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The creation and cultivation of artificial plantations of conifers largely depends on the planting material quality. The paper is devoted to the study of the relationship between the main parameters of planting material of Scots pine (Pinus silvestris L.) with inventory indices of artificial plantations. Forest trials of Scots pine in the Arkhangelsk region, created in a haircap-moss forest site type, were investigated. Seedlings of Scots pine with standard size were divided into large, medium, small according to the diameter of the root cervix in order to set the experiment, which aimed to determine the relationship between the parameters of planting material and characteristics of the forming plantations. The research purpose determined the main task, mainly, to find out from which plants the “trees of the future” (fast-growing large specimens) are laid out. Plants grown from the large seedlings are characterized by the greatest height. This position, in relation to individuals formed from medium and small planting material, is maintained and gradually increases. From the initial phases of development, a kind of mobile equilibrium is established in the studied plantation. All the trees are growing at a very fast rate, but the initial (at the time of planting on the silvicultural area) size of the planting material corresponding to the pine plants that survived in different years on the plantations continues to remain constant. It was found that, the largest number of leaders (47 % of all survived seedlings) grew of the large seedlings by the end of the 2nd age class. Therefore, high-quality soil treatment together with the use of high-quality proportionally developed planting material significantly increases the inventory indices of plants in the stand, and allows getting the target assortments15–20 years earlier. For citation: Sungurova N.R., Drochkova A.A. Biometric Parameters of Planting Material as a Test Indicator of Success of Pinus silvestris L. Plantations. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal], 2021, no. 4, pp. 107–116. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2021-4-107-116

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects over 15% of Americans and results in an increased risk of skeletal fractures and fracture-related mortality. However, there remain great challenges in estimating fracture risk in CKD patients, as conventional metrics such as bone density assess bone quantity without accounting for the material quality of the bone tissue. The purpose of this review is to highlight the detrimental effects of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on the structural and mechanical properties of bone, and to demonstrate the importance of including bone quality when assessing fracture risk in CKD patients. RECENT FINDINGS: Increased oxidative stress and inflammation drive the production of AGEs in CKD patients which form non-enzymatic crosslinks between type I collagen fibrils in the bone matrix. Non-enzymatic crosslinks stiffen and embrittle the bone, reducing its ability to absorb energy and resist fracture. Clinical measurement of AGEs is typically indirect and fails to distinguish the identity and properties of the various AGEs. SUMMARY: Accounting for the impact of AGEs on the skeleton in CKD patients may improve our estimation of overall bone quality, fracture risk, and treatments to improve both bone quantity and quality by reducing AGEs in patients with CKD merit investigation in order to improve our understanding of the etiology of increased fracture risk.

Detection of X- and gamma-rays is essential to a wide range of applications from medical imaging to high energy physics, astronomy, and homeland security. Cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) is the most widely used material for room-temperature detector applications and has been fulfilling the requirements for growing detection demands over the last three decades. However, CZT still suffers from the presence of a high density of performance-limiting defects, such as sub-grain boundary networks and Te inclusions. Cadmium zinc telluride selenide (CZTS) is an emerging material with compelling properties that mitigate some of the long-standing issues seen in CZT. This new quaternary is free from sub-grain boundary networks and possesses very few Te inclusions. In addition, the material offers a high degree of compositional homogeneity. The advancement of CZTS has accelerated through investigations of the material properties and virtual Frisch-grid (VFG) detector performance. The excellent material quality with highly reduced performance-limiting defects elevates the importance of CZTS as a potential replacement to CZT at a substantially lower cost.

The increasing number of construction companies in the construction industry, must be followed by increasing the quality of a construction project. Successful construction projects are projects that have effective time, economical costs, and achieve good quality. In the implementation of construction projects, construction failures are often encountered, which are caused by the implementation of construction that is not in accordance with the specifications, therefore, research needs to be done to identify factors that cause low quality performance that is very influential on construction projects. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that cause the lowest quality performance that is the most dominant. The method in this study is to use descriptive statistical methods. Based on the results of questionnaires and data processing analysis, there are five factors that cause low quality performance that are very influential on construction projects, namely changes in the scope of work, poor material quality, design errors, poor equipment quality, and lack of workforce expertise.

