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Self-supervised learning (SSL) is a potential deep learning (DL) technique that uses massive volumes of unlabeled data to train neural networks. SSL techniques have evolved in response to the poor classification performance of conventional and even modern machine learning (ML) and DL models of enormous unlabeled data produced periodically in different disciplines. However, the literature does not fully address SSL's practicalities and workabilities necessary for industrial engineering and medicine. Accordingly, this thorough review is administered to identify these prominent possibilities for prediction, focusing on industrial and medical fields. This extensive survey, with its pivotal outcomes, could support industrial engineers and medical personnel in efficiently predicting machinery faults and patients' ailments without referring to traditional numerical models that require massive computational budgets, time, storage, and effort for data annotation. Additionally, the review's numerous addressed ideas could encourage industry and healthcare actors to take SSL principles into an agile application to achieve precise maintenance prognostics and illness diagnosis with remarkable levels of accuracy and feasibility, simulating functional human thinking and cognition without compromising prediction efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are an advanced material that has attracted people's attention in recent years due to their uniform structure and excellent mechanical properties. Therefore, thanks to their excellent performance, the alloys and their coatings are widely used in various industrial sectors. Moreover, HEAs can suffer from certain corrosion during actual use, which can negatively impact their properties and working life. The research status and progress of corrosion behavior in HEAs are reviewed in this paper. First, we made an introduction to the basic concepts, characteristics, and preparation processes of HEAs. Then, a detailed analysis and discussion are made for the corrosion behavior, corrosion mechanism and influencing factors of HEAs. These factors mainly include fabrication processing, the addition of alloying elements, element recombination, and alloy structure. Finally, the future research direction and development of corrosion, as well as their potential applications of HEAs are concluded and prospected. Consequently, based on the summary of this research progress, it can provide valuable technical guidance and references for junior researchers who are just starting out, as well as for engineering and technical personnel in related fields. And it also plays an enlightening role in promoting the design of new research programs and the development of new production processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting slope deformation is an important issue in engineering. Timely deformation detection can effectively avoid catastrophic slope failure and ensure the safety of a project and engineering personnel. In this study, deformation detection for a quarry slope is implemented using the integration of subpixel offset tracking (sPOT) and unsupervised change detection algorithms based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) image datasets. The sPOT algorithm is used to give the surface displacement field of the slope with subpixel accuracy, and the unsupervised change detection algorithm yields the ground object reconstruction area of the slope to verify and explain the sPOT result. The integrated analysis method in this paper is highly applicable and only requires a minimum of two UAV datasets as raw data. Combining the advantages of the sPOT and unsupervised change detection algorithms, the proposed method has the ability to detect and analyse slow and rapid slope deformation with good accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's dynamic, rapidly changing world, a bachelor's engineer needs to have creative thinking skills in order to be successful in their professional activities. A future graduate must learn to see the problem as a whole, and not in the context of one area of science or technology. This causes the education system to develop and implement innovative forms of engineering personnel training aimed at solving practice-oriented, research problems. The authors considered the issue of applying an educational model that combines natural sciences and engineering subjects into a single system in the process of teaching engineering bachelors. The issues of effective formation of critical thinking skills based on an integrative approach are analyzed. The results of experimental work convincingly prove that the majority of students studying on the basis of the author's methodology have achieved an average and high level of creative thinking skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future human missions to the Moon and Mars will require astronauts to perform science-focused surface exploration in complex geological environments. However, the scientific expertise required for these activities is uncommon in the astronaut corps. PANGAEA (Planetary ANalogue Geological and Astrobiological Exercise for Astronauts) is a field training course designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) that addresses the topics of geological and astrobiological planetary exploration. The course intends to impart the essential basic theoretical and practical knowledge of geology and astrobiology, in order to prepare astronauts for advanced mission specific training. Significant focus is given to skills in areas relevant to future missions, such as scientific