Degree Slope Research Articles

A neural network model for goat gait.

In this paper, our main objective was to investigate the central pattern generator (CPG) neural network model for quadruped gait with time delay. First, we computed the normal form of the model on the center manifold, the bifurcation direction, and stability conditions of the bifurcating periodic solutions. Second, we applied the CPG model for quadruped gait to obtain reference models for goat's diagonal trotting gait on the flat ground and walking gait on the 18 degree slope through the trust region inversion algorithm. Finally, we performed numerical simulations to support theoretical analysis.

Experimental Study on USBR Type Stilling Basin Design

Energy of water is to be dissipated forming hydraulic jump. The strength of jump depends on initial Froude number. The length of jump depends on the alternate depths. . This study is purposed to examine the effect of upstream face slope of weir in three models at vertical faced ogee shape weir, 60 degree slope ogee shape and 45 degree slope ogee shape weir in the case of jump formation at downstream side. The experiments were conducted in three discharge variations of magnitude 100 cm3/sec, 150cm3/sec and 200cm3/sec. The depths and velocity at upstream, at crest, at toe and at tail location were measured and analyzed. From the comparative study the water rise in upstream was more in vertical faced weir than in others. The variation in velocity, Froude number found increased with the increase in discharge in all cases. The hydraulic jump length and loss in energy were changed with the change in discharge. The most effective length of stilling basin was found in case of vertical faced weir on the basis of jump length whereas from the energy dissipation point of view the maximum energy was dissipated in 60 degree slope face weir but the length of jump was greater in this weir. The coefficient of discharge variations were observed for all models and found in the range of 1.5 to 1.8 which is very close to the textbook value that showed the robustness of the experiments conducted. Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 11, Issue-(1-2): 17-26.

Modelling the effects of topographic heterogeneity on distribution of Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. species in deserts using LiDAR-data

Microclimate ecology is attracting renewed attention because of its fundamental importance in understanding how organisms respond to climate change. Many hot issues can be investigated in desert ecosystems, including the relationship between species distribution and environmental gradients (e.g., elevation, slope, topographic convergence index, and solar insolation). Species Distribution Models (SDMs) can be used to understand these relationships. We used data acquired from the important desert plant Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. communities and desert topographic factors extracted from LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data of one square kilometer in the inner Mongolia region of China to develop SDMs. We evaluated the performance of SDMs developed with a variety of both the parametric and nonparametric algorithms (Bioclimatic Modelling (BIOCLIM), Domain, Mahalanobi, Generalized Linear Model, Generalized Additive Model, Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate these algorithms. The SDMs developed with RF showed the best performance based on the area under curve (0.7733). We also produced the Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. distribution maps with the best SDM and suitable habitat area of the Domain model. Based on the suitability map, we conclude that Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. is more suited to southern part with 0–20 degree slopes at an elevation of approximately 1010 m. This is the first attempt of modelling the effects of topographic heterogeneity on the desert species distribution on a small scale. The presented SDMs can have important applications for predicting species distribution and will be useful for preparing conservation and management strategies for desert ecosystems on a small scale.

Tibouchino longifoliae-Sticherion bifidi alliance in rainforest on metamorfics rocks

By using Braun Blanquet methodology Tibouchino longifoliae - Sticherion bifidi was studied restricted to the banks made with bulldozer during the build of roads in Sierra del Purial and Maquey geological formations rocks in the more rainy zone of the Cuban archipelago. Generally it is found between 30 to 80 degrees slopes over schists banks of ferralitics soils. They are secondary meadow, composed for the immediate secondary communities generally rich in ferns, the greatest number of species that make up this alliance are heliophilous. Three assocciations were found Nephrolepido biserratae - Bidentetum pilosi, Pitirogrammo calomelani - Rhytidophylletum exserti and Stichero bifidi - Gleichenelletum pectinatae that are subassociations and variants. Weather is tropical with rainfalls between 1200 and 2500 mm.

Walking slope and heavy backpack loads affect torso muscle activity and kinematics

The independent effects of sloped walking or carrying a heavy backpack on posture and torso muscle activations have been reported. While the combined effects of sloped walking and backpack loads are known to be physically demanding, how back and abdominal muscles adapt to walking on slopes with heavy load is unclear. This study quantified three-dimensional pelvis and torso kinematics and muscle activity from longissimus, iliocostalis, rectus abdominis, and external oblique during walking on 0° and±10° degree slopes with and without backpack loads using two different backpack configurations (hip-belt assisted and shoulder-borne). Iliocostalis activity was greater during downhill and uphill compared to level walking, but longissimus was only greater during uphill. Rectus abdominis activity was greater during downhill and uphill compared to level, while external oblique activity decreased as slopes progressed from down to up. Longissimus, but not iliocostalis, activity was reduced during both backpack configurations compared to walking with no pack. Hip-belt assisted load carriage required less rectus abdominis activity compared to using shoulder-borne only backpacks; however, external oblique was not influenced by backpack condition. Our results revealed different responses between iliocostalis and longissimus, and between rectus abdominis and external obliques, suggesting different motor control strategies between anatomical planes.