The quality standards for Fructus Corni have been established based on the effects of the manufacturing processes. Three critical process parameters (CPPs) of extraction, filtration, and concentration to prepare Fructus Corni concentrate were identified by Plackett–Burman design with a single batch of Fructus Corni, which were heating medium temperature, extraction time, and water addition. Morroniside yield, loganin yield, and dry matter yield were process critical quality attributes (CQAs). CPPs arranged with a Box–Behnken design were applied to treat different batches of Fructus Corni. After constructing a model that included CPPs, material properties, and process CQAs, loganin content was found to be the critical material attribute (CMA). The design space was calculated with a probability method. According to the limits of process CQAs, the minimum content of loganin in Fructus Corni was calculated with an error propagation method, which was 6.92 mg·g−1. When the content of loganin in Fructus Corni reaches up to 6.92 mg·g−1, the material is considered high-quality and is most suitable for the process. High-quality material can be used for production of Fructus Corni concentrate. This method can also be used to set material quality standards for other Chinese medicines.

CONSPECTUS: Two-dimensional (2D) compound materials are promising materials for use in electronics, optoelectronics, flexible devices, etc. because they are ultrathin and cover a wide range of properties. Among all methods to prepare 2D materials, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is promising because it produces materials with a high quality and reasonable cost. So far, much efforts have been made to produce 2D compound materials with large domain size, controllable number of layers, fast-growth rate, and high quality features, etc. However, due to the complicated growth mechanism like sublimation and diffusion processes of multiple precursors, maintaining the controllability, repeatability, and high quality of CVD grown 2D binary and ternary materials is still a big challenge, which prevents their widespread use. Here, taking 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) as examples, we review current progress and highlight some promising growth strategies for the growth of 2D compound materials. The key technology issues which affect the CVD process, including non-metal precursor, metal precursor, substrate engineering, temperature, and gas flow, are discussed. Also, methods in improving the quality of CVD-grown 2D materials and current understanding on their growth mechanism are highlighted. Finally, challenges and opportunities in this field are proposed. We believe this review will guide the future design of controllable CVD systems for the growth of 2D compound materials with good controllability and high quality, laying the foundations for their potential applications.

The binocular fusion of two center-surround configurations, where one center is brighter, the other darker than the common surround, leads to a strong impression of luster in the central patch. Without reversed contrast polarities of the center patches, this impression is much weaker or even absent. However, we observed that in the latter case the perceived luster can be considerably enhanced by enclosing both centers with a thin ring of fixed luminance. Compared to the standard stimulus, this center-ring-surround configuration shows much less binocular rivalry and the luster has also a different, more glass-like material quality. In a psychophysical experiment, we examined how the magnitude of the lustrous response depends on the width of the ring, both in stimuli with reversed and consistent contrast polarities. It has been proposed that binocular luster results from a neuronal conflict between ON and OFF visual pathways. To test this hypothesis with respect to our data, we developed a simple model to estimate the amount of interocular conflict resulting from a given binocular stimulus pair and applied it to all stimuli used in the experiment. We found strong correlations between the interocular conflict measure and the strength of luster observed in the experiment, suggesting that a common low-level mechanism determines the magnitude of the lustrous response. Regarding the differences in the perceived material quality of the lustrous impressions, we discuss evidence indicating that high-level processes are involved that promote the visual system's interpretation of the ring-stimuli as a certain depth-segmented 3D scene.

The abundance of forest products in the form of areca nut and plantation products in the formof lime fruit in the district of Sumpur Kudus are local potentials that need to be processed toprevent price declines and maintain material quality. The purpose of this empowerment is toprovide information and training on how to process forest products (areca nut) and gardenproducts (lime fruit) into good quality food and drinks. Participants in this activity are theTanjung Bonai Aur village, Sumpur Kudus sub-district, Sijunjung Regency, a maximum of 30(thirty) people. The Stages of the Workshop are as follows: Techniques to make syrup from limejuice, Techniques to process young areca nut into health drinks, Techniques to process Cassavainto snacks that have high economic value. The lecture and question and answer method werechosen to provide an explanation of how to make syrup, process betel nuts and process cassava. This practice method is given to the trainees to provide opportunities to practice the trainingmaterial obtained. Evaluation of activities is carried out during the process and at the end ofthe training, on aspects of achieving training objectives and also organizing training. Theresults of empowerment can be seen that the enthusiasm of the community is very high duringthe empowerment takes place