decision-making, working with a remotely located science team, and efficient documentation. For this reason, although portions of the course are taught in classrooms, developing independent field skills in analogue geological environments is a key part of the training. Classroom and field lessons are tightly interwoven in the course structure with a time separation often of only hours between being introduced to a concept in the classroom and seeing it in the field. The course forms part of the basic and pre-assignment training for European astronauts and is open to trainees from all other agencies. PANGAEA has been running since 2016, with participants including ESA and NASA astronauts, and Roscosmos cosmonauts, as well as mission designers, operations personnel and engineers. The primary field sites selected for the course are Permo-Triassic sedimentary sequences in the Italian Dolomites, impact lithologies in the Ries Crater, Germany, a comprehensive suite of volcanic deposits in Lanzarote, Spain, and anorthosite outcrops in Lofoten, Norway. Each is used as a base to deliver the main learning sessions, respectively: 1) Earth geology, rock recognition and sedimentology on Earth and Mars, 2) Lunar geology and impact cratering, 3) volcanism on Earth, Moon, and Mars, and astrobiology 4) intrusive rocks and lunar primordial crustal evolution. The four sessions are designed to increase trainee autonomy in field geology by including guided or autonomously executed geological traverses and practicing of sampling techniques. Whilst PANGAEA's primary focus is astronaut training, where appropriate and complementary to this training, technologies being developed for future missions are used and tested by the trainees during geological traverses. This provides an opportunity to evaluate the performance of new equipment and software in analogue field environments, whilst also providing trainees with experience using technology that might support future missions. • ESA PANGAEA trains astronauts in planetary and field geology. • The training is focused in acquiring practical skills in geological exploration. • Moon/Mars analogue geological sites around Europe are used as training sites. • PANGAEA provides basic skills to prepare for future mission specific training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I identify a central problem for conceptual engineering: the problem of showing concept-users why they should recognize the authority of the concepts advocated by engineers. I argue that this authority problem cannot generally be solved by appealing to the increased precision, consistency, or other theoretical virtues of engineered concepts. Outside contexts in which we already aim to realize theoretical virtues, solving the authority problem requires engineering to take a functional turn and attend to the functions of concepts. But this then presents us with the problem of how to specify a concept's function. I argue that extant solutions to this function specification problem are unsatisfactory for engineering purposes, because the functions they identify fail to reliably bestow authority on concepts, and hence fail to solve the authority problem. What is required is an authoritative notion of conceptual function: an account of the functions of concepts which simultaneously shows why concepts fulfilling such functions should be recognized as having authority. I offer an account that meets this combination of demands by specifying the functions of concepts in terms of how they tie in with our present concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damper throttle-slices of the cab relies generally on the Finite Element (FE) method for the stress characteristic analysis. It is still a lack of an analytical algorithm for the engineering application. This study aims to construct the analytical algorithm, the program interface of the stress characteristic analysis, the verification, and the thickness split design of throttle-slices of the cab for agricultural vehicles. The stress analytical formula was deduced using the stress influence coefficient. Then, a simple and practical analytical algorithm was proposed for the stress characteristic of the damper throttle-slices under the interval uniformly distributed pressure for cabs. The parameters were considered, such as the interval uniformly distributed pressure, the number of pieces, the thickness, the valve port radius, the upper gasket radius, and the lower gasket radius. The FE simulation and the theoretical analysis show that the analytical stress values of each slice at different radius positions under the working pressure were close to the simulation values for the circumferential stress, radial stress, and composite stress. Moreover, the relative deviations were all within 1.5%. The stress influence coefficient was obtained under the section uniform pressure. There were the same radial, circumferential, and composite stress influence coefficients of each slice, particularly independent of the slice thickness and section uniform pressure. Among them, the maximum influence coefficient occurred at the radius rd of the lower gasket. The stress analytical formulae revealed that the greater the thickness of each slice was, the greater the radial, circumferential, and composite stress values were. The analytical algorithm was used to establish the rapid stress check, the split design of the thickness, and the optimization design. The effectiveness of the analytical algorithm was further verified by the case study and the damper test. The throttle-slice fracture occurred before the number of tests reached 50 000 times in the damper equipped with the original single