Effect of slope geometry on stability of slope in Almaty

Landslides bring destruction to buildings, and nearby located structures and mostly occur in rural areas. Such hazard commonly takes place in mountainous areas in Central Asia. Kazakhstan region has highly vulnerable areas to rainfall-induced landslides in South-Eastern parts due to presence of many mountains. The purpose of the research is to demonstrate the effect of slope geometry on slope stabilityunder heavy rainfall in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Transient seepage analyses were conducted using Seep/W while limit equilibrium slope stability analyses were performed using Slope/W. 15 sets of numerical analyses were carried out on different slope angle and slope height incorporating the soil-water characteristic curve and unsaturated permeability and unsaturated shear strength of soil from Almaty. According to the obtained simulation results in GeoStudio software for seepage analysis, the pore-water pressure is increased almost for 80 kPa at the mid slope of each simulation. The change of FoS for the gentlest slope with 27 degrees slope angle is the lowest for 10 m slope height and the highest for 30 m slope height, whereas the change of FoS for slope with 45 degrees of slope angle (9%) is almost the same for all slope height.

Impedance Analysis on Initiation and Growth of Ant-Nest Corrosion of Copper

The branched pitting corrosion often occurs on copper tubes used in heat-exchanger units in air-conditioners and leads to leakage of heat-exchanger fluid for several months. Figure 1 shows a photograph of this unique localized corrosion formed by galvanostatic polarization in the laboratory. The morphology is characterized by the fractal structure in which pits of several ten micro-m diameter are formed at copper surface and smaller pores are developed on the pit walls randomly. This localized corrosion has been reported with some names: ant-nest corrosion, formicary corrosion, unusual corrosion, branched pits and pinhole corrosion [1]. It’s well known that the occurrence of this localized corrosion is related to trace phosphorus in copper and presence of low molecular weight carboxylic acid such as formic acid. However, the origin to form branched structure has not been clarified. We reported an impedance method to analyze the branched (fractal) pore electrode with transmission line model (TLM) [2, 3]. Impedance spectrum of simple cylinder pore electrode on Nyquist plane normally describes straight-line of 45 degree slope in the high frequency range. In the case of electrode with fractal pores, the slope of straight-line decreases depending on the fractal dimension [3]. In this study, we employed this impedance analysis to investigate the initiation and growth of branched pores in ant-nest corrosion of copper.

Axial and Rotational Malreduction (Golf Club Deformity) in Distal Femur Fractures.

To describe malreduction of supracondylar distal femur fractures stabilized with lateral femoral locking plates and determine whether a mismatch in axial lateral distal femur anatomy and lateral distal femoral plate design contributes to supracondylar distal femoral fracture malreduction. OTA/AO 33A were simulated in 7 cadaver femurs and fixed with a lateral distal locking femoral plate placed flush to the lateral femoral condyle (group 1). In group 2, the anterior flange of the plate was externally rotated 10 degrees in relation to the lateral condyle. A motion capture system measured translation and rotation of the articular segment as shaft screws were applied, reducing plate to femoral diaphysis. Articular segment movement was compared between groups using paired Student t test, P < 0.05. A large database of 3D scans of 800 femurs was used to define the relationship of the lateral femoral condyle to the lateral cortical surface of the human femur. Malreduction was observed with anatomic plate application results from medial translation (17 mm) and external rotation (12.2 degrees) (group 1). Modifying plate geometry to match lateral femur anatomy (group 2) improved medial translation by 46% and external rotation by 80%. An analysis of the shape of the 800 distal femurs showed that the average posterior anterior inclination is 16.5 degrees. Anatomic application of distal femoral plates results in significant malreduction. Modifying the plate design to accommodate 10 degrees slope of lateral distal femur results in partial correction of deformity. Future studies should investigate other means of correcting the malalignment, especially considering the 16.5-degree posterior anterior inclination of the condyle.