It is commonly recognized that non-uniformity of as-constructed Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavement may negatively affect long-term pavement performance. Conventional wisdom states that PCC thickness deficiency is the most important factor causing premature pavement failures. To address it, transportation agencies often impose strict penalties for not meeting the designed slab thickness requirements, thus contractors build slightly thicker slabs to avoid fines. However, other aspects of construction variability on pavement performance are mostly ignored by studies because conventional methods for construction uniformity assessment fail to provide sufficient information to quantify their effect. This study utilized a non-destructive ultrasonic test to evaluate in-situ pavement construction variability. To investigate the correlation between construction variability and surface distresses, a combination of non-destructive ultrasonic thickness measurements and visual distress surveys were performed in highways prior to rehabilitation. PCC slab thicknesses and shear wave velocities were computed from recorded ultrasound signals. An in-depth statistical analysis was performed to investigate possible relations between thickness or shear wave velocity and distresses using various pavement performance parameters. The main results of this analysis illustrate the importance of material quality and uniformity control during construction, since alterations in material properties significantly influence the presence of distresses. Shear wave velocity variations significantly correlate to cracked and broken slab panels in two sections, and, more importantly, to any type of distress in all tested pavement sections.

Introduction: The quality of the material used to build-up the cores of the treated and restored teeth with fiberglass posts affect the location of fracture, as it plays an important role in the durability and durability of the coronary root restoration under different oral environment conditions. The aim of the study: Study of the effect of the core building-up material quality of three different materials on the location of fracture for a group of lower premolars after treating the core and restoring them with fiberglass posts. Research materials and methods: The research sample consisted of (30) lower first laughs, as these teeth were extracted in the course of orthodontic treatment (free from any defects) and stored with distilled water. The clinical crowns of these teeth were cut so that a coronary tissue was kept 2mm high above the enamel-cemento junction. These teeth were treated with pulp and restored with fiberglass posts. The research sample was divided into three groups, each consisting of (10) premolars, according to the type of core building-up material. 1. Composite Resin (IVOCLAR, T-Econom, Liechtenstein) Group T. 2. Flow composite resin (IVOCLAR, Titric N-Flow, Liechtenstein) Group F. 3. Resin Reinforced Glass Ionomer Cement (3M ESPE, Vitermer, USA) Group G. The teeth were crowned with Nickel-Chrome crowns and then an oblique force was applied at an angle of 45 to the tooth axis using a general mechanical testing device at a speed of 1mm / min until failure occur. Results: It was found that group T premolars restored with composite resin had nine Cervical Fracture states and once in middle while the locations of fracture fore premolars restored with Flow resin had eight Cervical Fracture states and twice in Middle, and locations of fracture for premolars Restored with Glass ionomer cement had ten Cervical Fracture, and significant differences were observed between groups (P =1). Conclusion: As it turns out, there is no correlation to the core building-up material in the failure model.

This study aimed to develop the feasibility of the Mahârah al-Istimâ’ test instrument for electronic-based Arabic students using the Kahoot! application at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. The method used in this research is the research and development of Borg and Gall model through analysis, design, and testing. Eligibility is based on the expert validator test and the final operation field test. The results of the study can be concluded that: 1) Preparation of the Test Instrument refers to the 5 objectives or indicators of Mahmud Kamil an-Naqah into 50 questions in product design using the Kahoot! application, 2) From the results of the expert validator it is known that the results of the material quality are obtained by an average 5.37 and the media quality of the application is obtained by an average of 4.75 (very feasible), 3) After being obtained from the main field test to 20 students there are 6 questions or 12% that are not feasible because they are invalid and have not discrimination index, then the author revise and test the revision results to 70 students with 100% valid results and are suitable for use.

The methanol content is an important indicator in determining the quality of wine. The effects of material quality, fermentation conditions and storage containers on the formation of methanol and other substances in winemaking process were studied. The methanol content in spine grape wine was observed to increase as the fermentation temperature increased. Extending maceration time and the increasing addition of pectinase also increased the methanol content. No significant change in methanol content was observed with various yeasts added. The methanol content in wine that is stored in oak barrels was the lowest compared to that in other containers. The optimal conditions to control the methanol content in spine grape wine should be as follows: ferment wine with high-quality materials under 25–26°C for 3–6 d, with a pectinase of 15–20 mg/L and yeast added; and store the wine in oak barrels.

Composite materials are an attractive material choice as they enable lightweight, low-maintenance products with a long lifespan. Recycling these materials, however, remains a challenge. Homogeneous material composition and the use of thermoset matrices complicate reprocessing, and result in low-grade recyclate. This means that closing the loop for these materials in a circular economy remains challenging, especially for glass fibre-reinforced thermoset composites. For a circular economy, products need to be designed to preserve product functionality, material properties, and economic value for as long as possible. However, recovery strategies, design aspects and their interconnectedness are currently largely unexplored for products containing fibre-reinforced polymers. The aim of this study was to identify circular strategies and determine design aspects for products containing composites. To achieve this, we conducted a systematic literature review and consulted experts. The circular strategies are largely similar to generic circular economy strategies as far as product integrity is concerned. However, on a material level, we identified additional approaches, the most notable of which is structural reuse, which preserves the material quality and thereby value. The design aspects were clustered and positioned along the product design process to support implementation. Finally, the strategies and design aspects we identified were brought together in a framework to support product design and design research for products containing composite materials in the context of a circular economy.

