Field Inspection Research Articles

Average-DInSAR method for unstable escarpments detection induced by underground coal mining

A catastrophic rock avalanche from a tableland escarpment occurred at the Pusa village, Guizhou Province, southwest (SW) China, causing 35 fatalities and huge economic losses. The steep slope lies in the Longtan Formation coal-bearing shale of Permian, which is widely distributed in SW China. It was overlaid by brittle superstrata in Triassic and followed by gently anticline tectonic movement in Cenozoic, thus forming large-scale tableland escarpments with an “upper brittle, lower ductile” structure. Affected by underground coal mining activity at the base, this escarpment has become unstable and prone to failure. In order to further clarify the geological conditions and other influence factors for the Pusa landslide, we propose a newly improved multiple Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR), named average-DInSAR, to detect the displacements on escarpments in a broad region. Extensive experimental results show that there existed obvious pre-failure displacements on the swarming escarpments, evidencing their unstable state, which were verified by field inspection. The spatiotemporal correlation analysis suggests that this abnormal deformation is probably induced by underground coal mining in the vicinity. Further confirming that the special geological conditions and nearby coal mining activity were responsible for the 2017 Pusa rock avalanche. Our study also demonstrates that the average-DInSAR method is simple and effective, which can overcome low coherence and noise of DInSAR, especially for shorter X- or C-band SAR data. Application of proposed method would permit to detect displacement before slope failure with higher re-visiting frequency, thus helping define early warning strategies for landslides in area with similar geological conditions.

Assessment of Early Stage Glottic Cancer Depth of Resection After Transoral Laser Cordectomy.

Surgeons generally determine depth of resection during transoral laser cordectomy by visual inspection of the surgical field. Our aim was to examine the correlation between early glottic cancer depth of resection as reported by surgeons in the operation report and depth of resection defined by pathology specimens, using various staining techniques intended to differentiate between the distinct vocal fold layers based on particular collagen deposition. Retrospective study. A voice and swallowing clinic at a tertiary referral hospital. We compared depth of cordectomy assessed intraoperatively by surgeons and by pathologists using Picrosirius red stain and collagen I immunohistochemistry stain in 32 patients who underwent transoral laser cordectomy for early glottic cancer. For type I, II, and III cordectomy, the respective proportions of patients were 14 (47%), 9 (30%), and 7 (23%) according to surgeons' estimations; 2 (6%), 17 (55%), and 12 (39%) according to Picrosirius red stain; and 3 (11%), 12 (44%), and 12 (45%) according to immunohistochemistry for collagen I. Surgeons' reported depth of resection did not correlate with depth of resection established by either staining technique. Determining depth of resection necessitates special stains, which should help in the clinical assessment of cordectomy type.

THE CROPPING PATTERN CHARACTERIZATION, SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND PROBLEMS OF MAIZE (Zea Mays) SEED PRODUCTION IN DEUKHURI, DANG NEPAL

Maize ranks second position after rice both in area and production in Nepal. In recent year, the area under Maize cultivation has steadily increase but the productivity has been low which is unable to meet the demand and is mostly affected by insect/pests and diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the socioeconomic condition of maize producers. A field survey was carried out in which 30 households of Lamahi Municipality of Dang district during June 2019.The Lamahi municipality was strictly involved in seed production and the RajpurGaupaika was found better in seed production than Gaduwa and Rapti Gaupalika.Purposive sampling technique was used to collect data using pre-tested interview schedule. Pairwise ranking method was used to rank problems based on index value. The average area used for seed production was 0.3hac with productivity of 0.53mt.The major(66.7%) source of foundation seed was obtained from NARC, Khajura,Nepalgunj.About 86.67% and 80% farmer were access to extension service and had received training on Maize seed production.The majority of people followed Maize-Rice –wheat cropping pattern ranks first on the basis of index value(0.87).Insect/pests and diseases ranked at first as a major problem in maize seed production with (0.69) index value followed by lack of technical assistance,irregular field inspection,scarcity of input and loan unavailability .Similarly Maize stem borer and Bacterial stalk rot ranked at first as a major pests and diseases with (0.83) and (0.68) index value respectively.Similarly low volume of production ranked as a first major problem of marketing.Proper training,extension services and government support on inputs should be focus to enhance better socioeconomic condition and production of Maize.

