Mass Research Articles

From Administrative Price to Market Value of Real Estate. The Evolution of the Valuation System in Poland

Abstract The article applies the method of historical research, using a temporal perspective dating back to 1985, to trace the evolution of market valuation principles for real estate in Poland. These principles evolved similarly to those in many other post-socialist countries, influenced by political and socio-economic transformations and the resulting list of objectives for which these values became essential. The changing legal regulations allowing for the emergence and development of a free real estate market played a decisive role in this process. It was also a period of preparing real estate valuation professionals to meet these requirements. Today, the methodology of valuation, under increasing pressure from various real estate market entities and the rapid advancement of intelligent data collection and processing technologies, is undergoing further evolution. In many countries, including Poland, lively discussions and disputes are ongoing regarding the legal authorization of statistical tools and automated valuation models in valuation practice. These possibilities are being considered particularly in the context of mass property valuations for tax purposes. The methodology involves the analysis of Polish legal provisions, foreign literature, and documents proving the gradual marketization of valuation principles.

A series of regression models to predict the weathering index of tropical granite rock mass

In the recent past, several weathering indicators have been developed to describe its state of weathering. The state of rock weathering is a useful indicator to estimate the integrity of tropically weathered rock material and mass which weatherability plays an important role in a tropical region. Through a ground assessment tool, the strength and durability of the rock mass could be estimated and complex or adopted to simplify the early prediction of the complex engineering parameter. This paper presents several models of the Weathering Index (WI) using selected significant parameters using statistical analysis. For this purpose, several sites have been chosen to represent granitic rock mass. Forty (40) numbers of samples were collected and tested comprising from four (4) sites in Malaysia. Several laboratory tests have been conducted such as Point Load Index (Is(50)), dry density, Slake Durability 1 (SD1), Slake Durability 2 (SD2) and moisture content. The field and laboratory data sets are used to determine the WI by using simple regression and MLR analysis Significant parameters found to be useful in determining the WI are selected namely SD1, dry density, Is(50), and block volume. These parameters were selected based on stepwise analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Following the models’ implementation, the models were evaluated and the best prediction model was selected after considering statistical coefficients, such as coefficient of determination (R2), variance account for (VAF), and root mean squared error (RMSE), as well as utilizing a straightforward ranking approach. The findings of this study could contribute to the more accurate prediction of WI using a more simplistic field and laboratory parameters. Therefore, the WI is useful during the initial stages and planning of rock excavation work and provides a good description of weathering grade and rock mass properties, which will affect excavatability in granitic areas.

Violation of weak cosmic censorship in de Sitter space

Inspired by the recent discovery of a violation of strong cosmic censorship (SCC) for the near-extremal Reissner-Nordström black holes in de Sitter space (RN-dS), we investigate if the weak cosmic censorship conjecture (WCCC) can also be violated in RN-dS with a fixed cosmological constant. Our method is based on the recent formulation of examining WCCC by the constraint of the second law, which in this case requires the sum of areas of the event and cosmic horizons cannot decrease during the infall process of Wald’s gedanken experiment. We find that the WCCC can be violated for the near-extremal RN-dS in some regimes of second-order perturbation of field configurations. Given the charge parameter of RN-dS, we can find the lowest value of the subextremality parameter, beyond which the WCCC holds. Our results imply that there might be possible correlations between the violation of SCC and WCC. Because of a lack of an unambiguous relation between the gravitational mass and matter’s kinematic mass in asymptotically de Sitter space, we cannot compare the corresponding regimes of parameter space for the violations of SCC and WCCC. We also discuss the subtlety in formulating the first- and second-law approaches to examine WCCC. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Experimental and analytical study on non-tip initiation behavior of three-dimensional non-planar cracks in rock-like materials

