Average Work Research Articles

Thermal Management of Battery Using Phase Change Material and Air Cooling

Abstract: Fossil fuels produce large quantities of carbon dioxide when burned. Carbon emissions trap heat in the atmosphere and lead to climate change. Electric vehicles could help diversify the energy needed to move people and goods thanks to their reliance on the broad mix of primary energy sources used in power generation, significantly improving energy security. A battery is an energy storage system in an electric car. The battery of the electric car begins to rise in temperature during its usage. An average optimum battery working conditions varies from 40˚C – 55˚C. Various cooling methods have been implemented to prevent the damage and thermal runaways of the battery cells, such as air, liquid, phase changing materials and a combination of either method. This project has an aim to develop a battery thermal system capable of managing the temperature of the battery within safety limits and providing a cost-effective solution.

Conocimiento del manejo de las lesiones precancerosas de cérvix de los profesionales de salud, en una empresa social del estado de baja complejidad del departamento del Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Introduction: Cervical cancer, according to estimates from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), was the third cause of cancer and the fourth cause of mortality associated with cancer in Colombia during 2020. Despite multiple screening and detection interventions in the country, The expected results have not been obtained in terms of a decrease in cases of cervical cancer and an increase in the early diagnosis of premalignant lesions. Objective: To determine the knowledge of health personnel about precancerous lesions of the cervix, according to the Colombian clinical practice guide, in a low-complexity State Social Enterprise in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Materials and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study in 42 health professionals, made up of doctors, professional nurses and nursing assistants from a low-complexity hospital entity in the department of Valle del Cauca, through a self-administered virtual survey. With the results obtained, univariate analyzes of the included variables were carried out, and using frequency tables, bar graphs and cakes, the behavior of the analysis variables was described. Results: 42 participants were included, with an average age of 34 years; 57% were nursing assistants and professional nurses. The average work experience in years was 9. 54.8% of participants had received training to perform cervical cancer screening. Knowledge of risk factors is significantly affected by the occupation of health personnel. When evaluating the screening and diagnosis of precancerous lesions of the cervix, it was found that most respondents know that screening is related to their detection. In relation to treatment, between 79 and 100% of pro- fessionals know the therapeutic alternatives. Regarding the behavior of health personnel regarding the results of the screening and the subsequent management approach, the doctors had a higher percentage of overall correctness. Conclusion: The study shows that there were misconceptions and inadequate approaches among the health professionals surveyed. It is necessary for low-complexity health entities to develop and disseminate cervical cancer prevention guidelines and health education materials to ensure standardization of the quality of services provided by health workers.

Assessment of Lighting in Medical Facilities from an Occupational Health Perspective

ABSTRACT Although workplace lighting improves employee satisfaction and performance, it may also harm health. It has been established that the lighting in hospitals influences the productivity of the staff. and patient healing ability. This study aimed to assess hospital lighting conditions and determine their impacts. During the first part of the study, lighting measurements were taken and evaluated in compliance with the TS EN 12,464-1: 2021–09 criteria in October and November of 2021. In the second step, 360 people were surveyed to evaluate employee opinions on lighting conditions. The maximum and minimum lighting levels were recorded at different hospital locations. Most participants worked in night shift, with an average age of 36.19 years and an average working time of 9 years. Overall, it was reported that the working and circulation spaces were well-lit. However, falls, cuts, fractures, sprains, bruises, and contusions were the most common lighting-related problems reported by the participants. According to the results, 15.5% of the participants experienced an occupational accident due to lighting. Therefore, modifying hospital lighting standards and implementing steps to protect personnel health are critical.

