Project Area Research Articles

A new method of calculating crown projection area and its comparative accuracy with conventional calculations for asymmetric tree crowns

A new method of calculating crown projection area and its comparative accuracy with conventional calculations for asymmetric tree crowns

New method for calculating the windward area of irregular fragments

Average windward area is an important index for calculating the trajectory, velocity attenuation and terminal effect of explosive fragments. In order to solve the problems that existing theoretical method cannot calculate windward area of irregular fragment and experiment method is not convenient for automatic calculation and has low accuracy, a Monte Carlo subdivision projection simulation algorithm is proposed. The average windward area of arbitrary shaped fragments can be obtained with coordinate translation, random rotation, plane projection, convex-hull triangulation, concave boundary searching and sorting with maximum edge length constraint, subdivision area calculation, and averaging by thousands of cycles. Results show that projection area obtained by the subdivision projection algorithm is basically the same as that obtained by software method of computer aided design. Moreover, the maximum calculation error of the algorithm is less than 7%, and its accuracy is much higher than that of the equivalent ellipsoid method. The average windward area calculated by the Monte Carlo subdivision projection simulation algorithm is consistent with theoretical formula for prefabricated fragments, and the error is less than 3%. The convergence and accuracy of the Monte Carlo subdivision projection algorithm are better than those of the icosahedral uniform orientation method.

Development of Regenerative Tea Cultivation Models through Dual Approach of Soil and Plant Health Management towards Crop Sustainability, Soil Quality Development, Pesticide Reduction and Climate Change Mitigation: A Case Study from Lakhipara Tea Estate,

Climate change is a reality and its impact on the tea plantations is apparent in the rise of pest intensity, higher agrochemical use, inconsistent crop yields, declining grand growth period, increased abiotic stress and various other challenges; that threaten long-term sustainability of the Indian tea sector. The urgency to adopt sustainable practices is increasing by the day but to gain time bound results a comprehensive focus encompassing soil and plant health development will be crucial. To deal with climate challenge head-on, the Indian tea industry is making changes at various levels of operations. The sustainable tea initiative at Lakhipara tea estate, was one such attempt by the Goodricke Group Limited in their Dooars tea growing region of West Bengal. The program was initiated in 2014 with an aim to reduce pesticide use, improve soil quality, and produce quality teas while sustaining crop yields, improving renewable energy use and lowering the carbon footprint. Adoption of Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) Technology and taking the essence from ‘Trophobiosis Theory’ of French Scientist F. Chaboussou, the program focused on management of soil and plant health. Three years evaluation of crop yields in respect of the budgeted crop, revealed on an average an excess of 78 kg/ha/year in the project area. In rest of the garden area a contrasting crop loss of 118 kg was recorded per ha during the same period. The higher crop performance positively correlated with the higher nutrient use efficiency which was 17.7 percent higher in the project area (NUENPK : 8.86) as compared to the general garden area (NUENPK : 7.53), which reflected the impact of plant health management towards enhanced nutrient uptake, assimilation and utilization. Assessment of pesticide usage, revealed up to 77% decrease in usage in the project area during 2014-16, as compared to the pre- project year. Comparison with pesticide usage of the Dooars tea growing region during this same period, indicated a 62% lower Crop Pesticide Pollution Index (CPPI) in the project area. The finding indicated a 52 to 77% reduction in the accumulated toxicity potential of the applied pesticides in the project area; thereby accrediting safer tea development under this program, when adjudged in terms of pesticide residue. Assessment of soil quality revealed an overall eight percent increment in Soil Fertility Index (FI) value, with significant improvement in soil microbial activity potential (MAP) values i.e., by almost four times. The finding pointed towards the favourable impact of soil health management primarily through Novcom composting towards enhancement of soil microbial interactions. Post three years of experimentation the overall Soil Quality Iindex (SQI) value increased by 6% in the project area. The finding corroborated a concurrent 6.72% increase in the soil organic carbon stock during the same period. Reduction in use of non- renewable inputs viz. chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the project area was indicated by approximately 40 percent enhancement in energy use efficiency and energy productivity post the assessment period. Carbon assessment in terms of kg CO2 equivalents/ kg made tea (using ACFA version 1.0) indicated approx. 65 to 70 % lower footprint in the project area, primarily due to 20 to 30 % reduction in chemical fertilizers and 60 to 70 % reduction in the use of synthetic pesticides. The results indicated that while integrated soil management is the pre-requisite criteria towards rejuvenation of soil health and for restoration of the habitat for predators, it does not play a direct role in reducing the pest pressure and simultaneously the requirement of pesticides. Physiologically activated plants/ bushes on the other hand; due to their higher nutrient assimilation capacity and efficient protein synthesis are always lesser susceptible to pest attack. Hence, focus on activation of plant physiology can reduce the plant- pest interaction leading to a natural reduction in the requirement for pesticides vis-à-vis the pesticide usage.