slice. The damper that was assembled with the designed superimposed throttle-slices worked normally after more than 1.0 million times. Moreover, there was no slice fracture, indicating the effective thickness split of superposition slices in the damper. The algorithm effectively avoided many FEM limitations. There was the internal physical relationship between the structural parameters and the stress of the superimposed throttle-slices, the influence of the structural parameters on the stress, the rapid check of the stress intensity of the throttle-slices, and the disassembly design of the throttle-slices. The finding can provide a more practical and convenient effective tool for the relevant engineering and technical personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of research in the paper is the process of fluid transfer through the pore space of the reservoir rock. In this paper, using an expert method, the shortcomings of the Ukrainian methodology for assessing the reservoir properties of the reservoir were highlighted. In particular, the sources of uncertainty accumulation in determining the absolute values of the reservoir’s filtration parameters have been identified. The existing problem is that the algorithms of actions, which are the basis of the Ukrainian method of assessing reservoir properties, introduce a significant degree of uncertainty into the assessment results. In order to reduce uncertainty, the introduction of the concept of a representative elemental volume is considered when conducting laboratory research and the construction of a three-dimensional digital model of this elementary volume. It is suggested to improve the Ukrainian method of assessing the collector properties of the deposit based on current Western research. It was established that the standard methods of assessing the reservoir properties of the deposit are a source of accumulation of uncertainty in the development of technological documentation for the development of the deposit. The work is aimed at the development of an improved methodology for assessing the collector properties of the deposit. It is proposed to add to the action algorithm the stage of determining the representative volume of the sample, building its three-dimensional model, and digitizing it. At the final stage, the connectivity of the pores inside the sample is determined using the Minkowski function to improve the quality of the project documentation for the development of deposits. Guidelines have been developed to improve standard methods for assessing the collector properties of the deposit. The use of an improved methodology for assessing the reservoir properties of the deposit leads to a significantly lower degree of uncertainty and helps to form a more reliable picture of the operation of the reservoir at the design stage of its development. The presented study will be useful for the engineering personnel of foreign contractor companies, as it justifies the need to collect additional core material and sets the quality criteria of the information obtained about the collector properties of the deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated the influence of awareness, accessibility and use of ICT facilities on academic activities among engineering lecturers in university libraries in North Central Nigeria. The study was guided by four objectives with four corresponding research questions. The objectives of the study were to: identify the types of academic activities of Engineering lecturers, identify types of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities that are available for teaching and research to engineering lecturers, challenges to awareness, accessibility and use of ICT facilities on academic activities of engineering lecturers in university libraries in North Central Nigeria. Survey research design method was adopted for the study. The target population was 502 engineering lecturers in five public universities in North Central Nigeria. The sample size of the population was 171 engineering lecturers drawn from population using Polonia 2013. Questionnaire and observation checklist were the instruments used for data collection. All the 171 copies of questionnaire were filled, returned and used for the analysis representing 100%. Descriptive statistical tool involving mean and standard deviation was used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that teaching and learning were the popular academic activities and there was availability of ICT facilities such as computers, CD-ROM, photocopier, printers, digital cameras, OPAC, tablet device, scanner, projector, pen drive, social media output and WI-FI access were available in the universities under study. The study also discovered that the retrieval and dissemination of information was to support research activities of engineering lecturers. There was low level of accessibility to ICT facilities. The conclusion was that ICT facilities are instrumental to meeting the academic and research needs of Engineering Lecturers and they should be well trained on the use of ICT facilities so as to facilitate their research activities. The study recommended among others the provision for training of library personnel and engineering lecturers to keep them abreast on the use of ICT facilities to support their academic activities as well as alternative sources of power supply to enable the use of ICT facilities by engineering lecturers in carrying out their research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting anomalous areas (such as caves, faults, and weathered layers) in rocks is essential for the safety of facilities and personnel in subsurface