Remote characterization of chloride content in oven-dried concrete specimens by using synthetic aperture radar image models

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging is a remote sensing technique capable of performing noncontact subsurface inspection of dielectric materials like Portland cement concrete. Such techniques can be applied to field inspection of concrete structures and laboratory material characterization. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the application of SAR imaging on characterizing chloride content inside oven-dried concrete specimens, using a 10-GHz central frequency SAR imaging sensor. Twelve concrete panel specimens (0.3x0.3x0.05 m3) with a 0.45 water-to-cement ratio were manufactured in six groups of different chloride contents (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% of cement weight). Five SAR image-based parameters were developed from each SAR image of concrete specimens for chloride, including integrated SAR amplitude of back reflection Iintb, integrated amplitude Iint, average maximum amplitude I-max, critical contour area Ac, and average Gaussian curvature of critical contour Kavg. A parametric analysis on the combined use of different numbers of SAR image parameters was carried out to determine the optimal application of SAR image parameters on the chloride detection problem in this paper. From our result, it is found that, for the purpose of chloride detection inside concrete specimens using single SAR parameter, integrated amplitude Iint shows the best performance. When using two SAR image parameters, combination of integrated amplitude Iint and critical contour area Ac shows the best performance among other two-parameter combinations. When using three SAR image parameters, combination of integrated amplitude Iint, critical contour area Ac, and average maximum amplitude I-max shows the best performance among other three-parameter combinations. Furthermore, it is interesting to report that combination of three SAR image parameters (Iint, Ac, and I-max) provides the overall best performance among all other combinations for the chloride detection problem in oven-dried concrete specimens.

An operational Sentinel-2 based monitoring system for the management and control of direct aids to the farmers in the context of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): A case study in mainland Portugal

The European Union (EU) member states are expected to develop new procedures, based on automatic earth observation data analysis, for the management and control of direct aids to the farmers, as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform of 2020. Here, we propose an operational monitoring system based on Sentinel-2 surface reflectance (SR) data and machine learning (ML) algorithms, consisting of a hierarchical approach triggering 3 color-coded warning alerts to distinguish among compliant (green), non-compliant (red), and inconclusive (yellow) parcels comparatively to the farmer’s declaration. A Random Forest (RF) model is applied to a 5-day interpolated SR time series to generate a preliminary crop map, where all the parcels whose predicted and declared crop type match are flagged as compliant. Next, a refinement procedure is adopted to improve the discrimination between temporary and permanent crops. At this stage, VI temporal metrics and texture are used as input to a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier trained using only the previous compliant parcels. Through a set of decision rules, SVM crop class predictions are flagged as compliant, non-compliant and inconclusive. The system was tested for a significant area in mainland Portugal, using the 2019 Land Parcel Information System (LPIS) data. The system returned 96.5%, 2.5% and 1% of the parcels as compliant, inconclusive, and non-compliant, respectively. Comparison with field inspections for the subsidy control of 2019 revealed that only 1.1% of the correct declarations were classified by the system as non-compliant (5% as admissible value), while less than 5% of the real non-compliant declarations passed through the system (10–20%).

FEM of Magnetic Flux Leakage Signal for Uncertainty Estimation in Crack Depth Classification using Bayesian Convolutional Neural Network and Deep Ensemble

This paper investigates the impact of uncertainties during dynamic magnetization due to relative motion between magnetic flux leakage (MFL) sensors and material under test. A 3D finite element method (FEM) based model for the MFL inspection system is developed to better understand the relationships between inline inspection (ILI) data and damage parameters in nonlinear ferromagnetic materials. In real-life field testing or inspection scenario, there exist lots of uncertainties associated with nondestructive evaluation (NDE), which will further affect damage condition-based decision making. Therefore, it is vital to quantitatively analyze the uncertainties in NDE. This paper investigates uncertainty quantification via numerical simulation by developing Bayesian based Convolutional Neural Network and Deep Ensemble methods, which are demonstrated in MFL based defect depth classification for NDE applications. Prediction accuracy and uncertainties are compared, which is valuable in better assessing the performance and quantifying uncertainties for generalized NDE problems.