Material recycling is the most common strategy in various circular economy concepts. However, material quality generally degrades during recycling because materials get contaminated or some substances dissipate. This translates to that materials are instead recycled in an open loop, or in other words, in a cascade. Current quantitative performance measurement approaches insufficiently address a clear distinction between closed-loop and open-loop recycling. To effectively preserve material quality, a different measurement approach is required to assess the ability of product and service design to retain material quality during material recycling. Such a metric is introduced here with the fitness for closed-loop material recycling indicator Θ. This kind of quality assessment requires a criterion based on the elemental composition of the materials. The concept is illustrated in a case study on metals embodied in a residential gas heating appliance showing that the closed-loop recycling potential of such an appliance is only 1%., Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 190, ISSN:0921-3449, ISSN:1879-0658

Total alloplastic temporomandibular joint replacement (TMJ-TJR) has once again become the focus of therapy for end-stage destroyed joints. Although material quality has increased significantly in terms of service life and wear, problems occur even with patient-specific (PSI) prostheses. Here, mainly the ramus components are affected and an occurrence of screw loosening or fractures in the area of the fossa of stock joints is rare and has not yet been described for patient-specific (PSI) components. Although very rare, such events pose a great challenge to both practitioners and affected patients, especially in the case of PSI components, not least due to the long time required for new fabrication. The case report shows a non-described screw fracture of a PSI-TMJ fossa and the first description of a temporary revision using a PSI-TMJ fossa made of bone cement.

A collection of herbs from the natural environment remains not only a source of raw material but also provides evidence of chemical differentiation of the local populations. This work aimed at performing a phytosociological analysis of seven different stands of meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim.) occurrence. A determination of total phenolic compounds and salicylates and the antioxidant activity of dried meadowsweet inflorescences (Flos ulmariae) was also performed. Active chemical compounds in F. ulmaria inflorescences were related to chemotype and diversified between investigated populations. Geographical distance and variation in phytosociological locations affected chemical composition in different ways, shaping the content of biochemical compounds crucial for herbal material quality. The obtained results can be a valuable indicator for Nexo and Baligród populations, which are good genetic material for research, breeding, and cultivation due to their biochemical composition, especially with respect to salicylates, as major compounds of determining market quality of Flos ulmariae.

Araştırmanın amacı, konuta ait fiziksel ve mekânsal özellikler kullanılarak Rize ili Merkez ilçesinde konut fiyatını etkileyen faktörleri belirlemektir. Araştırmanın verileri, Rize ili Merkez ilçesinde 2016 yılında konut alan 100 hane halkıyla yapılan anketlerden elde edilmiştir. Konut fiyatını etkileyen faktörlerin tespitinde hedonik fiyat modelinden yararlanılmıştır. Araştırma modeli, konut fiyatlarındaki değişimin %62.1’ini açıklayabilmektedir. Model sonuçlarına göre konutun net alanı, konut malzeme kalitesi, ısıtma sistemi, semtin sosyo-ekonomik düzeyi ve deniz manzarası konut fiyatını pozitif yönde etkilerken, konutun yaşı negatif yönde etkilemektedir. Konutun gerçekleşen alış-satış fiyatı ile model yardımıyla tahmin edilen konut fiyatı arasında ortalama %11.1’lik fark bulunmuştur. Bu sonuçlar, araştırma bölgesindeki konutların fiyatlarının tespit edilmesinde modelin kullanılabileceğini göstermektedir.

Drawing on our experience of commissioning and co-curating an exhibition of international conflict textiles – appliquéd wall-hangings (arpilleras), quilts, embroidered handkerchiefs, banners, ribbons, and mixed-media art addressing topics such as forced disappearances, military dictatorship, and drone warfare – this article introduces these textiles as bearers of knowledge for the study of war and militarized violence, and curating as a methodology to care for the unsettling, difficult knowledge they carry. Firstly, we explain how conflict textiles as object witnesses voice difficult knowledge in documentary, visual and sensory registers, some of which are specific to their textile material quality. Secondly, we explore curating conflict textiles as a methodology of ‘caring for’ this knowledge. We suggest that the conflict textiles in our exhibition brought about an affective force in many of its visitors, resulting in some cases in a transformation of thought.

