 was higher in females when the fractions of V1, V2, and V3 to the total vermis area were examined (p = 0.03). Conclusion: We believe that the normal values of CV, TIV, and vermian subregion areas, determined by stereological method, will contribute to the diagnosis and the treatment plan of the clinical pathological evaluations in adults and children. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

After validated by the in-situ observation, the slab model is used to study the wind-generated near-inertial energy flux (NIEF) in the South China Sea (SCS) based on satellite-observed wind data, and its dependence on calculation methods and threshold criteria of the mixed layer depth (MLD) is investigated. Results illustrate that the total amount of NIEF in the SCS could be doubled if different threshold criteria of MLD are adopted. The NIEF calculated by the iteration and spectral solutions can lead to a discrepancy of 2.5 GW (1 GW=1×109 W). Results also indicate that the NIEF exhibits spatial and temporal variations, which are significant in the boreal autumn, and in the southern part of the SCS. Typhoons are an important generator of NIEF in the SCS, which could account for approximately 30% of the annual mean NIEF. In addition, deepening of the MLD due to strong winds could lead to a decrease of NIEF by approximately by 10%. We re-estimate the annual mean NIEF in the SCS, which is (10±4) GW and much larger than those reported in previous studies.

A sediment source fingerprinting method, including a Monte Carlo simulation framework, was used to quantify the contributions of terrestrial sources of fine- (< 63 μm) and coarse-grained (63–500 μm) sediments sampled from three categories of coastal sediment deposits in the Jagin catchment, south-east of Jask, Hormozgan province, southern Iran: coastal dunes (CD), terrestrial sand dunes or onshore sediments (TSD), and marine or offshore sediments (MD). Forty-nine geochemical properties were measured in the two size fractions and a three-stage statistical process consisting of a conservation test, the Kruskal–Wallis H test, and stepwise discriminant function analysis (DFA) was applied to select final composite fingerprints for terrestrial source discrimination. Based on the statistical tests, four final fingerprints comprising Be, Ni, K and Cu and seven final fingerprints consisting Cu, Th, Be, Al, La, Mg and Fe were selected for discriminating terrestrial sources of the coastal fine- and coarse grained sediments, respectively. Two geological spatial sources, including Quaternary (clay flat, high and low level fans and valley terraces) and Palaeocene age deposits, were identified as the main terrestrial sources of the fine-grained sediment sampled from the coastal deposits. A geological spatial source consisting of sandstone with siltstone, mudstone and minor conglomerate (Palaeocene age deposits) was identified as the main terrestrial source for coarse-grained sediment sampled from the coastal deposits.

The calculation accuracy of instantaneous uncut chip thickness (IUCT) plays a very important role in the modeling of milling processes. Tool runout is an obstacle to the accurate calculation of IUCT in micro-milling. This paper focuses on the calculation of IUCT and proposes a new method for determining the IUCT in micro-milling. Firstly, the effects of tool runout and single-edge cutting on nominal uncut chip thickness were analyzed. Then, the calculation methods of nominal uncut chip thickness and actual uncut chip thickness in micro-milling were proposed respectively, which took into account the impact of tool runout, single-edge cutting, intermittent chip formation, and the minimum chip thickness. The pseudo-single-edge cutting which may occur in single-edge cutting was discussed. Finally, nominal uncut chip thickness and actual uncut chip thickness in micro-milling were analyzed respectively. The calculated results showed higher accuracy compared to conventional method.

Based on the ABAQUS platform for finite element analysis, the extended finite element method (XFEM) considering elastoplastic constitutive relationship is developed, by which the displacement discontinuity across the crack surface and the strong nonlinearity near the crack tip can be described more accurately. The strip specimens with unilateral cracks and central cracks under uniaxial tension are simulated using the XFEM and the FEM, respectively. The J-integral across the crack on each increment is calculated using the equivalent domain integral method (EDIM), the interaction integral method and the FEM, respectively. The effects of mesh size and mesh shape near the crack tip, element type and different calculation methods on the accuracy of J-integral are analyzed. The simulation results show that the XFEM is more accurate than the FEM with the same element size and type. The fracture tests of cast iron specimens with unilateral cracks under uniaxial tension are performed, and the J-integral criterion is valid to predict the fracture initiation in numerical simulation. The critical value of J-integral is calculated using the EDIM of the XFEM. The comparisons demonstrate that the simulated elastoplastic load–displacement curves with the XFEM are in good agreement with the experimental results.

