Seal Area Research Articles

Namares—A Surface Inventory and Intervention Assessment Model for Urban Resource Management

Densely built-up areas are challenged by reduced biodiversity, high volumes of runoff water, reduced evaporation, and heat accumulation. Such phenomena are associated with imperviousness and low, unsustainable utilisation of land and exterior building surfaces. Local authorities have multiple objectives when (re-)developing future-proof districts. Hence, exploiting local potentials to mitigate adverse anthropogenic effects and managing the resource of urban land/surfaces have become key priorities. Accordingly, a five-level hierarchy for a land-sensitive urban development strategy was derived. To support the operationalisation of the hierarchy, we present the model Namares, a highly resolved GIS-based approach to enable spatially explicit identification and techno-economic and environmental assessment of intervention measures for advantageous utilisation of available surfaces per land parcel. It uses existing data and covers the management of economic, natural, and technical resources. Nine intervention measures are implemented to identify potentials, estimate investments and annual costs, and assess the appeal of existing subsidies. The approach was applied to a case study redevelopment area in a large city in Germany. The results provide spatially explicit information on greening potentials, estimated investments, subsidy demand, and other quantified benefits. The case study results show the limited potential for additional unsealing of impervious surfaces by transforming ca. 10% of sealed ground surface area into new urban gardens. At the same time, up to 47% of roof and 30% of facade surfaces could be utilised for greening and energy harvesting. The approach enables a comprehensive localisation and quantitative assessment of intervention potentials to enhance decision support in land-sensitive urban development strategies.

Epidemiological Characteristics of COVID-19 and Effective Public Health Interventions in Shenzhen, China.

Objectives:This study aims to analyze and summarize the epidemic characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the public heath interventions in Shenzhen from 1 January 2022 to 4 April 2022, hoping to provide useful reference for resurgence.MethodsData were extracted from the website of Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission from 1 January 2022 to 4 April 2022. The number of new indigenous patients, imported patients, symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, age, gender, regional distribution, screening routes, and clinical subtype were analyzed. The public health interventions were summarized and described.ResultsThere have been 1,215 new indigenous cases and 1,447 imported cases in Shenzhen from 1 January 2022 to 4 April 2022. The age group of the indigenous cases range from 2 months to 92 years. The median age was 35.0. The male-to-female ratio was 1.13 (623:551). The number of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients were 930 (76.5%) and 285 (23.5%), respectively, without death. Shenzhen has experienced three outbreaks. Futian District has the large proportion of confirmed cases (55.8%), followed by Nanshan (13.5%), and Baoan District (13.5%). The indigenous confirmed cases were mainly screened from close contacts under quarantine observation (632 cases, 53.8%), key areas (304 cases, 25.9%), key crowds (93 cases, 7.9%), and communities (145, 12.4%). Among the imported cases outside the Chinses Mainland, China's Hong Kong had the largest number of confirmed cases (n = 1,368), followed by Singapore (n = 18), South Korea (n = 18), and Japan (n = 14). The Shenzhen government quickly implemented effective measures, including citywide screening, quarantine, tracking, classified management for different groups and the dividing epidemic-hit communities, villages into three regions (sealed area, controlled area, and prevention area), and expand the capacity of designated hospitals, etc., which effectively controlled the outbreaks. By 4 April 2022, no new local cases had been reported.ConclusionsThree novel COVID-19 outbreaks occurred in Shenzhen between 1 January to 4 April 2022, linked to importation from outside the Chinese Mainland and subsequently caused the local transmission. The measures of citywide testing–tracking–classified management by risk level have effectively controlled the epidemic and should be continued to prevent resurgence.

Mucormycosis – A prosthodontists perspective

Mucormycosis, an opportunistic fungal infection commonly associated with diabetes, is now intermittent as a result of co-infection with COVID-19 and steroid use, affecting the nose and paranasal sinuses of the head and neck region, with high mortality and morbidity. It is also more common in diabetic ketoacidosis, neutropenia, cancer, organ transplantation, and/or high serum iron levels, burns, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, indiscriminate usage of steroids, lymphoma, leukemia, poor metabolic status etc. The most common treatment protocol for such conditions is aggressive surgical debridement, which includes resection of involved maxillofacial structures such as the maxilla, orbit, and/or nose.Rehabilitation of such large maxillofacial defects is a Prosthodontic challenge, with many problems encountered such as lack of retention due to dislodging forces exerted by scarred postsurgical soft tissues, lack of bony base, lost structures of the posterior palatal seal area, multiple defect sites, and compromised medical status due to comorbidities, which also affects the defect's healing rate.For patients to survive, early diagnosis and treatment are frequently required. The clinical manifestations, etiopathogenesis, and management of the dreaded fungal infection known as mucormycosis in the head and neck region will be reviewed in this paper.