Faktor Risiko Penyebaran Escherichia coli Penghasil ESBL pada Ternak Ayam Komersial

Escherichia coli producing ESBL in humans, animals and the environment trigger the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. This study analyzes the potential risk factors in commercial chickens as an infectious factor for the ESBL-producing Escherichia coli as an effort to prevent and control the wider spread of Escherichia coli-producing ESBL events. This study was a descriptive analytic epidemiological study with a cross-sectional study design. Sampling using stratified random sampling by taking as many as 5 samples per commercial chicken farm in Blitar District. Data collection is done by direct interviews with farmers based on a questionnaire and field observations and inspection of livestock, supplemented with supporting documentation. Primary data were obtained through a questionnaire and direct observation of the research object to determine risk factors that could affect the Escherichia coli producing ESBL that were resistant to antibiotics in commercial chicken in Blitar District. Escherichia coli is a commensal bacterium that is naturally present in the chicken digestive tract. The existence of the highest ESBL producing Escherichia coli was 45.56% in the type of partnership farming. Risk factors with the highest association strength on risk factors for partnership type (OR = 11.02, CI 95% = 5.84-20.77), the presence of antibiotic administration programs (OR = 6.76, 95% CI = 2.05-22.22), broiler chicken species ( OR = 5.34, 95% CI = 2.76-10.32), and the purpose of using antibiotics as prevention (OR = 3.55, 95% CI = 1.86-6.74). Efforts to prevent and control the ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in commercial poultry can be done by increasing surveillance of antibiotic use, in this regard it is necessary to supervise animal health personnel in the management of livestock raising for the correct use of antibiotics in commercial chicken farms.

Optical three-dimensional displacement measurement based on moiré methodology and its application to space structures

Optical methods providing full-field deformation information is of interest to mechanical engineers. In this study, an accurate optical three-dimensional displacement measurement method using a single camera attached to a precision 3-axis moving stage was developed. This paper presents the fundamental measurement principle and experiments for validating the measurement accuracy. The in-plane and out-of-plane displacements are simultaneously determined by calculating the phase difference and the phase gradient difference of the moiré fringe before and after deformation. The developed method was applied to displacement measurement in a loading test of a carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) cylindrical payload 2.5 m in diameter and 2.0 m long used in a solid rocket. The three-dimensional displacement results obtained from the developed method showed a good agreement with those measured with the extensometers conventionally employed in the displacement measurement. The developed method is useful for inspection in the space field and to secure the health monitoring of large-scale structures.

Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UASs) Reveal the Morphological Changes at Stromboli Volcano (Italy) before, between, and after the 3 July and 28 August 2019 Paroxysmal Eruptions

In July and August 2019, two paroxysmal eruptions dramatically changed the morphology of the crater terrace that hosts the active vents of Stromboli volcano (Italy). Here, we document these morphological changes, by using 2259 UAS-derived photographs from eight surveys and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques, resulting in 3D point clouds, orthomosaics, and digital surface models (DSMs) with resolution ranging from 8.1 to 12.4 cm/pixel. We focus on the morphological evolution of volcanic features and volume changes in the crater terrace and the upper part of the underlying slope (Sciara del Fuoco). We identify both crater terrace and lava field variations, with vents shifting up to 47 m and the accumulation of tephra deposits. The maximum elevation changes related to the two paroxysmal eruptions (in between May and September 2019) range from +41.4 to −26.4 m at the lava field and N crater area, respectively. Throughout September 2018–June 2020, the total volume change in the surveyed area was +447,335 m3. Despite Stromboli being one of the best-studied volcanoes worldwide, the UAS-based photogrammetry products of this study provide unprecedented high spatiotemporal resolution observations of its entire summit area, in a period when volcanic activity made the classic field inspections and helicopter overflights too risky. Routinely applied UAS operations represent an effective and evolving tool for volcanic hazard assessment and to support decision-makers involved in volcanic surveillance and civil protection operations.