Perovskite-Type CaVO3 Nanocomposite as High-Performance Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Electric vehicles' rapid development has put higher requirements on the performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the specific capacity of a commercial graphite anode (372 mAh g-1) has become the bottleneck for further improvement. Therefore, it is urgent to develop novel anode materials with superior performance. Herein, we propose crystalline-amorphous dual-phase CaVO3 nanocomposites as LIB anodes. Benefiting from the stable perovskite structure and high conductivity of CaVO3, the nanocomposite follows the intercalation mechanism, resulting in no capacity decay during 5000 cycles. In addition, due to the multielectron transfer provided by amorphous high-valent vanadium oxide, the nanocomposite can provide a high specific capacity of 442.8 mAh g-1 with a suitable average working potential of 0.95 V. The ingenious strategy of constructing nanocomposites through spontaneous oxidation of nanoparticles is expected to be extended to the perovskite oxide family, inspiring the development of more high-performance LIB anodes.

The impact of the Korean safe rates system on work environment and road safety

Abstract The regulation of road transport supply chains has recently become a subject of international concern. A significant body of research shows that ensuring minimum rates of pay for truck drivers is important, not only to workers’ health and safety but also to achieving improved road safety outcomes and other policy objectives related to the viability of the road transport industry. For this study, we used an empirical analysis to quantitatively demonstrate the impact of South Korea’s Safe Rates System on factors of the work environment and driver behaviours that affect road safety. Specifically, we looked at the impact of the system on market structure, truck drivers’ monthly net income, average working time, time spent on maintenance, and the frequency of overloading, speeding, and drowsiness while driving. Our results suggest that increased rates of pay for owner truck drivers resulting from the implementation of the Safe Rates System led to a reduction in the average number of contracting steps between client companies who ship goods and the truck drivers who transport them, improvement in the level of market transparency, increased monthly income, decrease in total time worked, decrease in the frequency of overloading, speeding, and drowsiness while driving, and increase in time spent on vehicle maintenance. The level of compliance with the system by clients and transport companies also had an overall positive impact on the industry structure. By empirically demonstrating the system’s impact, our results provide statistical evidence useful to the debate on reintroduction of the Safe Rates System in Korea.

Sociological research methods with a differentiated approachin regional nursing

Background.In the professional audit of the quality of nursing care, sociological research methods are of particular importance in the context of the formation of skills and abilities, with the help of which a set of expert criteria is formed from the general set of practical activities. Taking into account that the selection of qualified elements requires information about the scientific approach, in proportion to the originality of the expert function, it is relevant to identify them more clearly in the examination, which allows correcting the process of training and retraining of personnel. Objective.Toevaluate the sociological research methods of regional nursing on the example of the Orenburg region. Materials and methods.The main criteria for evaluating the activities of medical workers using the Delphi method are presented. The examination performed by the method of sociological and expert survey of average medical workers (n=535), doctors (n=80), heads of medical institutions (n=10) and patients (n=500) allowed us to formulate formalized indicators for evaluating measures to create innovative training and retraining programs for nursing staff. Mathematical "sketches" of the programs are based on factorial/cluster/discriminant analyses. Results. Sociological research methods in regional nursing have sanctioned a set of parameters of the qualities of a specialist in his professional activity in the context of training and retraining of nursing staff. Conclusion. Mathematical prototypes of programmatic training of medical staff created on the basis of sociological research methods in regional nursing contribute to the algorithmization of improvements in the format of the content and quality of training in order to provide competent and competitive specialists for the industry.

Objective and subjective evaluation of the use of protective clothing on the thermal strain and mental workload of nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nurses are among high-risk occupational groups during the outbreak of epidemics. Therefore, these people are required to use personal protective equipment (PPE). Previous studies have shown that the use of personal protective equipment can affect people's thermal strain and mental workload. The present study was conducted with the aim of objectively and subjectively evaluating the use of protective clothing on the thermal strain and mental workload of nurses during the covid-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was divided into two groups with a sample size of 300 people who were selected by systematic random method. In the first group, 120 people were objectively evaluated (use of protective clothing). In the second group, 180 people only completed the questionnaire of mental workload, feeling of heat and sweating and other information related to the type of clothing and the duration of its use, etc. Measurements were done in August and September of 2021 and in the morning shift of hospitals. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 software and chi-square, independent T-test and linear regression tests. The average age and average working hours per month of the participants in the study were 33.51±7.88 years, 187.91±35.37 hours, respectively. The results showed that the predicted average vote (PMV) index and the predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD), moisture felt on the skin surface, the feeling of desirability and pleasantness of the temperature, the weight of sweat and the humidity inside the clothes between the two groups of people using insulated clothes There is a significant difference between medicine and dressing (P < 0.05). There was a significant relationship between mental workload and type of clothing, average working hours per month. The use of medical isolation clothes causes a high heat load on nurses and can increase their mental workload. On the other hand, people using normal gowns suffer from a high mental workload due to the fear of disease due to the uncertainty of high-level protection. In addition, medical isolation clothes increase the humidity of the skin due to their impermeability, which causes skin complications.