engineering. Seismic tomography has been proved to be an effective exploration technology in engineering geophysics. However, the complexity, anisotropy, and uncertainty in rock environments pose challenges to the resolution and robustness of tomography methods. Traditional tomography methods have difficulty balancing reliability and efficiency. Therefore, we developed a time-difference adjoint tomography method combining the arrival-time difference and the adjoint state method. The effectiveness was verified by numerical experiments and a laboratory-scale acoustic experiment. The effectiveness of the proposed method was demonstrated by the experimental results. The adjoint scheme avoids additional ray tracing and improves the efficiency of the inversion, which allows the use of finer forward grids in practice. By considering the differential arrivals of receiver pairs, the proposed method is robust in the face of systematic errors and relatively stable against large random noises. Moreover, the velocity contrast obtained by the proposed method is sharper than for first-arrival tomography in the areas where the rays are not dense, resulting in a clearer indication of the anomalous areas in the tomographic image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to various reasons, the concepts of thermodynamics are not easy to grasp for undergraduate students. One of the major reasons is that the students are mostly unfamiliar with the thermodynamics devices discussed in the courses. Offering courses with experiments is an effective approach to solve this issue. However, it is not practical or possible for universities to own devices that operate at high temperatures and with high pressure fluids. With the cooperation of a nearby electric company, undergraduate students of a thermodynamics course from the Department of Mechanical Engineering measured thermal performances of a commercial combined cycle and its sub-systems at the President University. After learning about the theory of thermal cycles, the students analyzed the thermal performances of actual thermodynamics cycles. Subsequently, they analyzed the thermal efficiency improvements when reheating or regeneration is applied to the simple Rankine cycle in the combined cycle. At the end of the course, the students gave presentations before the electric company's management and engineering personnel, akin to professional engineers. This course is structured to familiarize undergraduate students with thermodynamics cycles and devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is recognised that engineers end up in a wide variety of engineering positions and that the importance of professional competencies might vary accordingly. However, most studies regarding professional competencies, employability or career guidance fail to address this variety in professional roles. This systematic literature review aims to identify professional roles for early career engineers and explores the defining attributes. Twenty-four publications were selected for inclusion by screening and appraising results obtained from three databases. Three frameworks that fulfilled the analysing criteria described similar roles focusing on innovation, optimisation and customisation. The majority of studies investigated professional competencies as identifying attributes, but inconsistency in and a lack of definitions hindered to determine the distinct professional competencies per role. Further research is recommended to identify role attributes and to investigate how a professional roles framework can support career development in engineering education, more particular in creating professional and self-awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rockburst in deep rock engineering poses serious threat to personnel safety and engineering. In order to reveal the rockburst characteristics in deep engineering, the rockburst investigations and rockburst mechanisms based on in-situ stress were carried out at five deep gold mines in Jiaodong Peninsula, China. At the cover depth between 400 m and 600 m, the ground pressure hazards are mainly local spalling. At the cover depth between 600 m and 1000 m, the ground pressure hazards are mainly rockburst, accompanied by serious spalling. When the cover depth is more than 1000 m, in addition to rockburst, the large area collapse occurred in some tunnels. The maximum horizontal principal stress in the northwest of Jiaodong Peninsula is the largest, indicating that the regional in-situ stress field is dominated by horizontal tectonic stress. The average maximum horizontal principal stress direction is about 105°, which is approximately perpendicular to the strike of regional metallogenic fault zone. The increase of in-situ stress is the main factor leading to the serious ground pressure hazards. The tangential stress threshold for rockburst is 8 times the tensile strength of rock at the five gold mines, which is consistent with the stress threshold (8 times tensile strength) leading to brittle failure of rock in Griffith criterion. This indicates that the strain rockburst is caused by the concentration of tensile stress in the micro-cracks of surrounding rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revetment can provide effective protection against wave overtopping and fluvial erosion along coastlines, estuaries, and rivers. The cost-effectiveness and rapid implementation make Interlocked Concrete Block Mattress (ICB mat) a viable alternative to unit armors. However, the intense hydrodynamic conditions may compromise the structural integrity of ICB mat during sinking construction, posing significant threats to both personnel