This paper proposes a case-based reasoning (CBR) method for traffic congestion management in view of the rapid development of urban motorization and the increasingly prominent problem of traffic congestion. The reasoning model based on CBR congestion management is established, and the characteristic attributes of traffic congestion cases are analyzed. The calculation methods combining local and global similarity are adopted for different types of attributes. Meanwhile, it proposes the update and preservation mode for traffic congestion case database. The cases indicate that traffic congestion management can quickly find a solution to traffic congestion problem by calculating the similarity between congestion cases through CBR. The cases prove that this method can improve the accuracy of CBR results and have certain guiding significance for traffic management.

The high-temperature characteristics of iron ores play important roles in optimizing ore proportion of sintering, which are tested by using iron-ore fines and analytical reagent CaO as raw materials. Two calculation methods of CaO addition amount based on binary basicity (basicity method) and n(Fe2O3)/n(CaO) (mole ratio method), respectively, were employed to evaluate the liquid phase fluidity (LPF) and the capability of calcium ferrite formation (CCFF) of iron ores. The results show that the rule of LPF of iron ores under the mole ratio method is different from that with basicity method. The LPF measured by basicity method has a linear positive correlation with the SiO2 content, and there is no linear relationship between LPF and Al2O3 content or mass loss on ignition, which are inconsistent with the results of the previous study. And the results of CCFF with low SiO2 content ( 7 wt.%) based on basicity method cannot reflect the true CCFF. The mole ratio method could successfully solve this problem by reducing the effect of CaO addition amount changes caused by SiO2 content of iron ores.

This study explored the agreement between a single-run and a multiple-run method for force–velocity (Fv) profiling of sprinting athletes; we evaluated both absolute values and changes over time caused by sprint training. Seventeen female handball players (23 ± 3 years, 177 ± 7 cm, 73 ± 6 kg) performed 30 m un-resisted and resisted sprints (50, 80 and 110 N resistance) before and after an 8-week sprint training intervention. Two approaches were used to calculate theoretical maximal velocity (v0), horizontal force (F0), power (Pmax), and the force–velocity slope (SFv): (1) the single-run method, based on inverse dynamics applied to the centre-of-mass movement, was calculated from anthropometric and sprint split time data; and (2) the multiple-run method, where peak velocity from un-resisted and resisted sprints were plotted against the horizontal resistances. Trivial differences in v0 (0.7%) were observed between the two calculation methods. Corresponding differences for F0, Pmax and SFv were 16.4, 15.6 and 17.6%, respectively (most likely; very large effect size). F0 showed poor agreement between the methods (r = 0.26 and 0.16 before and after the intervention). No substantial correlation between the changes (from pre- to post-training tests) in SFV calculated with the single-run and the multiple-run methods were observed (r = 0.02). This study revealed poor agreement between the Fv relationships of the investigated calculation methods. In practice, both methods may have a purpose, but the single-run and the multiple-run methods appear to measure somewhat different sprint properties and cannot be used interchangeably.

Image will be seriously distorted when camera captures the scene through water surface. This will cause the captured image to lose its readability. Although several previous methods have been proposed to resolve this problem, the methods still need improvement. In this paper, we propose a reconstruction method to restore the distorted images based on a twice registration algorithm. Several calculation methods will be applied to update reference image in different registration phase. Firstly, the method uses the mean image of the image sequence as the reference image for the first registration. Due to the reference image may be blurred, a deblurring step has been applied in this paper. To register the distorted image sequence, a non-rigid registration method has been employed based on B-spline method. In addition, a patch search method also is proposed to update the reference image in the second registration because reference image is the key to improve the accuracy of image registration. It is designed to obtain the most similar patches from the image sequence. Compared with the previous methods using the existing database and generated database, the results show that our method performs better than the state-of-the-art methods.

Using modern multiloop calculation methods, we derive the analytical expressions for the total cross sections of the processes e−γ →$$ {e}^{-}X\overline{X} $$ e − X X ¯ with X = μ, γ or e at arbitrary energies. For the first two processes our results are expressed via classical polylogarithms. The cross section of e−γ → e−e−e+ is represented as a one-fold integral of complete elliptic integral K and logarithms. Using our results, we calculate the threshold and high-energy asymptotics and compare them with available results.