Various prosthetic rehabilitation for mucormycosis

Mucormycosis is a form of fungal infection that is invasive and rapidly progressive, thereby including nose and paranasal sinuses of the head and neck region with high mortality and morbidity. Compromised immunity such as uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, Leukaemia, long-term use of steroids are the most common causes of the disease. Acute surgical resection is performed that involves the resectioning of the affected maxillofacial structures such as orbit, maxilla and / or nose in such conditions. Prosthodontic rehabilitation of these large maxillofacial defects is challenging. Lack of retention due to dislodging forces exerted by scarred post-surgical soft tissues, lack of bony base, missing structures of the posterior palatal seal area, multiple defect sites and compromised medical status due to comorbidities are the numerous problems are encountered during the rehabilitation of such defects. The basic principle of any prosthetic rehabilitation design includes the preservation of the remaining natural tissues along with retention, stability, support, and aesthetics. Fixed or Removable Prosthodontic rehabilitation can be performed depending on the available supporting structures.

Sealing The Cracks in the Wear Layer of the Road Surface by Friction against a Rotary Active Element

The main objective of the research paper is the theoretical and experimental analysis of the method proposed for sealing (clogging) cracks in asphalt, by means of a cylindrical bitumen bar, enriched with plastic and rubber granules (obtained from the use of waste), which melts and infuses into the cracked zone by rotation and friction against it. After analyzing the technical characteristics of the sealed area and the time required to apply the bitumen layer, this method can be chosen in the future to the detriment of the expensive operations of partial milling of the cracked wear layer, making possible the repair of cracks by sealing(clogging), using the friction procedure. The research results highlighted the diminution of road maintenance costs using the method of friction, the decrease of cracks repair time, maintaining the initial characteristics of the repaired area, incorporating a waterproofing material (plastic and rubbber granules from recycled waste), keeping the wear layer in good conditions, possibility of embedding an intelligent system of traffic monitoring at low costs etc.

Design of a VTOL UAV for Anti-poaching Surveillance Missions in the Danube Delta

The main objective of the research paper is the theoretical and experimental analysis of the method proposed for sealing (clogging) cracks in asphalt, by means of a cylindrical bitumen bar, enriched with plastic and rubber granules (obtained from the use of waste), which melts and infuses into the cracked zone by rotation and friction against it. After analyzing the technical characteristics of the sealed area and the time required to apply the bitumen layer, this method can be chosen in the future to the detriment of the expensive operations of partial milling of the cracked wear layer, making possible the repair of cracks by sealing(clogging), using the friction procedure. The research results highlighted the diminution of road maintenance costs using the method of friction, the decrease of cracks repair time, maintaining the initial characteristics of the repaired area, incorporating a waterproofing material (plastic and rubbber granules from recycled waste), keeping the wear layer in good conditions, possibility of embedding an intelligent system of traffic monitoring at low costs etc.

Honey bee (Apis mellifera jemenitica) colony performance and queen fecundity in response to different nutritional practices

Honey bee colony nutritional dynamics depend on the availability of floral resources throughout a countryside with varying forage circumstances. Few studies quantify the queen fecundity and colony performance about certain management approaches on a broad scale. The present study was conducted to investigate the queen bee fecundity and various colony performance parameters in response to different nutritional practices, i.e., Group-I, supplied with sucrose solution (1:1; w/v), Group-II, provided with locally available commercial pollen substitute, Group-III, supplied with both sucrose solution + locally available commercial pollen substitute, and Group-IV without any sugar solution and pollen substitute. Our results demonstrated that eggs laid by queen bees were significantly higher (1241.83 ± 46.24) in Group-III than in other groups over the time of observations. Similarly, a significant difference was noticed in the mean sealed worker brood area and honey store area between the different groups of management practices. Both, the max mean sealed worker brood area (2153.53 ± 29.18 cm2) and max mean honey store area (1713.33 ± 12.06 cm2) were observed in Group-III while, the mini mean sealed worker brood area (1066.53 ± 20.18 cm2) and mini mean honey store area (1058.86 ± 4.07 cm2) were observed in Group-IV. In contrast, a non-significant difference was observed in pollen stores between Group-II and Group-III (p > 0.005). Current findings add to our understanding of the mechanisms that underpin large-scale controlled colony performance when the natural pollens resources are insufficient.

Establishing the posterior palatal seal area by using a clear acrylic resin custom tray during the definitive impression: A dental technique

Recording the posterior palatal seal intraorally should be accurate and cause minimal discomfort. This article describes a technique for recording the posterior palatal seal area by using a clear acrylic resin custom tray without drawing directly on the palate. The technique is straightforward and causes minimum discomfort when compared with other techniques.