This article aims to explain the feasibility of an electronic-based "Making Object Oriented Program with Class" learning module. This study uses an R&D (Research and Development) approach with the Four-D development model. The research population was Grade XI Software Engineering Students of SMK Negeri 1 Rembang Purbalingga. The results showed that each aspect included in the category was very feasible with the average score obtained in the aspect of self-instruction was 3.10, the stand alone aspect was 3.33, the adaptive aspect was 3, the user friendly aspect was 3, the aspect of content eligibility was 3 and the aspect of language has an average of 3.14. Overall material experts show that the material in this module is in the very feasible category with a mean of 3.10 and the percentage of material quality is 77.38%. From these results, it can be stated that this electronic module has fulfilled the characteristics of self-instruction, stand alone, adaptive and user friendly that are appropriate in terms of content and language, so that it can be used in learning.

More than two billion hectares worldwide offer opportunities for restoration. The need to accelerate reforestation programmesis caused by global climate change and human impacts. There is no consensus in the scientific community as to what goals to pursue in the implementation of programs and what methods to use to achieve the goals. Confusing terminology in the field of world reforestation, conflicting research makes it necessary to establish the basic quality criteria. The impact of the quality of forest reproductive material on reforestation cannot be underestimated. Definition of forest reproduction material (FRM) quality should be project specific, because seed and seedling quality attributes targeted and desirable for one site, could be unsuitable for others. Seed size and germinability have the strongest effect on plant performance, both in nursery and on the field. Root collar diameter is the single most useful seedling morphological attribute. The most important quality attributes of seed and seedling can be improved by simple techniques and practices. In a long term, the genetic aspect of FRM quality have a decisive role and any restoration program should be based on proper seed source to site matching, with maintaining the wide genetic diversity. In any restoration program, imperative should be the use of FRM with targeted quality attributes: physical, morphological, physiological, and genetic. Meeting demands for huge quantities of FRM, should not be at the cost of quality.

While the adoption of metal additive manufacturing (AM) is growing exponentially owing to its wide range of potential applications, its application to safety-critical and structural parts is significantly impeded by the lack of standards. Quality assessment of AM products is a crucial requirement, as the AM process induces internal defects that can have detrimental effects on the fatigue resistance. By evaluating the defect distribution, it is possible to perform a fracture mechanics assessment to estimate the fatigue strength and service lifetime of AM materials. This strategy has been successfully applied to selective laser-melted AlSi10Mg by performing X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) and applying suitable statistical methods (i.e., statistics of extremes). However, it remains unclear whether complex and expensive nondestructive inspection methods (e.g., μCT) are necessary and whether simpler and more conventional approaches (i.e., microscopy of polished sections (PSs), as prescribed by ASTM E2283) would provide equivalent information for the estimation of internal defects. In this study, the size of the most detrimental defect was estimated by performing both light microscopy on PSs and μCT on three batches of fatigue specimens characterized by different internal porosities. The results showed that both techniques were able to pinpoint a significant difference in the prospective largest defect in a material volume corresponding to the gauge section of a specimen. However, extrapolation of the critical defect size for fatigue failure using PS data was less accurate and less conservative than that using CT data. An evaluation of the techniques with regard to time and cost indicated that μCT allowed the investigation of larger sample volumes and the reduction of both man hours and cost.

Road surface deterioration is one of the most common problems of unpaved road networks worldwide. It is a reduction in the performance of a road due to a decline in road surface material quality. Accumulated damage from vehicles, environmental and physical effects may contribute to a decline in the surface material quality and hence deterioration on an unpaved road surface. This study assesses the surface material quality of unpaved rural roads in four rural areas in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa in order to understand susceptibility to surface deterioration. The study further establishes other possible factors such as slope gradient and rainfall, that could determine the surface material quality. Soil samples were collected from R3, R4, and R5 road classes in four rural areas which are: Emazabekweni, Dukuza, Mkhunya and Mhlwazini Area. Laboratory analyses were conducted in order to determine the performance of the material as potential wearing course. Material performance was then determined using the Standard Methods of Testing Road Construction Materials (TMH 1:1976) classification method. The results obtained imply that there is a need for better material selection during the construction of unpaved road networks. All road classes in Mkhunya, Emazabekweni and Mhlwazini areas exhibited grading coefficient (Gc) values less than 16 and some of the shrinkage product (Sp) values in excess of 365, corresponding to a classification of Class D, A and B. These results indicate material that is susceptible to slippery conditions, easily erodible and prone to the formation of ravels and corrugations. Correlation analysis results conducted to assess the individual relationship between measured rainfall and slope with field shrinkage product and grading coefficient values in each area indicated that variation in slope better explains shrinkage product values in each area with an R2 of 0.62 when compared to rainfall producing a lower R2 of 0.57. For grading coefficient, slope and rainfall produced similar R2 of 0.65 and 0.67, respectively.