Development of Regenerative Tea Cultivation Models through Dual Approach of Soil and Plant Health Management towards Crop Sustainability, Soil Quality Development, Pesticide Reduction and Climate Change Mitigation: A Case Study from Lakhipara Tea Estate, Dooars, West Bengal, India (PART-II)

The first part of this research article documents the impact of the studied Regenerative Agriculture models in tea in respect of crop sustainability, pesticide load reduction and reduction of pest management cost. The findings indicated an increase (78 kg/ha) in crop productivity in the project area as against crop loss of 118 kg/ha in the non- project area during the same period. The finding also indicated a 52 to 77% reduction in the accumulated toxicity potential of the applied pesticides, improvement of soil quality indices and a 6.72% increase in the soil organic carbon stock. Most importantly, carbon assessment in terms of kg CO2 equivalent/ kg made tea (using ACFA version 1.0) indicated approximately 65 to 70 % lower footprint in the project area. The lowering of carbon footprint was due to a 20 to 30 % reduction in the chemical fertilizers along with improvement in carbon sequestration potential of the soil due to quality compost application and reduction of herbicides. The study indicated that Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) Technology can serve as an effective tool towards development of resource based Regenerative Agriculture Models that can ensure safe and low carbon tea cultivation without compromising crop yield and without increasing the cost of cultivation.

Optimizing urban green infrastructure using a highly detailed surface modeling approach

Urban trees and forests show a better ecosystem with many benefits, including pure air quality. The development of urban green infrastructure (UGI) creates a better management system that greatly impacts social values in an urban system. The UGI and construction activities are receiving much attention for their effectiveness in addressing various urban ecological, social and economic issues. Using green infrastructure in stormwater management can reduce the influence on urban sewerage systems and, eventually, on building water resources. The main goal of the research is to optimize the green infrastructure to provide a less-pollution, well-organized, and pleasurable environment for the inhabitants. Various models are used to study the present rainfall-runoff scenario, but the stormwater management model (SWMM) is the most preferable and suggested model. Once the parameters are accessed, optimizing the green infrastructure (GI) will be easy. A complete SWMM model is evaluated over the complete surface, and a hydrological measurement is presented. The evaluation study presents various component percentages: asphalt (37%), green (27%), ceiling (21%), grit (12%), and cemented area (2%), which provides rainproof coverage of approximately 60%. A design is developed about the diverse events of GI in urban exploiting the SWMM and demonstrates its stimulus on the rainfall-runoff behaviour. In recent years, very little attention has been given to green spaces in urban areas, which not only increases pollution but also decreases the urbanization. Therefore, urban green spaces are more important to improve air quality and resident living standards. Over the given scenario and the rainfall event, a decline of the quantitative discharge parameters is evident, such as discharge volume (i.e., from 3.6 to 61.8) and the peak discharge rate (i.e., from 5.4 to 62.7%). The simulation results show that green areas give high satisfaction with low construction costs, which shows the superlative performance ratio of the examined measures. From the investigation, it is also recommended to have green areas and public spaces in impervious urban areas, which greatly reduced the runoff in the project area.

Optimal attitude planning along torque equilibrium points using aerodynamic database for deorbiting large space debris

Currently, considerable attention is being directed toward active debris removal (ADR) using small, cost-effective satellites. From high altitude to re-entry, ADR missions use thrusters that consume significant amounts of fuel. The volume of the propulsion system in these satellites can be quite large, and it is difficult for a small satellite to accommodate a large-scale propulsion system. Thus, active utilization of atmospheric drag is being considered for small satellites with low capability. However, the principal challenge for small satellites to remove large debris is to deal with the large disturbance torque caused by strong atmospheric drag on the debris. This paper proposes attitude guidance around an equilibrium (balance) point in attitude dynamics acted on by gravity gradient and aerodynamic torques. The desired attitude is set to optimize two conflicting objectives: maximizing the projection area to generate large aerodynamic force and minimizing the disturbance torque. In this paper, we develop an aerodynamic database (ADDB) by rigorously calculating the aerodynamic torque for each altitude and solar array paddle (SAP) rotation based on an aerodynamic characteristic model of free molecular flow. Using the ADDB, the SAP angle and orbit altitude effects on the torque equilibrium attitude (TEA) are clarified. Then, the mean disturbance torque map at each orbit altitude is introduced to obtain the candidate TEA paths. The effectiveness of the proposed paths for debris descent is demonstrated through numerical simulations.