The presence of fractures, joints, bedding planes, and faults within rock masses results in their inherent heterogeneity and discontinuity. These structural defects alter the mechanical properties of rock masses, reducing their structural strength and stiffness, and contributing to anisotropy. In addition to planar cracks, non-planar cracks are frequently found within rock masses due to geological evolution and local stress variations. While the mechanisms of planar crack propagation and fracture in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional spaces have been extensively studied and understood, research on non-planar cracks has largely been confined to two-dimensional aspects. This study addresses the limitations by successfully creating brittle solid specimens with three-dimensional non-planar internal cracks. Uniaxial compression tests and numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the propagations and fracture behaviors of various shapes of three-dimensional non-planar internal cracks. The experiments identified two primary macroscopic failure modes: symmetric non-planar internal cracks exhibiting non-tip initiation failure, and asymmetric non-planar internal cracks displaying tip initiation on the upper side and non-tip initiation on the lower side. The failure strengths of non-planar internal cracks were significantly higher than those of planar cracks, and the size of the cracks had minimal effect on their failure strengths. Notably, from initiation to failure, symmetric non-planar internal cracks did not generate any wing cracks, whereas asymmetric non-planar internal cracks were accompanied by petal-shaped cracks, wing cracks, and lance-shaped cracks. Under uniaxial compression, non-planar internal cracks propagated at extremely high speeds, resulting in rough and uneven fracture surfaces. In addition to Type III lance-shaped cracks, dynamic fracture characteristic areas and Wallner lines were also observed on the fracture surfaces. This study provides valuable insights into the fracture behavior of three-dimensional non-planar cracks and a reference basis for understanding their propagation and failure mechanisms.

GRable Version 1.0: A Software Tool for Site-Specific Glycoform Analysis With Improved MS1-Based Glycopeptide Detection With Parallel Clustering and Confidence Evaluation With MS2 Information

High-throughput intact glycopeptide analysis is crucial for elucidating the physiological and pathological status of the glycans attached to each glycoprotein. Mass spectrometry-based glycoproteomic methods are challenging because of the diversity and heterogeneity of glycan structures. Therefore, we developed an MS1-based site-specific glycoform analysis method named "Glycan heterogeneity-based Relational IDentification of Glycopeptide signals on Elution profile (Glyco-RIDGE)" for a more comprehensive analysis. This method detects glycopeptide signals as a cluster based on the mass and chromatographic properties of glycopeptides and then searches for each combination of core peptides and glycan compositions by matching their mass and retention time differences. Here, we developed a novel browser-based software named GRable for semi-automated Glyco-RIDGE analysis with significant improvements in glycopeptide detection algorithms, including "parallel clustering." This unique function improved the comprehensiveness of glycopeptide detection and allowed the analysis to focus on specific glycan structures, such as pauci-mannose. The other notable improvement is evaluating the "confidence level" of the GRable results, especially using MS2 information. This function facilitated reduced misassignment of the core peptide and glycan composition and improved the interpretation of the results. Additional improved points of the algorithms are "correction function" for accurate monoisotopic peak picking; one-to-one correspondence of clusters and core peptides even for multiply sialylated glycopeptides; and "inter-cluster analysis" function for understanding the reason for detected but unmatched clusters. The significance of these improvements was demonstrated using purified and crude glycoprotein samples, showing that GRable allowed site-specific glycoform analysis of intact sialylated glycoproteins on a large-scale and in-depth. Therefore, this software will help us analyze the status and changes in glycans to obtain biological and clinical insights into protein glycosylation by complementing the comprehensiveness of MS2-based glycoproteomics. GRable can be freely run online using a web browser via the GlyCosmos Portal (https://glycosmos.org/grable).

Unraveling time-dependent roof stability dynamics in Iran's coal mines through laboratory-based rock displacement testing

Roof stability is a critical concern in coal mines, as the potential for roof collapse poses a significant risk to miners' safety and productivity. Roof stability is heavily influenced by the time-dependent properties of the rock mass above the workings. This study uses rock displacement testing to examine the effect of time-dependent properties on roof stability and resistance reduction in coal mines in Iran. The study employed laboratory-based rock displacement tests on samples collected from coal mines in Iran, subjected to varying stress levels over time, to simulate the gradual deterioration of rock mass strength in underground mining conditions. The samples were monitored for displacement under these conditions to quantify the reduction in roof resistance over time and assess its effect on roof stability. The study found that areas with high stress at equilibrium gradually fail with time, and the stress transfers from the failure zone into deeper solid rock. The results demonstrate that varying viscous parameters can lead to different relaxation behaviors and stress distribution. Furthermore, incorporating strength degradation into numerical simulation can capture the failure under creep conditions and improve the accuracy of predicting time-dependent roof failure. This research aims to enhance safety measures and reduce the risk of collapses by investigating the time-dependent properties of roof stability through rock displacement testing in Iran's coal mines. The study's innovative approach uses numerical simulation based on the viscoelastic-plastic model to simulate the time-dependent behavior of the rock and incorporate strength degradation into the simulation. The results provide valuable insights into the time-dependent behavior of rock mass in coal mines in Iran and contribute to developing strategies for improving roof stability and lessening the chance of roof collapses. The instantaneous elastic strain was 4.35 × 10–4, and creep simulation was activated to run for a time equivalent to 2 × 106 s.