The Effect of Sloping the Grinder Body of the Meat-Mincer Machines on the Reduction of Microorganism and Chemical Residuals after Cleaning-A Newly Design

Hygiene is critical for human health, particularly in locations where industrial meat products are produced. One of the most common causes of contamination in the meat sector is meat grinders, which are notoriously difficult to clean. As a result, eliminating the water that has accumulated in the body is critical for the meat grinders' hygiene. In the presented study the effect of tilting the neck region after grinder body washing on total bacterial growth, pH, and pathogens in a meat grinder functioning regularly in a workplace was investigated. The machine was cleaned, then set to the predetermined angle value and the sample was taken 5 minutes later. The machine was maintained at this angle value for 15 hours, then swab was taken before the morning began. swab samples were taken after cleaning and pre-production at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 degrees slopes. When the results were combined, it was discovered that about 30% decrease in the overall number of bacteria was observed with a 30-degree tilt. Since there is no antigen in the neck region after the cleaning, there is no salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. The pH level approached that of the cleaning water, eliminating the cleaning chemicals' impact.

Evaluation of Extension Device on Kubota Power Tiller for its Operational Maneuverability on Steep Terrain in Bhutan

Bhutanese agriculture has been at the subsistence level and the adoption of mechanization started only in late 1986 with the establishment of the Agriculture Machinery Centre. One of the most popular farm machines is the power tiller, the use of which is fast replacing the old tradition of land preparation using oxen. However, the adoption of farm machinery for land preparation is limited to the narrow plain areas along the border with India. Most of the country is mountainous where the use of power tillers has become unsafe and less efficient due to high gradients. Further, farmers have been stretching the use of the power tillers for ploughing on the mountain slopes even though it is less labour-efficient and involves risk-taking. In many cases, power tillers are used on land with gradients exceeding 15 degrees with additional labour to prevent the machine from toppling. The experiment was carried out to determine the critical safe angle of the sideways tilt while ploughing, and also to determine the critical angle that is practically possible to increase by using an extension device that was designed and fabricated to increase the wheel tread. This research compares the three treatments, i.e., rubber wheel with normal axle, rubber wheel with the extension device, and paddy wheel for required machine stability. It was observed that the rubber wheel with the normal axle was only feasible up to 9.93 degrees slope, the paddy wheel and rubber wheel with extension device were feasible up to 20 degrees slope. There was a significant (P<0.05) difference between the rubber wheel with normal axle and the rubber wheel with the extension device in terms of stability and no significant difference was observed between the extension device and the paddy wheel. This was achieved by decreasing the centre of gravity in a high slope gradient land and this could help farmers bring more agricultural land with high gradient into meaningful cultivation, thereby, enhancing food production.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE ASSESSMENT OF MOUNTAIN GRASSLANDS PRODUCTIVITY FROM RÂMNICU SĂRAT RIVER BASIN

The aim of this study is to assess the grasslands of the Râmnicu Sărat river basin, lying in Buzău and Vrancea counties, to the Curvature Carpathians, in terms of forage species, as well as to determine their productivity, pastoral value (PV), green fodder mass (GM) production and the optimal load of herbivores per hectare (Large Cattle Units). The permanent grasslands of Râmnicu Sărat river basin are spread up to 1340 m altitude above sea level, on flat lands and aspects, up to 30 degrees slopes, where, on average 85 species of plant species are found within a single plant community. The vegetation coverage is in average of 94%, of which 66% participation with fodder species and 28% with harmful species to grass carpet and animal production. The best pastoral value (PV) of 74.8 and a production of 16.62 t/ha of green fodder mass (GM) was evaluated within the ass. Cirsio cani-Festucetum pratensis and the lowest of 5.6 PV, with 0.56 t/ha GM within ass. Festuco capillatae-Nardetum. The average production of the assessed grasslands was of 7.22 t/ha GM, which allows a load of 0.73 LCU/ha, for an average period of 165 days of grazing, the lowest number being of 125 days in the mountain area and 195 days in the hilly area, for transhumant domestic animals.

IGF-I combined with exercise improve diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction in heart of male Wistar rats.