Impact of greening trends on biogenic volatile organic compound emissions in China from 1985 to 2022: Contributions of afforestation projects

The rapid expansion of green areas in China has enhanced carbon sinks, but it also presents challenges regarding increased biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions. This study examines the impact of greening trends on BVOC emissions in China from 1985 to 2001 and from 2001 to 2022, focusing on evaluating long-term trends in BVOC emissions within eight afforestation project areas during these two periods. Emission factors for 62 dominant tree species and provincial Plant Functional Types were updated. The BVOC emission inventories were developed for China at a spatial resolution of 27 km × 27 km using the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature. The national BVOC emissions in 2018 were estimated at 54.24 Tg, with isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and other BVOC contributing 26.94 Tg, 2.29 Tg, 0.44 Tg, and 24.57 Tg, respectively. Over the past 37 years, BVOC emissions experienced a slow growth rate of 1.7 % (0.79 Tg) during 1985–2001, followed by a significant increase of 12 % (6 Tg) from 2001 to 2022. BVOC emissions in the eight afforestation project areas increased by 2 % and 20 % during the two periods. From 2001 to 2022, at the regional scale, the Shelterbelt program for the middle reaches of the Yellow River area exhibited the largest rate of increase (43 %) in BVOC emissions. The Shelterbelt program for the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River made the most largest contribution (45 %) to the national increase in BVOC emissions. Afforestation projects have shifted towards planting more broadleaf trees than needleleaf trees from 2001 to 2022, and there also showed a change from herbaceous plants to broadleaf trees. These trends have led to higher average emission factors for vegetation, resulting in increased BVOC emissions. It underscores the importance of considering BVOC emissions when evaluating afforestation initiatives, emphasizing the need to balancing ecological benefits with potential atmospheric consequences.

Study on the Impact of Land Use Change on Ecosystem Services in the Water Source Area of the Middle Route Project of S-N Water Diversion

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project, a major project in China, is of great significance to alleviate the shortage of water resources in the north, and the ecological environment in the middle water source area has the most critical impact on water quality safety. As a natural resource and asset, ecosystem services in the water source area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project not only provide important resources and services for human beings but also are the necessary basis for the survival and development of other organisms on the earth.As an integral part of the earth’s economy, the value of ecosystem services in the water source area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project directly or indirectly contributes to human welfare. Scientific use of land resources can promote the upgrading and transformation of ecosystem services in the water source area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Based on this, this paper focuses on the impact of land use change on ecosystem services in the water source area of the middle route of South-to-North Water Diversion and its prevention strategies.

Investigation on the Mechanical Characteristics of the Excavation of a Double-Line Highway Tunnel Underpass Existing Railway Tunnel under the Influence of Dynamic and Static Load

Research on the excavation mechanical properties of underpass tunnels has already had certain results, but only a few of them consider the effects of dynamic and static loads on the excavation mechanical properties of underground tunnels at the same time; particularly, there is a lack of research investigating double-line highway tunnels with angled underpasses of existing railway tunnels. In this paper, based on the tunnel project of the new double-line Shiqian Highway Tunnel passing under the Hurong Railway with an oblique angle, based on the method of over-advance geological prediction and investigations into the palm face surrounding the rock, the rock degradation caused by dynamic and static loads is quantified using the perturbation system. Additionally, the mechanical parameters of the rock under the influence of dynamic and static load coupling in the influence area of the cross-tunneling project are determined using the Hoek–Brown criterion, and the mechanical characteristics of the excavation of a tunnel under the double-lane highway tunnel passing under the existing railroad are constructed with the mechanical characteristics of the double-lane highway tunnel, taking into consideration the influence of the dynamic and static load coupling in a three-dimensional model. The results show that, in line with the new tunnel rock movement law for the top of the arch sinking, the bottom plate bulging, the side wall outward movement, the height and width of the arch, and the bottom plate arch show an increase with the tunnel excavation, while the side wall rock displacement effect is smaller; the left and right line tunnel disturbed area of the rule of change is similar; the existing tunnel bottom plate displacement is larger than the top plate and the left and right side wall, under the influence of the excavation time step. Typical profile point displacement is mainly determined by the distance from the excavation surface; von Mises stress extremes are observed in the top plate and side walls of the existing tunnel, which occur in the tunnel structure, and there are unloading and pressure-bearing zones in the bottom plate; the new tunnel has the same rock disturbance angle under the four calculation conditions and, based on the displacement control criterion, the excavation method is preferred and the upper and lower step blasting excavation method is recommended.