To achieve homogenous temperature and composition of steel by fostering of slag metal refining reaction Argon gas is purged through bottom purging blocks into the steel bath. Purging is the most important activitiy in secondary steel refining process. For smooth running of the process with less downtime, plug performance need to align with operation without failure. Metal penetration inside the segments of plug is one of the frequent phenomena observed that leads to partial or full choking. This may occur from both material & operational variabilities. During post mortem analysis of choked porous plugs several concerns came into the surface which act as constraints to achieve desired life of plug. Investigation reveals the thermal susceptibility of the different refractory components of plug under cyclic application guides the performance of device. Apart from material quality combination of right operational practises along with the proper maintenance regime determines further the destiny of the plug. This paper will describe about the different operational challenges faced by plugs and probable way out to improve the performance.

This paper addresses the assessment of the structural integrity of a rudder horn built of different materials and in particular, the material quality effects on the structural design of a typical rudder horn of a conventional Panama-Kamsarmax size ship in relation to IACS requirements. The minimum scantlings of the rudder horn were established and compared for different steels permitted in IACS UR S10. Furthermore, a FEA model of the rudder horn including its most critical part i.e. its connection to the hull structure, was developed in order to calculate and compare stress and deflections under the IACS prescribed loading conditions The findings suggest that the use of higher strength material may reduce substantially the fatigue life of the structure at the critical area of rudder horn to hull connection which may cause the initiation of cracking, with adverse impact to the safety of the ship and its crew.

Risk is a situation that is uncertain and there is an element of danger, the consequences that could occur due to a process that is ongoing or upcoming events. One of them in construction, where activity in this activity, there is some risk that may occur and give a great impact in the success of the completion of the work. Approaches were made to the risks involved with understanding/identification of risk, risk measurement, risk mapping, the response to risk. So with the existence of such activities can provide a recommendation as to whether the risks are acceptable, divided, reduced or avoided. This research was conducted with descriptive quantitative research methods. The results of this study concluded that there were 7 risk factors in very high level understanding of contract documents i.e., different site condition, productivity, quality equipment/material quality, smooth cash flow, the competence of sub contractors, and the influence of the weather. Against the risk of handling very high i.e. by way of doing business – business everything possible so that it can reduce the level of risk that exists so that the work can be resolved properly and the third project targets can be achieved.

While the energy saving performance of an active phase change materials (PCMs) system in buildings has been widely investigated using prototype-scale experiments and numerical assessments, their performance during the operational phase of a real building has been less understood. This study assessed the energy-saving performance of an active PCM system installed in an eleven storey building in Melbourne. Macro-encapsulated PCM with the phase transition temperature of 15 °C was installed in a large PCM tank. Water was used as the heat transfer fluid (HTF) to extract and store cooling energy from the PCM tank. The performance of the active PCM system was monitored for 25 consecutive months, and the results were analyzed on a seasonal basis. Building design documents and the maintenance manuals were studied to understand the difference between design intent and actual operation. The analyzed results revealed that the active PCM system reduced cooling load on the chiller by 12–37% only during colder months, but, remained dormant during the summer. Even in the case of maximum effectiveness, the PCM tank only utilized 15% of its available heat storage capacity to reduce the cooling load. The factors that contributed to the underperformance of active PCM system include mismatch between designed and actual operation of the PCM system, inefficient operation logic of the system, poor material quality, and limited knowledge of maintenance staffs during the operation stage. The lessons learned from the operation of this active PCM system in this multi-storey building were reported and discussed.