Introduction: This research investigates the impact of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF -I)and exercise on mediators associated with angiogenesis (VEGF-A, TSP-1, and NF-кβ) and capillarization status of the diabetic rats’ hearts. Methods: Splitting of forty Wistar male rats into five groups occurred as following: control,diabetes, diabetes+IGF-I, diabetes+exercise, and diabetes+exercise+IGF-I.Through intraperitoneal administration of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin, the condition of Type 1diabetes was escalated. After four weeks of treatment with IGF-I (2 mg/kg/day) or treadmill exercise (17 m/min, zero degrees slope, 30 min/day), in the heart, microvascular density and protein levels of VEGF-A, TSP-1, and NF-кβ were determined by H&E staining and ELISA,respectively. Results: Within the diabetic group, observations present a significant decrease in VEGF-A and MVD levels, whereas an increase in the TSP-1 and NF-Κb levels. While these impacts were reversed by either IGF-I or exercise treatments, simultaneous treatment had synergistic effects. Moreover, among diabetic rats, undesirable histologic alterations of the heart were demonstrated, including myonecrosis, interstitial edema, hemorrhage, and mononuclear immune cell infiltration, whereas treatments improved these changes. Conclusion: These data manifest that IGF-I and exercise can increase the cardiac angiogenesis of diabetic rats through increasing expression of VEGF-A, and decreasing TSP-1 and NF-кβproteins level, also can improve myocardial tissue damages.

Synthesis of Sustainable and High Purity of Quicklime Derived from Calcination of Eggshell Waste in a Laboratory-Scale Rotary Furnace

Quick lime or calcium oxide has attracted significant attention as a sustainable material to be used as fillers and catalysts in a broad range of industries. The quick lime derived from calcination of eggshell waste in a laboratory-scale rotary furnace is reported in this study. The eggshell waste was prepared by washing several times, drying in the sun, grinding and sieving through a 250 micrometers sieve size. Calcination of the sieved eggshells waste was conducted in a single zone rotary tube furnace at 800 °C with 5 degree slope and at 1 rpm. Both physical and chemical properties of the calcium oxide derived from the calcination of eggshell waste were systematically investigated by various scientific instruments. The results from powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD) and X-Ray Fluorescence: (XRF) showed that most of the calcium carbonate in the eggshell waste was thermally transformed to nano-calcium oxide with mean crystallite size of 47.5 nm and with a purity of 97.8%. The results from this study indicated the optimum conditions and the possibility for mass production of nano-calcium oxide via rotary furnace and have shown that the obtained nano-calcium oxide is comparable to the commercial chemical.

Cylindabot: Transformable Wheg Robot Traversing Stepped and Sloped Environments

The ability of an autonomous robot to adapt to different terrain affords the flexibility to move successfully in a range of environments. This paper proposes the Cylindabot, a transformable Wheg robot that can move with two large wheels, each of which can rotate out, producing three legs. This ability to change its mode of locomotion allows for specialised performance. The Cylindabot has been tested in simulation and on a physical robot on steps and slopes as an indication of its efficacy in different environments. These experiments show that such robots are capable of climbing up to a 32 degree slope and a step 1.43 times their initial height. Theoretical limits are devised that match the results, and a comparison with existing Wheg platforms is made.

Morphotectonics and Slip rate of the Khazar fault in Central Alborz, (North of Iran)

The Alborz mountain range accommodates some of the convergence between Central Iran and Eurasia. At present, the kinematics of the range involves a strain partitioning mechanism, and is associated with clockwise rotation of the South Caspian Basin. left-lateral strike-slip faulting is present along the entire of its central part, while reverse faulting is affects its northern and southern borders. Several slip-rate studies have been carried out along active faults in the internal and southern parts of the range. Our analysis provides new constraints on the activity of this important active thrust fault. We show that the fault generally is a hidden thrust fault, often associated with fault-bend and fault-propagation folds (forebergs). In the central part of the fault near Chamestan, radiocarbon dating on an old elevated terrace allows estimating the minimum vertical slip of 2.0± 0.5 mm / year. Considering a 34 degree slope for the fault, the minimum horizontal slip rate will be 3 mm/yr and the minimum slip rate along the fault plane will be up to 3.6 mm / year. Our results confirm that the Khazar Fault is a major active structure in northern Iran, and represents a significant seismic hazard for the entire Central Alborz region.

SPATIAL EVALUATION OF LAND AND SOIL PROPERTIES IN THE EXAMPLE OF NEVŞEHİR PROVINCE, TURKEY

In this study, some land and soil properties were spatially evaluated with the help of 1/25.000 scaled digital soil maps belonging to Center of province in the Central Anatolia Region, Turkey. Land use capability, large soil groups, soil depths, erosion, slope and spatial distributions of current land uses were carried out in the research. Arc GIS 10.3.1 software, which is one of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, was used for spatial analysis. With a maximum of 262518 in the study area, VI. class lands. Class I cover an area of ​​247 . In terms of large soil groups, and soils are dominant and the area covered by these soils is 450187 . The least area was found to be reddish brown soils with 124 . It has been determined that the least area in the depth classes is A class (greater than 150 cm) soils. In the study area, it is the soil with the maximum C class (50-90 cm) depth. When the land was examined in terms of slope, it was determined that the land with the highest 3rd degree slope (12-20%) was formed. The research area consists of soil structure that can be exposed to the 2nd degree erosion class at most. When the current land uses are examined, it is the garden area with the least usage area in the region and the area it covers is 3400 . It has been observed that the most dry farming areas are located in the study area. It is thought that the results obtained as a result of the study will be the basis for the agricultural studies to be carried out in Center of province.