Regional Differences in Job Satisfaction among Chinese Social Workers: The Mediating Effect of Attitudinal Professionalism.

Job satisfaction is a vital factor associated with better physical health and subjective well-being among social workers. This study aims to explore the job satisfaction of social workers from China's Mainland and Macao and the role of attitudinal professionalism on regional differences. A cross-sectional survey collected data from 292 social workers in Mainland and 108 from Macao one year after the outbreak of COVID-19; 72 percent were female, less than half were married (44.8 percent), the average age was 32.64 years old, and the average working time was 6.07 years. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t tests, and mediation analysis. Results indicated that Mainland social workers reported a significantly higher level of job satisfaction and attitudinal professionalism than Macao social workers. Moreover, attitudinal professionalism helped explain the regional difference in job satisfaction. The evidence from this study highlights the need to nurture professional beliefs and values among social workers, especially for Macao social workers, and also underscores the importance of developing continuing education programs to enhance social workers' identification with and commitment to the profession. We also need to improve financial compensation and social status for Mainland social workers to sustain their professionalism.

The results of the assessment of burnout syndrome in outpatient clinic staff for the development of personalized rehabilitation

In conditions of increased workload on the medical staff of outpatient clinics, the need to preserve their physical and mental health, reduce the socially significant consequences of emotional burnout comes first, which makes it necessary to search for new directions of prevention, correction and rehabilitation using personalized medicine methods. The study aims to assess the state of health and the syndrome of emotional burnout in medical workers of the outpatient clinic. Specialists have examined 100 medical workers of outpatient and inpatient departments of the medical institution in equal numbers. The average age of outpatient medical staff was 49 [46;59] years, and inpatient — 43 [33;53] years. The average work experience of the examined medical personnel was the same both in outpatient settings (20 [16;28] years) and in hospital (20 [13;31] years). The authors have performed general clinical, laboratory and instrumental examinations. In addition to the standard examination scheme, the scientists assessed emotional burnout using the V.V. Boyko method and the quality of life according to the EQ-5D questionnaire in modification 3L and the hospital anxiety and depression scale HADS, and also conducted a questionnaire on a new coronavirus infection and the detection of post-COVID syndrome. As a result of the study, the authors proved a decrease in the psychological and physical components of the quality of life of medical workers, which are associated with both work experience and a new coronavirus infection. It was confirmed that according to the results of the Boyko questionnaire, employees of the outpatient clinic, compared with their colleagues from the hospital, often have a higher unfavorable total score. According to the results of the survey, we observe an improvement in the psychological and physical components of the quality of life of medical personnel after individual rehabilitation. This study showed the importance of assessing the state of health and emotional burnout syndrome in medical workers, high scores were revealed according to the Boyko questionnaire. Limitations. This study is limited to a sex-and-age sample of medical staff at a medical institution. Ethics. The study was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration "Recommendations for Doctors on Biomedical research in Humans" (2013), the World Association "Ethical Principles of Scientific Medical Research with Human Participation" as amended in 2000 and the "Rules of Clinical Practice in the Russian Federation", approved by Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 266 dated 06/19/2003, according to the developed protocol.