Comparison of nonlinear trends and influencing factors of carbon sinks in four ecological restoration projects in China

AbstractChina's ecological restoration projects aim to safeguard natural forests, improve the ecological environment, and achieve carbon neutrality. Previous studies at multiple scales have reported that the ecological projects contributed to enhancing carbon sinks. However, the effect of these projects on the carbon sinks has remained uncertain. Thus, we conducted a comparative analysis of nonlinear trends and influencing factors of carbon sink trends in the four ecological restoration project areas. Our findings suggested that the Pearl River shelterbelt program and middle reaches of the Yellow River shelterbelt program areas have experienced significant enhancements in ecosystem carbon sinks. The carbon sink exhibiting monotonically increasing trends and decreasing to increasing trends (positive shifts) accounted for 74.48% and 71.76% in these two shelterbelt program areas, respectively. However, less than half of the carbon sinks (41.38% and 31.80%, respectively) demonstrated monotonically increasing trends or positive shifts in the Yangtze River and Three North Shelterbelt program areas. The high background value of carbon sinks played a crucial role in the monotonically increasing trends of carbon sinks in the four ecological restoration projects. Additionally, in the Pearl River program areas, economic development and urban greening promoted the monotonically increasing trends of carbon sink. In the Yellow River program areas, CO2 fertilization, appropriate warming, and increased precipitation were helpful to promote the carbon sink with monotonically increasing trends. Moreover, the positive shifts of the carbon sinks were attributed to the implementation of these two ecological restoration projects. However, the low temperature and drought hindered the enhancement of carbon sinks in the Three North program areas, and extreme climate (flood and drought) hindered it in the Yangtze River program areas. These findings can provide a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of ecological restoration projects on terrestrial ecosystems and offer practical guidelines to achieve carbon neutrality.

РАЗВИТИЕ ГОРОДА НА ОСНОВЕ КОНКУРСНОЙ ЗАЯВКИ ПО МАЛЫМ ГОРОДАМ И ИСТОРИЧЕСКИМ ПОСЕЛЕНИЯМ

Abstract. The article is a study devoted to the development and implementation of the project "Tatar legends – to the city by the old road along Commune Street" in the city of Arsk. The study is based on the analysis of surveys of residents who identified the need for improvement and development of the route, as well as the identification of problems existing in the project area.
 The subject of the study: The reconstruction of the Commune Street in the city of Arsk on the basis of its comprehensive strategic development plan, which includes effective management strategies, sustainable infrastructure development and the promotion of cultural and social events to attract tourism and increase the economic potential of the city.
 Materials and methods: During the study, an analysis of the existing urban infrastructure was applied to identify critical issues requiring improvement in the city of Arsk, a survey and collection of feedback from residents to determine their needs and preferences for urban development.
 Results: The article describes the proposed solutions, which include the creation of convenient sidewalks, lighting, bike paths, the construction of a new bridge and the reorganization of the intersection. The restoration of the identity of the station square and the development of the historical space are also being considered. The authors emphasize the importance of the project for the city of Arsk and its potential to improve infrastructure and attract tourists. Landscaping of the territory will allow for various events such as wedding ceremonies, fairs and festivals, which helps to increase the attractiveness of the city. The article presents the financing of the project and the projected revenues from the operation of the projected territory, as well as its connection with the development of municipal districts. It is expected that the implementation of the project will lead to positive and long-term changes in the city of Arsk, contributing to its economic development.
 Conclusions: The study presents important practical and theoretical results, supported by data from surveys of residents and proposed solutions to improve the infrastructure of the city of Arsk and its development as a tourist destination.