Snake Robot with Driving Assistant Mechanism

Snake robots are composed of multiple links and joints and have a high degree of freedom. They can perform various motions and can overcome various terrains. Snake robots need additional driving algorithms and sensors that acquire terrain data in order to overcome rough terrains such as grasslands and slopes. In this study, we propose a driving assistant mechanism (DAM), which assists locomotion without additional driving algorithms and sensors. In this paper, we confirmed that the DAM prevents a roll down on a slope and increases the locomotion speed through dynamic simulation and experiments. It was possible to overcome grasslands and a 27 degrees slope without using additional driving controllers. In conclusion, we expect that a snake robot can conduct a wide range of missions well, such as exploring disaster sites and rough terrain, by using the proposed mechanism.

Design of engineered modifications to allow frogs to escape from irrigation channels

Amphibian populations are under threat worldwide, one such threat is frogs getting trapped in concrete-lined irrigation channels. Earlier studies have found that concrete ditches are acting as barriers to animal movement, fragmenting habitat, and trapping amphibians. China has over 3,000,000 kms of irrigation channels and they are a major threat to frog populations. In this study, we assessed the capacity of a common Chinese frog, Rana nigromaculata, to escape from a typical concrete-lined irrigation channel via ‘frog-ways’ cut into the walls of the channel. The twelve different designs varied gradients, substrates and widths of the frog-ways. The results showed that these simple and inexpensive retrofits of irrigation channels are very effective at allowing the great majority of frogs to escape. Male frogs were more likely to be trapped in concrete ditches, probably due to their smaller body size. The best design was N11 (55 degree slopes, a crushed stone surface, and 100 cm width) that can help the frogs to successfully escape in just 1 min. Taking water conveyance efficiency of irrigation water delivery systems into consideration, we recommend a longitudinal design (the frog-way is parallel to the water-flow direction) of simple concrete with slopes less than 55° and crushed stone. The findings can serve as a reference for technicians involved in future ecological engineering designs of irrigation channels throughout the world.

GIS Application in Mapping and Development of Trout Fisheries Resources along Yargyap Chu Drainage in Eastern Himalayas

A study was carried out by using Geo-informatics on the basic morphometry of the aquatic resources of Shi Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayas with an objective to develop strategic plans for trout fisheries development along the drainage system of river Yargyapchuat Menchukha circle. The river Yargyapchu flows a distance of 53 km and have a stream frequency of fourth order. The upland lake resources accounts 6 in numbers and covers an area of 39.15ha. Eight categories of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) were classified for the Menchukha circle where the major percentage of land is covered by forest (80percent) followed by snow area (10percent), wasteland (9percent) and agricultural land (1percent). The slope class developed from Digital Elevation Model (DEM) shows 41percentof the total geographic area was within 0–21 degree slope, 50percent area in 21–35 degree slope and 9percent area within 36–78 degree slope. Furthermore, the elevation class up to 2000m MSL and above encompasses 76percent and 24percent of the total geographic area respectively. These selected input feature classes were superimposed in the spatial analyst ArcGIS v 10.7 to determine 27.84 ha in the slope range of 0–10 degreeas highly suitable and 22.34 ha in the slope range of 10–20 degree as moderately suitablefor trout fish farmingin the Menchukha circle of Shi Yomi district.

Effect of Taper Manifolds with Different Slopes in Microchannel Heat Sink

In this analysis, the liquid flow and heat transfer in micro channel heat sink (MCHS) to find the pressure drop are experimentally investigated by three degree slope in manifolds in addition to the arrangement of micro channels. This experimental analysis is executed with respect to the Nusselt Number and Heat transfer characteristics for three manifolds with different arrangement. We are working on this experiment at three different arrangement manifolds: Arrangement (A) is the three-degree slope in manifolds downward and upward, Arrangement (B) is the three-degree slope in manifolds upward and downward and Arrangement (C) is the three-degree slope in upward direction of the manifolds are selected. In this investigation we are using the Reynolds number ranging from 705-1411 for micro channel heat sink. The Arrangement (A) is the greater heat transfer coefficient within the increase Nusselt number and velocity and low pressure drop in comparison to Arrangement (B) and (C) type manifolds.