Feature-Selection and Mutual-Clustering Approaches to Improve DoS Detection and Maintain WSNs' Lifetime.

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) continue to face two major challenges: energy and security. As a consequence, one of the WSN-related security tasks is to protect them from Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed DoS (DDoS) attacks. Machine learning-based systems are the only viable option for these types of attacks, as traditional packet deep scan systems depend on open field inspection in transport layer security packets and the open field encryption trend. Moreover, network data traffic will become more complex due to increases in the amount of data transmitted between WSN nodes as a result of increasing usage in the future. Therefore, there is a need to use feature selection techniques with machine learning in order to determine which data in the DoS detection process are most important. This paper examined techniques for improving DoS anomalies detection along with power reservation in WSNs to balance them. A new clustering technique was introduced, called the CH_Rotations algorithm, to improve anomaly detection efficiency over a WSN’s lifetime. Furthermore, the use of feature selection techniques with machine learning algorithms in examining WSN node traffic and the effect of these techniques on the lifetime of WSNs was evaluated. The evaluation results showed that the Water Cycle (WC) feature selection displayed the best average performance accuracy of 2%, 5%, 3%, and 3% greater than Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Simulated Annealing (SA), Harmony Search (HS), and Genetic Algorithm (GA), respectively. Moreover, the WC with Decision Tree (DT) classifier showed 100% accuracy with only one feature. In addition, the CH_Rotations algorithm improved network lifetime by 30% compared to the standard LEACH protocol. Network lifetime using the WC + DT technique was reduced by 5% compared to other WC + DT-free scenarios.

The Connotations of the Sukhavati (Pure Land) Culture Contained in the Architecture of Xiaoxitian (Thousand Buddhas Monastery) at Xixian County

This article analyzes and interprets the Sukhavati Culture contained in the site selection as well as the architectural and spatial layout of Xiaoxitian (or the Thousand Buddhas Monastery, a Buddhist complex at Xixian County), and the Great Buddhas Hall inside it by means of field inspection to the buildings at Xiaoxitian, and by combining with relevant literature and records so as to assist people to have a better understanding of the Sukhavati Culture and highlight the architectural concepts of applying the Sukhavati belief in to the practical life of ancient Chinese people.

Short communication: New report of Aedes albopictus in Souk Ahras, Northeast Algeria

Abstract. Hamaidia K, Soltani N. 2021. Short communication: New report of Aedes albopictus in Souk Ahras, Northeast Algeria. Biodiversitas 22: 2901-2906. The present paper reports the occurrence of Aedes albopictus (Skuse), an aggressive Asian tiger mosquito in the city of Souk-Ahras (Northeast of Algeria). A “26 April” estate’ inhabitants (Souk-Ahras province) have reported unusual daytime bites by a striped mosquito. On early September 2020, an intensive field inspection was carried out for potential mosquito breeding sites in the locations around the city. A total of 105 specimens (8 larvae, 24 pupae and 73 adults) of Ae. albopictus were collected in a pile of old tyres in a residential garden. After previous records of this species in Algeria, this is the first evidence of its presence in Souk-Ahras province, and the findings enhance combined public participation with professional validation in surveillance of vector borne-diseases programs with emphasis on the need for sensitising citizens about controlling this important vector.

Study of rice seed certification at the Gorontalo Province seed certification supervision center

This research aimed to determine the management system of rice seed certification in the Seed Certification Office at Gorontalo Province and determine the obstacles of the system. This research was conducted at Gorontalo Seed Center. The research applied survey design. There were 4 informants in this research. The procedures of rice seed certification system at the seed certification office are as follow: applications for food crop certification, verification of seed source, inspection of field, plant isolation and harvest equipment, seed sampling and quality testing, labelling and issuance seeds contains high level of water and low physical quality, it can be reprocessed to be re-sampled. If it does not pass seed germination test, then the existing samples can be retested without taking samples in the field.