and engineering safety. This study aimed to investigate the flow characteristics around the flexible mattress and its dynamic response. Recently, the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) method has been extended to multi-physics analysis in engineering applications due to its superior performance. A two-way coupling was employed to simulate the conceptualized cases of sinking process of ICB mat using the k - ω SST turbulence model, the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian algorithm, and the partitioned method in this study. The results indicated that the upstream surface velocity of the mattress increased exponentially with the growing water depth; meanwhile, the maximum velocity near the head beam was 23.8–31.2% larger than the average velocity. Additionally, the stress distribution on the mattress manifested transverse stripes influenced by the layout of interlocked blocks, with the highest stress primarily observed in the vicinity of the rotating plate and head beam. Furthermore, an estimation formula was proposed for the dynamic response of ICB mat considering the hydrodynamic conditions as well as structural properties. The current study can provide theoretical guidance for the structural design of ICB mat and engineering risk assessment during sinking construction. • A comprehensive analysis on flow characteristics and vertical velocity distribution around ICB mat was proposed. • Simulation based on the FSI method and the actual structural layout can more realistically reflect the deformation state. • Estimating mattress stress in consideration of the interaction between hydraulic conditions and dynamic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existence of a partially excavated old landslide mass beneath the reinforced soil slope (RSS) along the fill-rock interface in Figs. This photograph shows two failure surfaces with characteristic gray clay seams ([9]) parallel to subhorizontal bedding contacts in weathered claystone or clayey siltstone coalescing to form a single failure surface at the soil-bedrock contact. Unlikelihood of significant softening and degradation of claystone/clayey siltstone along the fill-rock interface over the 8-year period from RSS construction to failure. These changes resulted in an unreinforced rockfill wedge at the toe of the RSS and an unexcavated soil or rock wedge at the rear basal portion of the RSS (Fig. [Extracted from the article]

Based on the empirical study conducted using the Khitrova “Business Situations” test, which is a modification of the Rosenzweig drawing association test, the features of frustration reactions were revealed. The comparative empirical study including 310 teachers, doctors, and engineers from Astrakhan city institutions (Russia) was conducted. The revealed trends of teachers and doctors made it possible to describe the image of a typical modern representative of the socionomic profession. The results will form the basis for training courses regarding specialists, in effective behavioural strategies in frustrative situations with the goal, which comprises changing unproductive strategies and frustration reactions in business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing demand for metals caused by global economic growth and exploitation of shallow mineral deposits forces mineral extraction to go deeper. A direct consequence of this development is an increase in rock pressure-related mining problems. The role of rock engineering in the design and operation of deep mines is discussed in detail. Critical issues are the rock fracturing around mining excavations, the support and control of the fractured rock, and the rock mechanics design of mine infrastructure and extraction (stoping) systems. Progress of the science of rock mechanics in the areas related to these issues is highlighted and critically examined. Specific areas are the prediction and assessment of the mechanical properties of rock mass, the mechanics of controlling fractured rock around deep mining excavations and the resulting demands on support systems. Rock engineering aspects of stoping systems and the regional stress changes resulting from the extraction of large mineral bodies are discussed in detail. The progress in design concepts for open stopes and stopes with caving of the roof strata is illustrated. It is shown that the stress environment in deep mines does not favour the highly productive caving systems of stoping. The value of energy-based design concepts for very deep mines exploiting tabular mineral deposits is shown. Despite the considerable progress that has been made in the science of rock mechanics since the 1950s, progress in applying this knowledge to solve rock pressure problems in deep mines has been rather slow. The tools are available. What is needed is the development of robust design criteria for mine infrastructure, excavations and support systems for dynamic and changing stress environments. The second critical issue is the lack of highly qualified rock engineering personnel on the mines. This has been recognized by the European mining industry through supporting a continued education programme in rock engineering for deep mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3D printer has already matured into a useful and versatile tool for making models, mock-ups and prototypes. But researchers, engineers and designers are working hard to eliminate the limitations of 3D-printing and take the next step. The goal is to take the machine out of the lab and into the factory, from rapid prototyping to additive manufacturing. Reinforced Plastics talks to people on this new frontier, pushing out the