Process evaluation of a disability-inclusive employment programme: examining the design and implementation of STAR+

ABSTRACT Little is known about what works to facilitate disability-inclusive employment. This study reports initial findings of a process evaluation of a disability-inclusive employment programme, STAR+, being implemented across Bangladesh. The study interrogates the design of STAR+ and the structures and processes by which it was delivered. Findings reveal an important role of early involvement of disability-focused organizations in intervention planning. The study further discusses adaptations made during STAR+ delivery. First, in some project areas, extra resources were available to appoint additional staff to support disability inclusion. Second, family members were relied upon by implementers to support youth with disabilities at their workplace and classroom training. Lastly, STAR+ implementers take care to ensure the right employers are selected by the programme, in some cases engaging in additional ad-hoc selection processes to on-board more altruistic individuals. Results are discussed in terms of programmatic and policy implications.

A Guideline for Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Carbon Sequestration in Forest Sector Based on Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction Programme

Currently climate change and global warming have significant impact on the environment toward biodiversity and human quality of life. Major cause derives from human activities that produce greenhouse gas emission especially the diffusion of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. One way to address global warming is to increase the absorption potential of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. The best natural method is forest adsorption whereby trees absorb carbon dioxide and store it in the form of biomass through photosynthesis. Therefore, forests are a highly efficient source of carbon sinks. The main objective of this research was to implement a methodology for greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration assessments in forest sector according to Thailand's standards known as the Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction Program (T-VER). According to climate change, reduction of greenhouse gas process will use methodology of T-VER-METH-FOR-01 Version 2 (Sustainable Forestation)andT-VER-TOOL-FOR/AGR-01 Version 2(Calculation for Carbon Sequestration). The Baseline Sequestration/Emissionand Project Sequestration/ Emission as well as plant diversity assessment in project area as greenhouse gas activity will be used for the calculation. The results of this development of prototype project could be used for concluding content of greenhouse gas from 134.72 ha of the research area and it was shown that Baseline Sequestration was 19,618.95 tCO2e. When calculating Project Sequestration for 10 years, carbon content could be increased by 27,617.95tCO2e calculated to be 800.61tCO2e/yr. Therefore, total Project Sequestration was 8,006.13tCO2e.

Selection criteria for facility management practices: residents’ and building/site managers’ perspectives in urban transformation projects

PurposeThe facility management (FM) sector, which is developing rapidly, is making slower progress in Turkey compared to Europe and the USA. This paper aims to research the underlying issues leading to FM practices and offer insights into the implications of FM-related policies, especially for large urban transformation projects.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a mixed-methods research design and collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with building/site managers and quantitative data through structured surveys with residents. Forty-nine building/site managers and 660 residents participated in the interview and survey from Turkey’s North Ankara and Dikmen Valley urban transformation projects.FindingsThe FM by residents, performed by the managers selected among homeowners, was preferred to the professional FM in Turkey. Education level, age, homeownership and duration of living in the region were associated with selecting FM practices. Cost also had an important place among the selection criteria, and the standard view from the residents was that professional FM would cause a cost increase. However, interviews with building/site managers in North Ankara and Dikmen Valley Urban Transformation areas revealed that a significant part of the problem resulted from insufficient knowledge and experience in FM.Research limitations/implicationsWithin the scope of the research, two urban transformation projects in Ankara Province were selected, and the survey was limited to the North Ankara Entrance Urban Transformation Project and Dikmen Valley Urban Transformation Project areas. Although there is a need to improve the understanding of FM in all facilities, built environments and collective buildings, collective buildings in urban transformation areas due to several constraints, those other identified areas are postponed for future study. In addition, collective buildings located in transformation areas differ from others in discussing the social dimension and the impact of management.Social implicationsWithin the scope of the research, two urban transformation projects in Ankara Province were selected, and the survey was limited to the North Ankara Entrance Urban Transformation Project and Dikmen Valley Urban Transformation Project areas. Although there is a need to improve the understanding of FM in all facilities, due to several constraints built environments and collective buildings in urban transformation areas, are postponed for future study. In addition, collective buildings located in transformation areas differ from others in discussing the social dimension and the impact of management.Originality/valueThis study evaluates two different FM approaches: FM by residents and professional FM, implemented in Turkey and identifies the criteria for choosing the FM practice. In addition, both building/site managers and residents evaluate different perspectives on FM. This study is unique because it compares different FM practices in Turkey and the criteria for residents to prefer different FM practices.