Aerial Robots for Contact-Based Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements for Field Inspections

Aerial robotic systems, also referred to as drones, enable the collection of data on a scale and scope heretofore unimaginable. Field inspections at industrial sites using an aerial robotic inspection system that makes physical contact with a structure or asset as part of a nondestructive testing (NDT) or nondestructive evaluation (NDE) routine is safer than placing humans at elevation and enables more data to be gathered in less time. These aerial robotic systems are highly extensible and agile enabling safer, faster, and better inspections. Robotic inspection systems are forecast to grow exponentially this decade and beyond, as asset owners and service providers realize their economic value creation, increased data collection, and safety contributions.

Correlation of UV Fluorescence Images With Performance Loss of Field-Retrieved Photovoltaic Modules

The ultraviolet fluorescence (UVF) imaging method has been widely used as a rapid and economic field inspection tool for investigating encapsulant discoloration of field-aged photovoltaic (PV) modules. In field-aged PV modules, encapsulant discoloration can result in a pronounced decrease in the short-circuit current. The spatial distribution of environmental stressors and therefore discoloration pattern over each cell of a module depends on the climate. In this article, we investigated the discoloration patterns (and their correlation with electrical parameters of modules and the extracted-cells from the modules) of ten modules produced at the same manufacturing facility and retrieved respectively from two distinct climates of Arizona (hot-dry; seven modules; 18 years of exposure) and Florida (hot-humid; three modules; ten years of exposure). In the Arizona modules, three distinct spatial patterns were observed in the UVF images: cell center region (intense browning); cell edge region (no browning); region between cell center; and cell edge region (light browning). However, in the Florida modules, only two distinct spatial distributions were observed: nonedge cell region (medium browning) and cell edge region (no browning). Furthermore, we employed a high-contrast UVF imaging technique to correlate the interdependence between the encapsulant discoloration pattern and the metallization/contact degradation pattern. For this correlative study, various experimental characterizations were carried out on both field-aged (Arizona and Florida) and unexposed modules and the cells extracted from the modules of the same model and they include: processed UVF and EL images, and I-V, TLM, optical microscopy, and XPS measurements.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE "SMART ACTION" WEBSITE OF RESPIRATORY INFECTION IN SANITATION CLINIC ACTIVITIES AT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER SUMBANG 1 BANYUMAS DISTRICT

Some obstacles that may be encountered in implementing sanitation clinics are the limited number of personnel from the Community Health Center to operate sanitation clinics that sanitation clinic activities experience problems in terms of managing data into useful health information. Therefore, sanitation clinic activities are carried out on environment-based diseases like respiratory tract infections. This study uses Research and Development (RD) to develop a manual sanitation for environmental-based diseases, especially respiratory infections, based on the AKSI PINTAR website. Data processing system using the website consists of input, process and output. The input stage on the AKSI PINTAR website is on the examination menu and the question form that appears on the AKSI PINTAR (literally means smart action). The process stage includes the process of editing, coding and entering and has a form of AKSI PINTAR website and the output of the data includes risk factors for the incidence of respiratory infections, patient behavior and environment are processed into tables, bar charts, pie charts and pictures (photos). Officers can save and print processed data. Officers can input and process sanitation clinic data both during the inspection and the field inspection In the implementation of data output, officers can output data in the form of tables of results of field inspections and inspections, bar and circle diagrams and photos of the results of visits that officers need in their reports.

Penerapan Аsаs-Аsаs Umum Pemerintаhаn yаng Bаik dаlаm Penyelesаiаn Sengketа Tanah Hak Milik

This study aimed to describe the procedure for resolving land disputes, the application of the General Principles of Good Government (AUPB) in land dispute resolution, and the supporting and inhibiting factors for the application of AUPB in resolving land disputes. This study used a sociological juridical approach, with the type of empirical juridical research. The procedure for resolving land disputes was through two types of applications, namely letters of public complaints and implementation of court decisions. The application of AUPB in land dispute resolution started from the application, data collection and analysis, field assessment and inspection, case exposure, case settlement reports, settlement, and implementation of settlement decisions. Supporting factors for the implementation of AUPB were the Regulation of the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency of the Republic of Indonesia Number 11 of 2016, Section for Handling Land Problems and Control, as well as facilities and infrastructure for mediation, case titles, and transportation. The obstacle of the AUPB implementation included the inkracht decision to issue replacement certificates that had not been explicitly regulated, resulting in land registration services being blocked by the system and uncooperative parties.