Gamma heating, which is deposited in irradiated targets or samples, is an important issue in research reactors because it affects the safety of samples and the reactor operation. Gamma heating in the Reaktor Serba Guna G.A. Siwabessy (RSG GAS) can be measured or calculated using computer code. In this paper, we present the results obtained by using gamma calorimeters to measure the gamma heating in the central irradiation position in RSG GAS. The measurement results were verified and then compared with the calculation results obtained using the Gamset code. However, the accuracy of the calculation results obtained using Gamset was inadequate, with more than 20% error. Moreover, Gamset was initially created to calculate gamma heating in 35 MWth reactors, and the RSG GAS reactor has an operating power level of 30 MWth. To address these issues, we developed a new program called NewGamset, built with an informative graphical user interface-based display. NewGamset can employ new analytical approaches as it utilizes a calculation base that comprises 18 energy groups and can provide updated physical parameters of RSG GAS. The results of gamma heating measurements obtained using gamma calorimeters made of graphite, aluminum, iron, and zirconium were 2.20 ± 0.03 W/g, 2.25 ± 0.02 W/g, 2.58 ± 0.03 W/g, and 2.91 ± 0.10 W/g, respectively. In general, the calculation results were larger than the measurement results, and the average ratio of calculation to measurement result was 1.37 for Gamset and 1.02 for NewGamset. Hence, it can be concluded that NewGamset provides more accurate results than Gamset. We also report the gamma heating estimation for common elements irradiated in the RSG GAS silicide core, with an operating power level of 15 MWth and 30 MWth. We highly recommend that NewGamset be used for validating the gamma heating data of various target materials in RSG GAS.

The meta distribution as a new performance metric can provide much more fine-grained information about the individual link reliability, and is of great value for the analysis and design of the future cellular networks. In this paper, we investigate the stochastic geometry based analysis for heterogeneous networks from the perspective on the meta distribution. The comprehensive overview for the fundamental framework of the meta distribution is provided, which involves the concepts of the meta distribution and its related performance metric (e.g., mean local delay and spatial outage capacity) and the efficient calculation methods of the meta distribution. The insights of the meta distribution are also stated by the comparison with standard success probability. The various applications of the meta distribution to heterogeneous networks are summarized and categorized by different types of technologies. Furthermore, some open issues and future work are discussed to promote the development and application of the meta distribution. acceptedVersion

A field case was first studied to verify the reliability of PLAXIS 2D and the accuracy of the modeling and calculation methods, in terms of calculating the radial earth pressure and vertical deformation on the cut-and-cover and trenchless pipes. Then, four types of classical soils were considered to compare the effects of cut-and-cover and trenchless construction methods on the installed flexible pipes. Besides, groundwater conditions and main physical properties of soils were also considered. Results demonstrate that deviations among the simulation calculated and the field measured value on earth pressure and deformation are all within 5%, showing a high accuracy and reliability. The maximum earth pressure and deformation on the cut-and-cover flexible pipe are 2.66–11.65 times and 3.96–11.95 times larger than that on the trenchless pipe, which is mainly due to the passive earth pressure caused by the deformation of the trenchless pipe. As the groundwater level increases from the bottom to 5.5 m above the top of pipes, the maximum earth pressure and deformation of the cut-and-cover pipe increase by 18.74% and 13.38%, while that on the trenchless pipe increased by 6 times and 3 times, because of the difference of reduction in effective stress. Density, cohesion, and friction angle are positively related to the earth pressure and deformation on the cut-and-cover pipe, and Poisson’s ratio and density are positively related to that on the trenchless pipe, while the others are the opposite. Density and cohesion are respectively the most significant factors affecting the cut-and-cover pipe and trenchless pipes.

Background Radiation dose in computed tomography (CT) has become a topic of high interest due to the increasing numbers of CT examinations performed worldwide. Hence, dose tracking and organ dose calculation software are increasingly used. We evaluated the organ dose variability associated with the use of different software applications or calculation methods. Methods We tested four commercial software applications on CT protocols actually in use in our hospital: CT-Expo, NCICT, NCICTX, and Virtual Dose. We compared dose coefficients, estimated organ doses and effective doses obtained by the four software applications by varying exposure parameters. Our results were also compared with estimates reported by the software authors. Results All four software applications showed dependence on tube voltage and volume CT dose index, while only CT-Expo was also dependent on other exposure parameters, in particular scanner model and pitch caused a variability till 50%. We found a disagreement between our results and those reported by the software authors (up to 600%), mainly due to a different extent of examined body regions. The relative range of the comparison of the four software applications was within 35% for most organs inside the scan region, but increased over the 100% for organs partially irradiated and outside the scan region. For effective doses, this variability was less evident (ranging from 9 to 36%). Conclusions The two main sources of organ dose variability were the software application used and the scan region set. Dose estimate must be related to the process used for its calculation.

Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) is one of the more applied indices to evaluate drought characteristics. SPEI is based on precipitation (P) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) parameters. In PET calculation, many different equations have been introduced. In this research, monthly and seasonal SPEI values based on five more applied equations of PET calculation methods and Food and Agriculture Organization Penman-Monteith equation (FPM) (that is the standard equation of PET calculation and used as reference method) were compared. In this paper, meteorological data series of 24 meteorological stations (with suitable geographic distribution and different climate condition) in Iran from 1967 to 2017 were used to calculate PET values and SPEI in monthly and seasonal time scales. Results showed that according to normalized root mean square error index (NRMSE), similarities of estimated SPEI using Blaney-Criddle (BC) method with FPM method in monthly (at the 79.1% of evaluated stations) and seasonal (at the 75% of evaluated stations) time scale were more than other methods. According to the results of clustering analysis, the average of similarity of calculated SPEI between FPM equation and Jensen-Haise (JH), Modified Jensen-Haise (MJH), Thornthwaite (TW), Hargreaves-Samani (HS), BC equations were 85.46, 83.08, 82.17, 81.38, and 83.46% in monthly time scale and 84.08, 82.04, 80.38, 81.93, and 82.79% in seasonal time scale. Therefore, in areas with the least available meteorological data, it is suggested to replace the FPM equation with JH or BC equations.

Two methodologies for navigable lock chamber calculation are analyzed. Preliminary calculation was performed using the finite element model and Construction Specifications (CS) techniques. The feasibility of calculation using the finite element model was assessed and compared with manual calculation; the advantages and shortcomings of the techniques under consideration were manifested. Conclusions on the expediency of applying this method of lock chamber calculation of a dock design have been reached.

The objective of this study is to verify the feasibility of using centrifugal model tests to characterize the ground reaction response of a high-speed railway embankment to predict its ground settlement. To do so, a series of Centrifugal Model Tests (CMTs) of the embankment were performed to investigate the variation of ground reaction and corresponding derived modulus at different embankment ratios. The ground reaction determined from the CMTs was compared with those obtained from corresponding full-scale field tests of instrumented embankment. The results show that the ground reaction at the embankment centreline gradually approaches the embankment weight (γH) with increasing embankment ratio. Considering the embankment filling process with different embankment ratios, it seems inappropriate to employ the value of γH as the ground reaction without any correction in settlement prediction. Finally, the predictive capability of the proposed approach for embankment settlement estimation was assessed against the corresponding field measurements and those determined based on the calculation methods suggested in the current design standard in China. The results show that the proposed simple approach satisfactorily estimates the ground settlement of HSR embankments and its deviation of predicted settlements is below 11.9% compared with the data obtained from the field full-scale tests. However, the deviation of the result calculated by the current recommend design standard is 17.7%-148.3%.

Purpose Left ventricular (LV) wall thickness can be measured at the posterior wall (PW) and the intraventricular septum (IVS) in a parasternal long axis view by transthoracic echocardiography. Thus, there are three methods to calculate relative wall thickness as follows: RWTPW = 2 × PWth/LVDd; RWTIVS + PW = (IVSth + PWth) /LVDd; and RWTIVS = 2 × IVSth/LVDd (IVSth = interventricular septum thickness; LVDd = LV internal dimension at end--diastole; PWth = posterior wall thickness). The aim was to compare the prognostic values of these RWTs in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Method This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study at a Japanese community hospital. A total of 389 hospitalized ADHF patients were divided into two groups based on the three median RWT values. The primary outcome was all-cause death. Survival analysis was performed, and Cox proportional hazard models unadjusted and adjusted by Get With The Guideline score were used. Results High-RWTPW had poor survival (log-rank, P = 0.009) and was a significant risk (unadjusted HR (95%CI), 1.72 (1.14–2.61), P = 0.01; adjusted HR, 1.95 (1.28–2.98), P = 0.02). High-RWTIVS + PW was not associated with poor survival on survival analysis or the unadjusted Cox model. Only the adjusted Cox model showed that High-RWTIVS + PW was associated with a significant risk of the primary outcome (unadjusted HR (95%CI), 1.45 (0.96–2.17), P = 0.07; adjusted HR, 1.53 (1.01–2.32), P = 0.045). High-RWTIVS did not have significant prognostic value. Conclusions When calculating RWT, RWTPW should be recommended for evaluating the mortality risk in ADHF.