boundaries of 3D printing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Concepts are defined generally as fundamental principles or global understandings specific to a field of expertise. Theories of situated cognition suggest that concepts may not have uniform meaning or representation in a particular social setting. Purpose/Hypothesis: The goal of this study was to investigate the process by which practicing engineers come to understand and use concepts in the context of their work. Design/Method: A researcher conducted ethnographic fieldwork at a private consulting engineering firm. Data sources included (a) field notes obtained via participant observation, (b) transcripts from interviews, and (c) artifacts collected on site. Results: Five emergent themes from the data are presented: (1) engineers identify constraints before they apply concepts, (2) engineers address project constraints by contextualizing abstract features of concepts, (3) engineers expand individual understanding of the concept by engaging in social negotiation of meaning, (4) concepts have multiple representations in engineering practice, and (5) engineers use material resources to efficiently address complex processes and problems associated with engineering concepts. These themes were analyzed using situative perspective to develop a model of conceptual growth in engineering practice. Conclusions: Findings suggest that student learning experiences should deliberately highlight the role of engineering concepts in the often ill‐structured engineering problems present in authentic engineering work. Specific suggestions for incorporating the model into engineering education are offered as are directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The process for designing and developing complex system products—all of the activities performed and the information and other work products produced—is essential to innovative and competitive enterprises. This process is dynamic, complex, and complicated, and the people who understand it best are in short supply and may not be around for the next project. For a variety of reasons, models of this process are important to systems engineers and managers. A 2006 paper in this journal discussed key concepts in modeling product development (PD) processes. This paper follows by presenting a general approach to building PD process models, integrative process modeling (IPM), which support a wide variety of purposes, such as providing evidence for external certifications, planning projects and programs, and more—but especially serving as a salient repository for crucial organizational information. Although a centralized team of modeling experts leads the overall IPM endeavor, distributed agents define various processes and activities, thereby capturing PD information across very large organizations. The paper discusses management of the model‐building project and subsequent operations, as well as software tool support and model storage. A collection of helpful heuristics guides IPM to help organizations improve the long‐term value provided by PD process modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many have argued for increased continuing education for working engineers, but relatively little research has been done on how to most effectively teach that group. Many have also recommended using learner characteristics to enhance learning, but relatively little is known about the learner characteristics of working engineers. In the study reported here, 116 engineers at a medium-sized US manufacturing company were surveyed to determine their verbal-visual preferences as defined by the Verbal-Visual Learning Style Rating instrument. There was a much higher percentage of visualisers in the engineering sample compared to the general population. This suggests that instructional designs for continuing engineering education should be highly visual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research which examines whether operating engineers (heavy equipment operators) who failed to quit smoking in a randomized controlled trial would benefit from re-exposure to the interventions one year later, and it mentions how the research data indicates that re-enrollment of participants in smoking cessation trials may result in a higher number of people who quit smoking. Smoking relapse rates and web-based interventions are also assessed.

This paper aims to develop a regularized Miner’s rule to assess the fatigue reliability of composites in conjunction with the Mittag-Leffler Monte Carlo method. The proposed strategy is validated by analyzing experimental data to investigate the fatigue reliability of carbon fiber/epoxy composites under different stress amplitudes. The estimated results are feasible for preliminary analysis at the design stage. The regularized Miner’s rule, a scale transform of fatigue life simulations, accurately describes the damage accumulation rate. It is stressed that the Mittag-Leffler Monte Carlo method is mathematically simple and easy-to-program for researchers and nonexpert engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of the investigation of the demand for the engineering personnel competencies in the iron and steel industry. The paper provides competency profiles of the research engineers involved in designing energy-efficient production technologies and predicting quality indicators of steel products. It is established that development of competencies required for implementation of innovations is only possible in case of close and coordinated cooperation between educational institutions and steelmaking enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]