INDIVIDUAL GEOINFORMATIC AND CARTOGRAPHIC PROJECTS: A CASE STUDY IN VÁC, HUNGARY

This article presents the findings and methods employed in two individual projects: the Individual Geoinformatic Project (IGP) and the Individual Cartographic Project (ICP). The projects were conducted in the town of Vác, Hungary, with the IGP focusing on environmental measurements and the ICP on mapping tourist attractions. The goals of the projects were to design and create maps, develop a geodatabase, and produce related materials such as reports and presentations. The project area covered a specific part of Vác, including prominent landmarks, historic sites, and residential areas. Data for the projects were collected through field surveys and office work, using various data sources and tools such as GPS devices and ArcGIS Collector. The process involved planning, data collection, and extensive laboratory work to process and analyze the acquired data. The results include two sets of environmental maps and two touristic maps, as well as a comprehensive website showcasing the findings. The article concludes with recommendations for future projects, highlighting the importance of continuous data collection and more sophisticated measurement techniques for accurate map representations.

Enhancing water quality and ecosystems of reclaimed water-replenished river: A case study of Dongsha River, Beijing, China

The use of reclaimed water for urban river replenishment has raised concerns regarding its impact on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. This study aims to reveal the improvements seen in an urban river undergoing a practical water eco-remediation after being replenished with reclaimed water. A one-year monitoring of water quality, phytoplankton, and zooplankton was carried out in Dongsha River undergoing eco-remediation in Beijing, China. The results showed that compared to the unrestored river, the concentrations of COD, NH4+-N, TP, and TN decreased by 28.22 ± 7.88 %, 40.24 ± 11.77 %, 44.17 ± 17.29 %, and 28.66 ± 10.39 % in the restoration project area, respectively. The concentration of Chlorophyll-a in the restoration area was maintained below 40 μg/L. During summer, when algal growth is vigorous, the density of Cyanophyta in the unrestored river decreased from 46.84 × 104cells/L to 16.32 × 104cells/L in the restored area, while that of Chlorophyta decreased from 41.61 × 104cells/L to 11.87 × 104cells/L, a reduction of 65.16 % and 71.47 %, respectively. The dominant phytoplankton species were replaced with Bacillariophyta, such as Synedra sp. and Nitzschia sp., indicating that the restoration of aquatic plants reduces the risk of Cyanophyta blooms. Zooplankton species also changed in the restoration area, especially during summer. The density of pollution-tolerant Rotifer and Protozoa decreased by 31.06 % and 27.22 %, while the density of clean water indicating Cladocera increased by 101.19 %. We further calculated the diversity and evenness index of phytoplankton and zooplankton within and outside the restoration area. The results showed that the Shannon-Weaver index for phytoplankton and zooplankton in the restoration area was 2.1 and 1.91, which was higher than those in the river (1.84 and 1.82). This further confirmed that aquatic plant restoration has positive effects. This study can provide a practical reference and theoretical basis for the implementation of water ecological restoration projects in other reclaimed water rivers in China.

Through the eyes of community health workers: what was needed to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the Missouri Southeast region.

Public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, elucidate the strengths, weaknesses, and significant gaps in infrastructure, compatibility and consistency in communication systems, as well as the quality of collaborative relationships, and provider and workforce capacity. They also expose longstanding patterns of mistrust in the government and healthcare systems, and inadequacy in socio-economic infrastructures. These issues resulted in higher COVID-19 infection and mortality rates, and lower vaccination rates in many rural counties across the nation, including Missouri. In response to these challenges, the COVID-19 Response Network was formed in the Southeast corner of the state. The Network was a community-academic partnership that brought together community and faith-based leaders, academicians, healthcare providers and administrators, public health practitioners, and pharmacists to facilitate collaboration on education and outreach efforts aimed at reducing vaccine inequity in the 16-county project area. Importantly, the Network also included Community Health Workers (CHWs) who worked with these different agencies and organizations and were at the heart of implementing Network activities. The intent of this study was to assess their perspectives on the factors that influenced community engagement and communication strategies, and increased vaccine uptake in rural Missouri. Qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews, were used to explore the professional and personal experiences of CHWs working at the grassroots level during an ongoing pandemic. Narrative analysis revealed effective communication and engagement strategies for increasing vaccine uptake in rural communities. For instance, fear-based messaging was perceived as coercive and met with resistance. In contrast, messages that shared personal experiences and catered to the human need to protect their loved ones were more effective. Trust in the source of information was critical. This study highlights the significance of exploring and leveraging the capacities of trusted community members like CHWs to increase the effectiveness of public health interventions in rural communities.