A Preliminary Study: Neurological, Immunological, and Endocrine Aspects of Healthcare Workers without Burnout Syndrome

Summary: Healthcare workers are vulnerable to stress and burnout, which can affect the Hypothalamus-Hypophysis Axis (HHA) pathway. This pathway can involve psychological, neurological, immunological, and endocrine aspects. These can be evaluated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), a heart rate variability tool, laboratory tests using salivary immunoglobulin-A (sIg-A), T-cell regulator (TC), endorphins, and salivary cortisol (SC) levels. Purpose: This study aimed to describe the neurological, immunological, and endocrine aspects of healthcare workers without burnout syndrome Methods: A quantitative descriptive study was conducted to describe the psychological, neurological, immunological, and endocrine aspects of healthcare workers. Purposive sampling was used. Findings: Sixty-two participants took the MBI-HSS, and 30 participants without burnout were selected. There were 28 nurses, with an average age of 28 years old. About 93,3% of the participants were female, 80% worked at the emergency department, and 60% had over three years of working experience. From HRV test results, 14 participants were within the normal range (50-100 ms). The average -endorphine serum level is 481,93 pg/ml. Around 60% of participants showed normal SC levels, and 40% showed low SC levels (mean 5,72 ng/ml). Around 90% showed normal sIg-A and 10% high sIg-A levels (mean 501,6 g/ml). The average TC was 23% CD4, with 8,1% CD25 and 6,4% CD127. Conclusion: This study found that average healthcare workers showed normal HRV, endorphins, SC, sIg-A, and T cell regulators, representing neurological, immunological, and endocrine aspects. Therefore, further study is needed to determine the impact of burnout syndrome on these aspects.

Microeconomic Determinants of Underemployment and Unemployment in Ecuador 2019–2022

The aim of this paper is to identify the microeconomic determinants of underemployment and unemployment in Ecuador before and after COVID-19. A multinomial logit model was estimated on the accumulated data from the National Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment Survey (ENEMDU) for 2019 and 2022. The results show that the average worker has a 59% probability of being in an adequate job, 35% of being underemployed and 6% of being unemployed. These probabilities change significantly depending on the worker's education and experience. In addition, significant differences were evident by gender, ethnicity, role in the home, and marital status. These differences increased after COVID-19. Thus, underemployment and unemployment promote labor inequality in Ecuador. Based on the results, the public policy should be aimed at reducing economic and opportunity inequalities because vulnerable groups were identified in the labor market.

An observational study of lower limb muscle imbalance assessment and gait analysis of badminton players.

The imbalance of muscle strength indicators has a negative impact on players. Lower limb muscle imbalance can cause gait abnormalities and increase the risk of muscle injury or decreased performance in significantly asymmetrical situations. This study aims to assess the lower limb muscle imbalance and gait feature between the dominant and non-dominant sides of badminton players and the associations between the two variables. The study included 15 badminton players with years of training experience. Muscle strength and gait parameters were obtained from isokinetic muscle strength testing and plantar pressure analysis systems. The symmetry index was calculated based on formulas such as plantar pressure distribution and percentage of plantar contact area. In the isokinetic muscle strength test, significant differences were found in bilateral knee flexors' average power and total work at 60°/s angular speed. The hamstring to quadriceps ratio (H/Q) range of knee joints of the dominant and non-dominant sides is 0.63-0.74at low speed, while the H/Q range is 0.81-0.88at fast speed. The H/Q of bilateral knees increases with increasing angular velocity. As the angular velocity increases, the peak torque to body weight ratio (PT/BW) of the participants' bilateral knee flexors and extensors shows a decreasing trend. The asymmetry score of H/Q at 180°/s angular speed is positively related with step time and stance time. There are varying degrees of differences in gait staging parameters, plantar pressure in each area, plantar contact area, and symmetry index between the dominant and non-dominant sides of badminton players when walking. Badminton players have weaker flexors of the knee joint, imbalanced muscle strength in flexors and extensors, decreased lower limb stability, and a risk of knee joint injury on the non-dominant side. The bending and stretching strength of the knee joint on the dominant side of the players is greater than that on the non-dominant side. The pressure in the first metatarsal region of the dominant side is higher, while that in the midfoot and heel regions is higher on the non-dominant side. badminton players have better forward foot force and heel cushioning ability. Long term badminton sports result in specialized changes in plantar pressure distribution and reduced symmetry.