Keyed shaft-hub connections are a very popular way to transmit torque via form fit in drive technology. Still in use for decades, they seem to be well known and current in design, although multiple field failures show existing gaps and uncertainties in the design. For this reason, numerous keyed shaft-hub connections were experimentally investigated and analyzed for their failure due to torsional loading. Keyed shaft-hub connections can be designed due to two different criteria: On the one hand, there is the maximum permissible contact pressure in the keyways that, if exceeded, causes a failure via an unacceptable plastic deformation of the keyway. On the other hand, there is the fatigue strength of the shaft or more specifically the connection. The results are based on a large amount of experiments of keyed shaft-hub connections under dynamic torque load. The experimental results of the investigations were analyzed with regard to different failure mechanisms and their dependencies. Most of the investigations focused on the failure caused by inadmissibly high plastic deformation of the shaft keyway. Furthermore, the transition from an unacceptable plastic keyway deformation to the initiation of different cracks are shown. The experimental results reveal that the decisive design criterion for keyed shaft-hub connections is dependent from the shaft material strength. Keyed shaft-hub connections with shafts made of low-strength steel fail via maximum permissible pressure in the keyway, thus consequently via an unacceptable plastic deformation of the keyway. Keyed shaft-hub connections with shafts made of higher strength steel fail via a crack at the shaft without prior relevant plastic deformation of the keyway. Both design criterions can be handled in the design of keyed shaft-hub connections with different internationally recognized German standards (DIN 743 and DIN 6892). Both standards have their miscellaneous shortcomings and potential improvements will be pointed out. In addition, the strong notch effect causes that the higher material quality of the shaft material does not result in a higher load capacity of the entire component.

The article discusses the problem of selection, adaptation and presentation of poetical works used for the formation of future philologists’ socio-cultural competence in reading. The paper main goal is to work out methodologies and tools with the aim of identifying and analyzing different country-study texts which potentate the learning process. The research is framed by the list of criteria to estimate the textual material quality for integrating it in the educational teaching.

Waste studies brings to labor history a suite of conceptual tools to think about precarious labor, human capital, migration, the material quality of labor in urban and rural infrastructures, and the porosity and interchangeability of workers’ bodies in the toxic environments in which they labor. In this introduction, we explore the conceptual insights that the study of waste offers for the field of labor history, and what, in turn, a focus on labor history affords to social science research on waste. We examine the relationship between surplus populations and surplus materials, the location of waste work at the ambiguous fulcrum of trash and value, and the significance of labor for the understanding of infrastructure.

The active layer material quality and doping profile effects on the ZnO-based thin film metal-semiconductor-metal photodiode’s (MSM-PD) performance are studied using a 2-D numerical simulation. The results of the simulation reveal that the temporal response advantages of increasing the doping concentration of the PD’s active layer are only appreciable at low bias. Whereas, using the downgraded material, the temporal response advantages are maintained for all applied biases but at the expense of a very low responsivity. This paper discusses the possibility of improving the temporal response while maintaining excellent responsivity. It is shown that the composed structure, made of a good material heavily doped top layer and a bottom layer lightly doped made of downgrade material, exhibits the desired temporal response advantages while maintaining an excellent responsivity.

The theoretical part of the thesis contains a brief explanation of the additive technologies and a list of their divisions. The subject of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing is elaborated and the materials and procedures that were used are listed as well. Likewise, more elaboration was given on the subject of duplex steel in the theoretical part. Their division, mechanical properties, weldability and use are also shown. TIG and MIG/MAG welding processes which are used in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing are described. The goal of the experimental part was to determine the optimal parameters for material quality 1.4462 for more protective gas mixtures. The welding equipment and the material used in the manufacture of the samples are described. The course of the experiment and used parameters are shown. Four types of shielding gas mixtures were used for the preparation of the samples, and for each of those samples, a new sample was prepared on which non-destructive and destructive tests were performed. The end of the thesis contains the analysis of the results that were obtained. Key words: additive production, WAAM, duplex, MAG welding

espanolEl presente articulo consiste en una bitacora y divagacion reflexiva a partir de la revision y puesta en dialogo de dos proceso de investigacion artistica desarrollados entre los anos 2014-2016 y 2019-2020, en torno al Oasis de Niebla de Alto Patache, Desierto de Atacama, Region de Tarapaca (Chile). Articulando nodos especulativos entre procesos diferidos espacial y temporalmente, el articulo busca establecer conexiones y derivas entre un primer proceso de investigacion mediante metodologia de trabajo de de exploracion de campo, y un segundo proceso de investigacion mediante metodologia de analisis de cronicas y archivos historicos. De esta manera, el articulo va hilvanando preguntas y relaciones entre la calidad material, sentidos simbolicos y denominacion que da nombre al fenomeno de niebla costera llamada “camanchaca”, transitando tambien por las nociones de desierto, frontera y visibilidad, y reflexionando sobre sus implicancias en la configuracion del imaginario paisajistico en el desierto tarapaqueno. EnglishThis article consists of a reflective log and digression from the review and dialogue of two artistic research processes developed between 2014-2016 and 2019-2020 around the Alto Patache Fog Oasis, Atacama Desert, Tarapaca Region (Chile). By articulating speculative nodes between spatially and temporally deferred processes, this article seeks to establish connections and derivations between a first research process through field exploration work methodology and a second research process through chronicles and historical archives analysis methodology. In this way, the article threads questions and relationships between the material quality, the symbolic meanings, and the denomination that gives name to the phenomenon of coastal fog called “camanchaca,” also passing through the notions of the desert, the border, and visibility, and reflecting on its implications in the configuration of the landscape imaginary in the Tarapaca desert.