VOLUMETRIC QUANTIFICATION OF EUCALYPTUS SP. STANDS THROUGH AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OBTAINED BY RPAS

Volumetric quantification of Eucalyptus sp. stands through aerial photographs obtained by RPAS. The data collection for forest management is necessary to carry out the inventory, being a procedure that requires field work, high cost and time. Therefore, the objective of this work was to develop dendrometric equations based on aerial images of RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) combined with the manipulation of vector data, and to estimate the forest production of Eucalyptus sp., in the southern region of the state of Rondônia. The extraction of the variables crown projection area (ACRPAS) and total height (hRPAS) were derived from RPAS images, these have been validated from data obtained in the field by means of forest inventory and by standing trees rigorous scaling. Diametric and volumetric equations were adjusted according to the variables obtained by RPAS. The total height (h) of the scaled trees and hRPAS did not show significant differences (X²= 31.013). When comparing the estimates obtained by the v equation with their respective values of the scaling, it is verified that the v equation is accurate for estimates of the variable under study (X²= 0.8077). The results indicated success in tree detection, even with the difficulties in delimiting the crowns due to occlusion. Despite the challenges arising from flight altitudes below 250 m, the estimates of diameter, height, and individual volume using metrics derived from RPAS products were accurate, consistent with those obtained in the traditional forest inventory. The use of RPAS for volumetric quantification of forest stands in Rondônia represents an innovative approach in the sector, despite the challenges encountered.

Study on structure-performance relationship and action mechanism of organic chemicals in cement grinding aids

Grinding aids (GAs) are an important addtive in the cement production process. However, the relationship between the molecular structure of GAs and its grinding efficiency has not been clearly revealed. In this study, the influence of GAs with different structures, including glycols and alkanolamines, on the grinding efficiency of pure clinker was systematically investigated. The working mechanism from their adsorption and dispersion configurations on tricalcium silicate (C3S) surface was investigated by first-principles method. As the structural parameters of GAs, number of polar groups is found to affect the grinding efficiency of cement clinker. The grinding performance of alkanolamines is better than that of glycols at the same dosage, when the number of hydroxyl groups is the same. The tertiary alkanolamines are adsorbed through the double-ended hydroxyl group to form larger molecular projection areas than the glycols with single-ended hydroxyl group, thus resulting in higher dispersion efficiency. Further, with the growth of the number of methyl groups in the molecular structure of the tertiary alkanolamines, the thickness of the adsorbed molecular layer grows from 9.25 Å to 9.87 Å, and the ability to shield the electrostatic forces between cement particles is enhanced and result in a better grinding aid performance.

Seed Quantity and Quality Variation in European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is characterized by inter-annual cycles of seed production (masting), with synchronized high seed production between sites in some years. The importance of both seed quantity and quality monitoring stems from its role in sustaining the ecological balance, promoting biodiversity, and ensuring the long-term viability of forest ecosystems. This study aimed to (1) describe seed production from 2015 to 2022, (2) identify the potential factors that could affect the yield appearance and seed quantity, and (3) compare the quality of beechnuts from different crop years in Croatia. At each of the six forest seed objects located in the area of forest administrations Bjelovar, Karlovac, Ogulin, Požega, and Delnice, we selected 5 trees for seed collection. Seeds were collected with large PVC nets covering total projection area of the tree crowns. Seed quality testing was performed according to the International Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA Rules). Our results indicate a consistent biennial beechnut cycle. The crop was completely absent in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, while 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022 were fruitful years. Weather plays a key role in triggering masting. We found that beechnut production is influenced by summer weather conditions (from June to August) in the previous two years. Abundance of beechnut production varies on an annual level, population level and on individual trees. Factors that partially explain the variability in yield are tree height and crown size. No significant differences in viability were found across different years and sites, though the results should be approached with caution due to limited sample representation. The study identified a positive correlation between seed weight and viability, as well as the impact of precipitation on moisture content. The results emphasize the need for continued monitoring and further research to understand the factors influencing beechnut production and quality, crucial for sustainable forest management in the face of climate change.