Unveiling BaTiO3-SrTiO3 as Anodes for Highly Efficient and Stable Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Amidst the swift expansion of the electric vehicle industry, the imperative for alternative battery technologies that balance economic feasibility with sustainability has reached unprecedented importance. Herein, we utilized Perovskite-based oxide compounds barium titanate (BaTiO3) and strontium titanate (SrTiO3) nanoparticles as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries from straightforward and standard carbonate-based electrolyte with 10% fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive [1M LiPF6 (1:1 EC: DEC) + 10% FEC]. SrTiO3 and BaTiO3 electrodes can deliver a high specific capacity of 80 mA h g-1 at a safe and low average working potential of ≈0.6 V vs. Li/Li+ with excellent high-rate performance with specific capacity of ~90 mA h g-1 at low current density of 20 mA g-1 and specific capacity of ~80 mA h g-1 for over 500 cycles at high current density of 100 mA g-1. Our findings pave the way for the direct utilization of perovskite-type materials as anode materials in Li-ion batteries due to their promising potential for Li+ ion storage. This investigation addresses the escalating market demands in a sustainable manner and opens avenues for the investigation of diverse perovskite oxides as advanced anodes for next-generation metal-ion batteries.

Characteristics of sick-listed employees diagnosed with a mental disorder in Germany

Abstract Purpose Employees with mental disorders (MDs) are more likely to exit the labour market prematurely. In Western European countries, characteristics of employees diagnosed with a MD have not been reported comprehensively, hampering targeting the risk group and developing preventive interventions. The aim was to describe the socio-demographic, health, treatment, organisation, job and labour market characteristics of employees diagnosed with a MD in Germany and their gender differences. Methods This cross-sectional study uses baseline data from sick-listed (≥6 weeks) employees diagnosed with a MD, aged 20-60 years, who were patients in the German mental health care, and recruited in the context of a return to work (RTW) intervention evaluation trial (RTW-PIA study). Descriptive T-tests/Chi-2 tests were applied. Results 484 individuals (58.5% female; 31% highly educated, average age 42.6) were included, of which 88.4% had affective disorders. Most were salaried employees working full-time, employed in large companies and having permanent contracts. 65.5% reported moderate depressions and the average work ability was 3.9 on a 0-10 scale. 74.2% had a positive RTW prognosis; 15.3% scored high levels of RTW self-efficacy. Gradual RTW (GRTW) was perceived the most important requirement for RTW (76.9%). More than 60% had discussed various work-related topics during therapy; further RTW-measures were prepared among 47.7%. Almost 60% received a recommendation for GRTW. Significant gender differences were found among the socio-demographic, health, job and labour market characteristics. Conclusions This study gives insights into a hardly investigated group. Almost two thirds had moderate depressions, 84.7% had low RTW self-efficacy and a very low average work ability. This highlights the vulnerability of persons with MDs in the labour market and suggest an urgent need for more work-related (health-)care. Gender differences need to be better addressed in mental health research. Key messages • Comprehensive knowledge of the characteristics of sick-listed employees diagnosed with MDs is crucial for targeting interventions to promote RTW. • Moderate depression scores, low RTW self-efficacy and very low work ability highlight the vulnerability of persons with MDs in the labour market, suggesting an urgent need for more work-related care.

Current status of the working environment of brachytherapy in Japan: a nationwide survey-based analysis focusing on radiotherapy technologists and medical physicists.