Double ended frequency-scanning heterodyne interferometer for absolute length measurement of opaque blocks

A new contactless method based on frequency-scanning heterodyne interferometry is proposed to measure the absolute length of opaque blocks with fragile reflective surfaces. This method is significant in scientific research, such as determining the absolute length of torsion pendulums in gravitational experiments or test masses in gravitational wave detection programs. In addition to avoiding possible damage caused by contact measurement, this optical setup has the potential for higher measurement accuracy compared to contact measurement apparatuses. Two gauge blocks with nominal lengths of 40 mm and 50 mm are used to test the performance of the proposed interferometer, and the measurement results closely match their nominal lengths. The combined uncertainty is 0.62μm and 0.48μm for the 40 mm and 50 mm gauge blocks respectively.

Predicting peptide properties from mass spectrometry data using deep attention-based multitask network and uncertainty quantification.

Database search algorithms reduce the number of potential candidate peptides against which scoring needs to be performed using a single (i.e. mass) property for filtering. While useful, filtering based on one property may lead to exclusion of non-abundant spectra and uncharacterized peptides - potentially exacerbating the streetlight effect. Here we present ProteoRift, a novel attention and multitask deep-network, which can predict multiple peptide properties (length, missed cleavages, and modification status) directly from spectra. We demonstrate that ProteoRift can predict these properties with up to 97% accuracy resulting in search-space reduction by more than 90%. As a result, our end-to-end pipeline is shown to exhibit 8x to 12x speedups with peptide deduction accuracy comparable to algorithmic techniques. We also formulate two uncertainty estimation metrics, which can distinguish between in-distribution and out-of-distribution data (ROC-AUC 0.99) and predict high-scoring mass spectra against correct peptide (ROC-AUC 0.94). These models and metrics are integrated in an end-to-end ML pipeline available at https://github.com/pcdslab/ProteoRift.

Geohazard features of the Southern Sardinia

ABSTRACT The Maps of Geohazard features of Southern Sardinia produced in the framework of the Magic project (MArine Geohazard along Italian Coasts) are here presented. The MaGIC project (Marine Geohazard along the Italian Coasts) had the aim of mapping the geohazard in the Italian seas. The features were derived from the digital elevation model interpretation of the seafloor morphology and shallow sub-surface. From the marine geo-hazards point of view, the main critical elements are represented by gravitational mass processes in the canyon heads, some of which, as in the Toro Canyon, are exposed to seismic triggering. In other cases, we observed that gravitational dynamics connected to fluid leakage processes (pockforms). Large landslides and debris avalanches have been detected in Cagliari Gulf, whereas in eastern upper slope, crescent bedforms, occurring in the eastern sector of the upper slope testify to the upward migration of hyperpycnal erosional structures linked to flows from nearby river inputs.

Stargazing Live!: Inspiring with semi-live astronomy data; teaching curriculum topics using smart education tools

Stargazing Live! aims to capture the imagination of learners with a combination of live and interactive planetarium lessons, real astronomical data, and lessons built around interactive knowledge representations. The lessons were created using a co-creation model and tackle concepts in the pre-university (astro)physics which students find difficult to grasp with traditional interventions. An evaluation study in 9 Dutch classrooms showed that learners are inspired and engaged by the planetarium lessons but are not always able to link the content to the classroom. Pre- and post-tests showed that the accompanying star properties activity significantly increased learners’ understanding of the causal relationships between mass and other properties (such as luminosity, gravity, and temperature) in a main sequence star.

Gas permeability and mechanical properties of dust grain aggregates at hyper- and zero-gravity

Abstract Particle-particle and particle-gas processes significantly impact planetary precursors such as dust aggregates and planetesimals. We investigate gas permeability (κ) in 12 granular samples, mimicking planetesimal dust regoliths. Using parabolic flights, this study assesses how gravitational compression – and lack thereof– influences gas permeation, impacting the equilibrium state of low-gravity objects. Transitioning between micro- and hyper-gravity induces granular sedimentation dynamics, revealing collective dust-grain aerodynamics. Our experiments measure κ across Knudsen number (Kn) ranges, reflecting transitional flow. Using mass and momentum conservation, we derive κ and calculate pressure gradients within the granular matrix. Key findings: 1. As confinement pressure increases with gravitational load and mass flow, κ and average pore space decrease. This implies that a planetesimal’s unique dust-compaction history limits sub-surface volatile outflows. 2. The derived pressure gradient enables tensile strength determination for asteroid regolith simulants with cohesion. This offers a unique approach to studying dust-layer properties when suspended in confinement pressures comparable to the equilibrium state on planetesimals surfaces, which will be valuable for modelling their collisional evolution. 3. We observe a dynamical flow symmetry breaking when granular material moves against the pressure gradient. This occurs even at low Reynolds numbers, suggesting that Stokes numbers for drifting dust aggregates near the Stokes-Epstein transition require a drag force modification based on permeability.