Identification of origins and influencing factors of environmental odor episodes using trajectory and proximity analyses

It is challenging for the governmental agencies to provide an instant response and to systematically analyze the huge number of odor complaints which are received frequently by them. This study aimed to establish a data analysis framework featuring trajectory and proximity analyses to confirm odor origins, assess impact areas, and identify determinants and mechanisms of odor episodes based on odor reports. The investigation used 273 odor complaints reported in northern Collierville, Tennessee, between January 1st, 2019 and December 15th, 2020. The location of each complaint was geocoded in Google Map, and the backward wind trajectories were calculated using the web-based Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model. The nearby Eplex Landfill and Collierville Northwest Sewage Treatment Plant were targeted for the analyses. Odor impacts were evaluated with temporal and spatial characteristics of reported odor episodes. Logistic models were performed to identify weather parameters that significantly influenced odor occurrence. The field inspections indicated two periods targeting different sources. Period 1: from January 1st, 2019 to October 31st, 2020, the landfill appeared as the major source; Period 2: from November 1st, 2020 to December 15th, 2020, the sewage plant emerged as the major source. In Period 1, 65% of the complaints had wind transporting from the landfill, and 88% occurred at residences within 500 m of the landfill. In Period 2, 33% of the complaints had wind that blew from the sewage plant and 85% occurred at residences within 1000 m from the sewage plant. The likelihood of an odor episode day was significantly associated with wind speed [Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.66, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.56–0.77], temperature (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.98), and rainfall (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00–1.04). The odor issue in Collierville reflected poor zoning between the odor sources and residential areas. Separation distances of 500 m and 1000 m from the landfill and sewage facilities, respectively, are suggested to prevent odor issues. The proposed data analysis framework can be adopted by governmental agencies for fast responses to odor complaints, odor assessment, and environmental odor management.

Potential Analysis of Rural and Urban Land and Building Taxes in Minahasa Regency

The purpose of this study is to analyze the contribution of Rural and Urban Land and Building Tax (PBB-P2) to Minahasa Regency Regional Revenue, the determinant factor of PBB-P2 revenue which has the most tax objects/subjects but has not contributed to Minahasa Regency Locally-generated revenue (PAD) and Strategies in seeking PBB-P2 in Minahasa Regency to provide real contribution to local revenue. This research method includes a qualitative approach and a quantitative approach to the BPPRETDA case study method. SWOT-Quadrant Analysis. The results of quadrant 1 position score 0.29 external opportunities & 0.12 internal strengths. Progressive action, the SO matrix is recommended by BPPRETDA to increase (NJOP & tax rate 0.3%), increase (officer education, facilities & tax revenue sharing), and collect PBB-P2 data. Potential Determination of Rp.134,128,478,400,- (11% Regional Revenue). It is necessary to determine the (Selling Value of Tax Object (NJOP) of land and buildings to be increased to near market prices with office work and field inspections and to support education, training for officers is needed to continue to be carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance or independently by the Regional Government.

Control (supervisory) measures: innovations of Federal Law “On State Control (Supervision) and Municipal Control in the Russian Federation”

The article is devoted to the analysis of the types of control measures that will be carried out in accordance with Federal Law No. 248-FZ of the “On State Control (Supervision) and Municipal Control in the Russian Federation”, the main provisions of which will enter into force on July 1, 2021. This law also applies to the activities of organizations that are subject to licensing. Types of control (supervisory) measures are considered, in particular, control and monitoring procurement, inspection visit, raid inspection, documentary and field inspection, as well as monitoring compliance with mandatory requirements and field examination. The essence of each type of control measure, the basis for carrying out the measures, control actions that can be used in their implementation are analyzed.