Brachytherapy (BT), especially in high dose rate (HDR), has become increasingly complex owing to the use of image-guided techniques and the introduction of advanced applicators. Consequently, radiotherapy technologists and medical physicists (RTMPs) require substantial training to enhance their knowledge and technical skills in image-guided brachytherapy. However, the current status of the RTMP workload, individual abilities and quality control (QC) of BT units in Japan remains unclear. To address this issue, we conducted a questionnaire survey from June to August 2022 in all 837 radiation treatment facilities in Japan involving RTMPs. This survey focused on gynecological cancers treated with HDR-BT (GY-HDR) and permanent prostate implantation using low-dose-rate BT (PR-LDR). The responses revealed that the average working time in the overall process for HDR varied: 120min for intracavitary BT and 180min for intracavitary BT combined with interstitial BT. The QC implementation rate, in accordance with domestic guidelines, was 65% for GY-HDR and 44% for PR-LDR, which was lower than the 69% observed for external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Additionally, the implementation rate during regular working hours was low. Even among RTMP working in facilities performing BT, the proportion of those able to perform QC for BT units was ~30% for GY-HDR and <20% for PR-LDR, significantly lower than the 80% achieved for EBRT. This study highlights the vulnerabilities of Japan's BT unit QC implementation structure. Addressing these issues requires appropriate training of the RTMP staff to safely perform BT tasks and improvements in practical education and training systems.

Occupational burnout of health care workers in a specialised COVID hospital setting

The aim is to evaluate the peculiarities of the development of professional burnout (PB) among physicians of therapeutic and surgical specialties, as well as middle medical workers, specialised red zones, as well as its prediction and prevention in this category of workers. Material and methods. The following groups of medical workers were examined: the 1st group consisted of doctors of therapeutic specialities (GPs) working in the red zone (n=111); the 2nd group consisted of doctors of surgical specialities (MDs) working in the ‘red zone’ (n=61); the 3rd group consisted of nurses working in the red zone (n=29); the 4th group – the control group included workers of engineering, technical and economic specialities not related to work in medical organisations (n=190). Professional burnout syndrome was assessed using the Maslach Burnout questionnaire and V.V. Boyko’s technique of diagnosing the level of burnout [4, 5]. The data were processed using Statistica statistical package by StatSoft (USA). Results. It was found that the work of therapeutic and surgical doctors, as well as middle medical workers of specialised red zones, is connected with the exposure of medical workers to a number of specific risk factors related to the provision of medical care to infected patients, as well as with significant changes in the work regarding aspects related to organisation, safety, which contribute to the increase in the level of stress and the increase in the level of SP. Conclusions. The work of physicians of therapeutic and surgical specialities, as well as middle medical workers of specialised red zones, is associated with an increase in the level of professional stress and the level of SP. It is necessary to continue the research of emotional state of medical doctors and average medical workers working in conditions of extreme epidemic situations with the purpose of timely preventive treatment for preservation of health of medical workers.

Study on the wetting characteristics of liquid-Al/ SiO2 interface with Si content in liquid-Al

Aiming to address the issue of aluminum slag adhering to the interior walls of vacuum lifting ladles in the aluminum electrolysis industry, Molecular dynamics simulations are employed to investigate the wetting behavior and adhesion characteristics of aluminum droplets on silica surfaces. Our findings indicate that with an increase in silicon content within the droplets, wetting diminishes and complete wetting of the silica substrate by aluminum droplets is not achieved. The presence of silicon reduces both the melting point temperature and surface tension of aluminum droplets, leading to a significant increase in contact angle and a corresponding decrease in wettability. Moreover, an elevated silicon content within molten aluminum droplets substantially decreases their interaction energy with the substrate surface. The virtual wall method is applied to examine average separation force and work of separation for detaching aluminum droplets from the substrate, revealing that adhesion characteristics are predominantly governed by mutual adhesive forces. This paper presents an atomic-level analysis elucidating how silicon as an alloying element influences adhesion between liquid aluminum and solid surfaces.