The source and accumulation of anthropogenic carbon in the U.S. East Coast.

The ocean has absorbed anthropogenic carbon dioxide (Canthro) from the atmosphere and played an important role in mitigating global warming. However, how much Canthro is accumulated in coastal oceans and where it comes from have rarely been addressed with observational data. Here, we use a high-quality carbonate dataset (1996-2018) in the U.S. East Coast to address these questions. Our work shows that the offshore slope waters have the highest Canthro accumulation changes (ΔCanthro) consistent with water mass age and properties. From offshore to nearshore, ΔCanthro decreases with salinity to near zero in the subsurface, indicating no net increase in the export of Canthro from estuaries and wetlands. Excesses over the conservative mixing baseline also reveal an uptake of Canthro from the atmosphere within the shelf. Our analysis suggests that the continental shelf exports most of its absorbed Canthro from the atmosphere to the open ocean and acts as an essential pathway for global ocean Canthro storage and acidification.

Logunov and Mestvirishvil Disprove "General Relativity"

Based on the various documents, 1989-2002, through the original texts, in addition to the author's contributions, this paper presents the refutation of the mathematicians and physicists A. Logunov and M. Mestvirishvil of A. Einstein's "general relativity", from the relativistic theory of gravitation of these authors, who applying the fundamental principle of the science of physics of the conservation of the energy-momentum and using absolute differential calculus they rigorously perform their mathematical tests. It is conclusively shown that, from the Einstein-Grossman-Hilbert equations, gravity is absurdly a metric field devoid of physical reality unlike all other fields in nature that are material fields, interrupting the chain of transformations between the different existing fields. Also, in Einstein's theory the proved "inertial mass" equal to gravitational mass has no physical meaning. Therefore, "general relativity" does not obey the correspondence principle with Newton's gravity.

Study on Rock Characteristics for Assessing the Hydraulic Erodibility of Sandstones in the Manahari River Section, Sub-Himalaya, Central Nepal

The long-term erosion of the bed rock is steered by the power of the stream of variable magnitude and frequency which would give us the idea about bed rock incision and its channel morphology. Large numbers of infrastructural development work such as roads, bridges are undergoing in the Manahari Area. Hence, hydraulic erosion of the rocks is always a topic of interest while carrying out these construction works. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to determine the hydraulic erodibility of the Siwalik rocks under the action of stream power. Erodibility of the rocks and the stream powers of the Manahari River were determined by extensive field survey and laboratory analysis of rock material properties. Rock mass strength, block particle size, discontinuity/inter-particle bond shear strength, the shape of materials units, and their orientation relative to the flow were assessed to determine erodibility of the rocks. The longitudinal and cross-sectional surveys were carried out to find out the hydraulic parameters to calculate the erosive power of the stream i.e., slope of the channel surface, hydraulic radius, and velocity. The erodibility index ranges from 22 to 198 on the basis of their rock mass properties whereas the stream power value ranges from 1 to 6 kW/m2. The value of the stream power obtained at the bankfull condition at different flow time intervals i.e., 10, 25, 50, and 100 years ranges from 5 to 25 kW/m2. With this range of stream power at different time interval flow, the Manahara River has the capacity to erode maximum of the sandstones present in the riverbed as all the values of the erodibility plot above the threshold line of erosion. However, the relation between the erodibility index and stream power at normal flow condition shows that the Siwalik sandstones of the study area are not erodible under the influence of the available stream power.