Among its many uses, graphene shows significant promise for optical and optoelectronic applications. In particular, devices based on the photothermoelectric effect (PTE) in graphene can offer a strong and fast photoresponse with a high signal-to-noise ratio while consuming minimal power. In this work, we discuss how to optimize the performance of graphene PTE photodetectors by tuning the light confinement, device geometry, and material quality. This study should prove useful for the design of devices using the PTE in graphene, with applications including optical sensing, data communications, multigas sensing, and others., ICN2 is supported by the Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence program, funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI, Grant No. SEV-2017-0706), and is funded by the CERCA program of the Generalitat de Catalunya. This work has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 825272 (ULISSES) and from the project “Waveguide-Integrated Mid-Infrared Graphene Detectors for Optical Gas Sensor Systems,” Reference No. PCI2018-093128, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation - AEI.

We have improved the material quality of the high indium composition InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown on free-standing GaN substrates using the graded-indium-content superlattice. We found that by adopting a graded-indium-content superlattice structure, the spectral FWHM of the yellow emitting InGaN/GaN MQW was reduced from 181 meV to 160 meV, and the non-radiative recombination lifetime increased from 13 ns to 44 ns. Besides, the graded-indium-content superlattice can mitigate strain relaxation in high indium composition MQWs as shown by the TEM diffraction patterns.

ReWaste4.0 is an innovative and cooperative K-Project in the period 2017–2021. Through ReWaste4.0 the transformation of the non-hazardous mixed municipal and commercial waste treatment industry towards a circular economy has started by investigating and applying the new approaches of the Industry 4.0. Vision of the ReWaste4.0 is, among others, the development of treatment plants for non-hazardous waste into a “Smart Waste Factory” in which a digital communication and interconnection between material quality and machine as well as plant performance is reached. After four years of research and development, various results have been gained and the present review article summarizes, links and discuss the outputs (especially from peer-reviewed papers) of seven sub-projects, in total, within the K-project and discusses the main findings and their relevance and importance for further development of the waste treatment sector. Results are allocated into three areas, namely: contaminants in mixed waste and technical possibilities for their reduction as well as removal; secondary raw and energy materials in mixed waste and digitalization in waste characterization and treatment processes for mixed waste. The research conducted in ReWaste4.0 will be continued in ReWaste F for further development towards a particle-, sensor- and data-based circular economy in the period 2021–2025.

The construction and demolition of infrastructure can produce a surplus of excavated soils that ends up at landfills. This practice is not sustainable, and approaches are needed to reduce soil waste and minimize environmental and human health hazards. The “Reuse of urban soils and sites” Working Group in the European Large Geotechnical Institute Platform (ELGIP) works towards a safe and resource efficient use of excavated soils for construction. By considering relevant literature and practicals based on experience in the participating ELGIP countries (France, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden), this study presents current practice related to the reuse of excavated soils, and the main barriers (regulatory, organizational, logistical and material quality) to effectively reuse them. Results show that there is no consensus on the best strategies to manage excavated soils in urban areas. This paper provides suggestions of ways in which stakeholders can increase reuse of excavated soils.

In the Sivrice, Elazığ, Turkey earthquake on January 24, 2020, 41 people lost their lives, more than 1600 people were injured, 672 buildings collapsed, and around 12600 buildings were severely damaged due to poor construction quality. After such devastating earthquakes, damage assessment and forensic investigations are normally carried out quickly for a judicial process, and material qualities are revealed. However, emotional sensitivity of the victims in the earthquake affected zone and disruptions in key lifeline services such as transportation, electricity supply often make these processes difficult. After the Elazığ earthquake, along with the conventional in-situ core sampling method, concrete pieces were collected from columns of collapsed and severely damaged buildings and transported out of the earthquake zone to overcome these adverse conditions. Unlike in the conventional method where the whole sampling process is carried out in the earthquake zone, the core extraction from the transported concrete pieces was carried out outside the earthquake-affected area. The extracted concrete samples were checked for compliance with the prevailing material standards. Moreover, multiple reinforcing bars of various diameters were also extracted and tested to check their compliance with the standards. Besides, the results of examination of the quality of materials and workmanship used in the construction are also discussed, along with the precautions required to minimize fatalities and damage from similar buildings.