Эмоциональное выгорание и поведение в конфликте специалистов органов опеки и попечительства

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;The article is prepared on the basis of the results of the final qualifying work and is devoted to the study of the relationship between emotional burnout and behavior in conflict among specialists of guardianship and guardianship authorities in relation to minors (hereinafter &amp;mdash; OIP). The participants of the empirical study were 78 employees of the Department of Guardianship and Guardianship of the Department of Education of the Omsk City Administration, aged 22 to 65 years (the average age in the test sample is 40.10 &amp;plusmn; 9.69 years). The average work experience of the subjects was 12.18 &amp;plusmn; 5.41 years. The study was conducted using psychodiagnostic tools: the Thomas-Killman Questionnaire for Identifying Leading Behavior in a conflict situation, the Questionnaire for Professional (Emotional) Burnout (K. Maslach). It is shown that the statistical dependence of the features of emotional burnout with patterns of behavior in conflict is insignificant. The stage of emotional burnout &amp;mdash; &amp;ldquo;emotional exhaustion&amp;rdquo; significantly correlates with the scale of behavior in conflict &amp;ldquo;compromise&amp;rdquo;. For the other two scales characterizing the stages of emotional burnout, there were no significant correlations with the characteristics of behavior in conflict situations.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Working hours influence preferences of residents for micro features of small urban green spaces

This study investigates whether duration of working hours affect residents’ preferences for the micro-features of Small Urban Green Spaces (SUGS), and explores differences across genders and visitation purposes. Little is known about this subject, yet it is crucial for creating more equitable green spaces. In phase 1, participants (n = 209; 30.9 ± 6.73 years, 59.3%male) were categorized by average daily working hours (0–8 h, 8–10 h, 10 h+), and rated 41 micro-feature images on their importance for visiting SUGS. Phase 2 included the top ten features ranked from phase 1, with participants (n = 256; 30.8 ± 5.12 years, 35.2% female) completing the Kano model survey to identify and explain the importance of features and different types of needs. Findings reveal a clear trend: extended work hours pivot resident preferences towards green space attributes promoting physical activity. For residents of 0–8 h valued aesthetic elements like sculptures and vegetation, while lighting became paramount for those with 8–10 h, and for those working over 10 h prioritized facilities for active engagement, such as playground equipment and slow runway. These distinctions provide valuable guidance for designing SUGS with diverse feature combinations that cater to the needs of residential areas with varying socio-economic backgrounds and occupational lifestyles, thereby enhancing urban livability.

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) with Ceramic and Gypsum Waste (CGW) Addition Before and After Exposure to Direct Fire at Temperatures up to 920°C

This research endeavors to comprehensively explore the physical and mechanical properties of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) with ceramic and gypsum waste (CGW) addition before and after exposure to direct fire at temperatures up to 920°C. The investigation focuses on determining the effects of CGW addition on AAC properties before and after exposure to direct fire at temperatures reaching 920℃ for 300 seconds. The main objective of this research was to determine the work density and compressive strength of AAC-CGW on the surface of direct fire exposure. In pursuit of this goal, various compositions of AAC with CGW, ranging from 5% to 30% wt/wt, were accurately prepared. The physical and mechanical were conducted before and after subjecting to direct fire testing. Important parameters such as work density, ranging from 593.71kg/m3 to 672.70kg/m3, and compressive strength from 1.64MPa to 2.39MPa, were analyzed. The findings demonstrated that the compressive strength exhibited an increase with CGW addition, particularly within the 5% wt/wt. The high point compressive strength value recorded was 2.39MPa for a 5% wt/wt CGW addition, reflecting a 45.73% increase in compressive strength compared to the reference sample (RS). The study also revealed convincing fire resistance results. Indicating for the reference sample (RS), the samples exhibited surfaces devoid of cracks, burns, or melting during direct fire exposure exceeding 920℃ for 300 seconds. Furthermore, CGW addition contributed to a remarkable 20.1% improvement in thermal insulation compared to the RS. Direct fire resistance testing had a positive influence on the physical and mechanical characteristics of AAC-CGW samples. The average work density experienced a 9.9% reduction, while compressive strength exhibited an 18.8% increase. Direct fire exposure led to an outstanding 53.30% enhancement in compressive strength compared to the sample.