Audibility of fire alarm systems at mandated levels is critical to ensure a warning is heard by building occupants. To accomplish this, designers and installers utilize on-scene measurements as well as design calculations to ensure that the audibility of the fire alarm system is as designed as required. Despite this, there is a dearth of information on the error and variability rates associated with these experiments and calculations. To fill in this gap, a three-room and connected corridor test setup was utilized and multiple repeat audibility tests were conducted across 12 configurations of different receiving rooms and door positions. Calculations were then conducted utilizing two oft-used and referenced methods. Ultimately, the experimental measurements had a coefficient of variation of 3.0% to 10.9% depending on the configuration. The calculation methods had differences from the experimental average of − 6.8% to 8.0% combined. It is shown that designers and installers should consider making multiple measurements to capture the experimental variability or at least assume it is 10% and if the measurement errors are randomized, could be as high as 20% or more. Meanwhile, a 10% factor of safety should be considered with the calculation methods to ensure the design implementation exceeds the intended audibility. Some additional observations from the experiments and calculations are also discussed including that the tests and calculations provide justification for the code requirements that a notification appliance be present in each bedroom or room that may have a door closed and, if it is a smoke alarm, that it be interconnected to other alarms to ensure audibility.

This paper investigates the impact of Variable Message Sign (VMS), stochasticity and hierarchy on the performance of a road network in the context of four typical Logit model types. These models are multinomial Logit (MNL), C-Logit (CL), Path Size Logit (PSL) and Cross-nested Logit (CNL). We quantify the road hierarchy and use the quantified hierarchy to calculate generalized path costs. Then, VMS information is quantified and integrated with the hierarchical property to calculate road “length. Furthermore, these calculation methods are applied to propose modified versions of the MNL, CL, PSL and CNL. Numerical calculations produce negative values of the dispersion elasticity and hierarchical elasticity of total travel time costs obtained from each Logit model. The results also show that the dispersion parameter, hierarchical structure and VMS information have significant and different impacts on the elasticity. The quantitative interactions among these factors, models and performance are practically useful for network design and management.

Polythermal sections in the vicinity of the quaternary compounds Ag2FeSnS4 and Ag2FeSn3S8 have been modeled. The mechanism of formation of these quaternary compounds and their thermal stability have been investigated. Measurements of electromotive force allowed calculations of the standard thermodynamic functions ΔG°, ΔH°, and S° of the Ag2FeSnS4 and Ag2FeSn3S8 compounds. Based on calorimetric measurements, the enthalpies of phase transitions of the selected compounds were determined. Furthermore, the heat capacities of both quaternary compounds were estimated by applying different calculation methods. Thermodynamic properties of the quaternary compounds, which are regarded as functional magnetic materials, were analyzed and are discussed in detail.

Pollen calendars are one of the most comprehensible means to inform allergy sufferers or medical professionals about the mean presence of allergenic pollen during the course of the year. They have been produced with a variety of methods and were distributed with great success since the beginning of pollen monitoring. Current technologies, longer data series and changing user demands allow to develop new calculation methods. For designing the new pollen calendars of Switzerland, the following requirements were formulated: The pollen load levels in the calendars should correspond to the levels used in pollen forecasts. A pollen load level in the calendar should show the time window in which it potentially occurs. Further requirements were an automatic generation of the calendars, a regular update and the possibility to provide calendars for single stations, regions or specific pollen species. The data analysis is based on mean daily pollen concentrations of the last 20 years of all 14 pollen-monitoring stations in Switzerland for the 15 pollen types most relevant for allergies. For each day of the year, the 90% quantile of the daily pollen concentrations is determined in a moving 9-day time window over 20 years of data. The calculated concentrations are converted afterward into a pollen load level. The new method is flexible because various parameters can be selected freely: the reference period, the size of the moving time window, the quantile value and the thresholds for pollen load levels. Adjusting these parameters, also pollen calendars for fewer than 20 years can be calculated. However, a sensitivity analysis showed that a reference period of 20 years provides much more stable pollen calendars than shorter reference periods.

The paper focuses on timber structures. Static analysis was performed in the paper of timber lattice columns with N and V lattice configuration made in variants of timber, plywood, fibreboard and particleboard. As a part of the study, formulae determining critical force in the column and the column slenderness ratio were derived basing on the theory by Timoshenko and Gere. In addition, the paper includes formulae applicable to shearing forces occurring in the column as well as maximum shearing forces that a column can carry, also based on the theory by Timoshenko and Gere. Basing on the formulae described above and the formulae given in the literature (EN-1995 Eurocode 5 Standard), a comparative analysis was carried out of the load-bearing capacity of columns and calculations for the truss. The calculations demonstrate that there are discrepancies between the static values being compared and both calculation methods lead to partially divergent results.