Failure mechanisms and reinforcement support of soft rock roadway in deep extra-thick coal seam: A case study

The soft rock roadway in deep extra-thick coal seam is prone to large deformation disaster. In order to solve this problem effectively, taking the W3101 coalface of Xiao’kang coal mine as the engineering background, the failure mechanisms and the corresponding control technology were investigated by the methods of laboratory test, numerical simulation and field measurement. First, a series of tests were carried out on the basic mechanical properties of rock mass, in-situ stress and loose zone, and it was found that the failure mechanisms of soft rock roadway in deep extra-thick coal seam are poor lithology of surrounding rock, high in-situ stress, large loose circle and unreasonable original support. Then, based on the supporting mechanisms of grouting cable and concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) of bottom angle, a new collaborative reinforcement support (CRS) technology combining the two was proposed. Next, the numerical simulation shows that the CRS technology has good applicability in controlling large deformation of soft rock roadway in deep extra-thick coal seam. Finally, to exhibit the engineering application effect of the proposed CRS scheme, it was also applied in Xiao’kang coal mine. Comparing to the controlling effect of original support scheme, it can be seen that the average deformation of soft rock roadway reduces by 73.2 % under the proposed CRS scheme, and the steel arch frame of bottom angle is slightly deformed. Meanwhile, it is found that the grouts diffusion radius is nearly 1.21 m, and the deepest diffusion depth is 4.25 m, which also indicates again that the feasibility of the proposed CRS scheme in controlling large deformation of soft rock roadway in deep extra-thick coal seam.

Machine learning models in mass appraisal for property tax purposes: a systematic mapping study

The use of machine learning models in mass appraisal of properties for tax purposes has been extensively investigated, generating a growing volume of primary research. This study aims to provide an overview of the machine learning techniques used in this context and analyze their accuracy. We conducted a systematic mapping study to collect studies published in the last seven years that address machine learning methods in the mass appraisal of properties. The search protocols returned 332 studies, of which 22 were selected, highlighting the frequent use of Random Forest and Gradient Boosting models in the last three years. These models, especially Random Forest, have shown predictive superiority over traditional appraisal methods. The measurement of model performance varied among the studies, making it difficult to compare results. However, it was observed that the use of machine learning techniques improves accuracy in mass property appraisals. This article advances the field by summarizing the state of the art in the use of machine learning models for mass appraisal of properties for tax purposes, describing the main models applied, providing a map that classifies, compares, and evaluates the research, and suggesting a research agenda that identifies gaps and directs future studies.

Quantifying uncertainty in rock mass properties: Implications for GSI, RMi, and RMR assessments

Probability-based empirical methods were employed as an alternative approach to predicting uncertainties associated with rock mass properties. The focus was on developing probabilistic spreadsheets to forecast rock mass classification indexes. Histograms were constructed to describe the best distribution in predicting rock mass properties. The developed models also offer utility in predicting the impact of discontinuities within the rock mass on rock strength and rock mass classification systems. Statistical analyses identified volumetric joint count, joint spacing, joint frequency, and rock strength as the most influential parameters. Moreover, the statistical analysis revealed varying degrees of correlation among different rock mass properties. While some properties demonstrated significant correlations suitable for modelling, others did not align well with any correlation model. The results highlight the need for a comprehensive approach to rock mass characterization, considering multiple factors beyond volumetric joint count. Geological complexities, including tectonic activity and weathering processes, may obscure direct correlations. These results emphasize the importance of empirical modelling and detailed site investigations for accurate assessment of rock mass quality and stability in the Himalaya.

Beyond the empirical pillar design method: The strain criterion and the pillar load inversion concepts

Pillar design is a crucial aspect of underground mining engineering, as it directly impacts the safety, stability, and overall effectiveness of mining operations. In this paper we present a method to calculate pillar stability based on the strain criterion and pillar load inversion concept, which complements the empirical pillar strength formulae. Those formulae do not account for certain parameters that can affect the stability of the pillars, e.g. weak layers, changes in stress orientations due to mining, orebody dip, mining layout complexity, and the influence of regional stabilizing pillars. The approach presented here is not intended to replace the empirical method; rather, we suggest using it as the initial step in the pillar design process. This should be followed by iterative numerical modelling to study pillar behaviour, define pillar stability, and optimize the pillar design by considering site-specific and representative rock mass properties and criteria.

Preliminary Design of a Lightweight Composite Backing Structure for a Satellite Antenna

AbstractThe paper consists of a preliminary design and analysis of a lightweight composite backing structure for a side deployable solid mesh reflector intended for telecom application in the Ka‐Band. As the entire antenna reflector must withstand the forces related to the launching loads, the focus is addressed to the stiffness of the composite backing structure, so that the reflective metallic mesh will not be affected during launching phase, thus with no influence over the possible deformation of the mesh and on its radio frequency performance. It is shown that the proposed concept withstands the imposed launching requirements with a compromise on mass properties.

Seepage modelling and seepage-stress coupling properties of fractured rock mass based on equivalent circuit principle

Seepage modelling and seepage-stress coupling properties of fractured rock mass based on equivalent circuit principle