Перспективы создания атласной информационной системы на территорию ООПТ мегаполиса с использованием краудсорсинговых ресурсов (на примере парка Покровское-Стрешнево)

The article discusses the possibility of creating an atlas information system for a specially protected area of a metropolis based on crowdsourcing resources. The Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo park, the smallest natural and historical park in Moscow (∼2.2 km²), was chosen as the object of study. It is distinguished by a harmonious and original cultural landscape that has developed since the end of the 18th century, and high biodiversity, the presence of protected species of plants and animals. Beavers, muskrats, squirrels, weasels, ducks, shelducks and other birds (about 50 species), various fish and insects, forest and meadow landscapes are a valuable recreational resource located not far from the city center. Improvement work has been repeatedly carried out in the park, however, in 2022, the most large-scale radical reconstruction work began, which caused profound changes in the natural environment and put ecosystems at risk of destruction. Such events aroused active resistance from environmentalists, regular visitors to the park, and residents of the surrounding areas, who organized constant interaction to exchange information on environmental issues. Relying on these activists became the basis for designing an atlas information system based on crowdsourced resources. As an example, a map of factual material on plants is given, compiled in the Google Map Maker environment based on field observations of interested persons with photographs and descriptions. In addition, a table has been compiled on plants, including their useful, decorative and dangerous properties of plants, as well as habitat features in the park. In the process of joint research with environmentalists, the following adverse impacts and changes in the natural environment were identified: the destruction and oppression of trees and bushes, the destruction of natural grass cover and its replacement with lawns, the oppression of the animal population, the destruction of the soil layer, the construction of unnecessary roads, incl. paved, changes resulting from the use of construction and transport equipment, incl. severe, excessive lighting of the park, the introduction of building materials and debris into the natural environment, an increase in sealed areas, deformation of slopes, violation of the relief and landscape structure of the park, changes in the hydrological regime. The atlas information system of the Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo park on a crowdsourcing resource has good development prospects.

Особенности проектирования узлов герметизации кабельных вводов

The purpose of this work is to describe and summarize main design principles of sealing joints for cable penetrators of deepwater vehicles. The study was performed on typical sealed areas of watertight cable penetrators, like soldered joint between copper sheath of a heat resistant cable with mineral isolation (KMZh) and cable penetrator body; polymeric termination of cable ends; sealing joint of metal penetrator body in pressure hull with circular elastomeric gaskets. The case study in this paper is a metal casing attached to KMZh cable by a heat-resistant silverized brazing alloy. The quality of soldering joints was estimated metallographically, i.e. by means of optical microscopy and electronic raster spectroscopy. Watertightness of KMZh cable is ensured by reactoplast-based polymers that must be not only adequate to their operational conditions but also comply with fire safety regulations for ships. Watertightness of penetrator interface with pressure hull is achieved by means of elastomeric gaskets. The study investigated main sealing joints of penetrators, as well as the mechanisms achieving watertightness of each given joint. Analysis in ANSYS software package yielded the optimal thermal scenario of casing warm-up offering the best quality of both soldering process and adhesion to the KMZh cable. The calculation was also performed for the minimum length of brazed joint of constant width so as to ensure strength and watertightness at different external pressures. Calculation results were performed by hydraulic tests of penetrator samples. The study also identified the peculiarities of polymeric sealant selection. A promising approach for cable termination manufacturing would be to use heat-resistant materials featuring shape memory effect.

Thermal influences on groundwater in urban environments – A multivariate statistical analysis of the subsurface heat island effect in Munich

Shallow aquifers beneath cities are highly influenced by anthropogenic heat sources, resulting in the formation of extensive subsurface urban heat islands. In addition to anthropogenic factors, natural factors also influence the subsurface temperature. However, the effect of individual factors is difficult to capture due to high temporal dynamics in urban environments. Particularly in the case of shallow aquifers, seasonal temperature fluctuations often override the influence of existing heat sources or sinks. For the city of Munich, we identify the dominant anthropogenic and natural influences on groundwater temperature and analyse how the influences change with increasing depth in the subsurface. For this purpose, we use depth temperature profiles from 752 selected groundwater monitoring wells. Since the measurements were taken at different times, we developed a statistical approach to compensate for the different seasonal temperature influences using passive heat tracing. Further, we propose an indicator to spatially assess the thermal stress on the aquifer.A multiple regression analysis of four natural and nine anthropogenic factors identified surface sealing as the strongest and the district heating grid as a weak but significant warming influence. The natural factors, aquifer thickness, depth-to-water and Darcy velocity show a significant cooling influence on the groundwater temperature. In addition, we show that local drivers, like thermal groundwater uses, surface waters and underground structures do not significantly contribute to the city-wide temperature distribution. The subsequent depth-dependent analysis revealed that the influence of aquifer thickness and depth-to-water increases with depth, whereas the influence of Darcy velocity decreases, and surface sealing and the heating grid remain relatively constant. In conclusion, this study shows that the most critical factor for the mitigation of future groundwater warming in cities is to minimize further sealing of the ground, to restore the permeability of heavily sealed areas and to retain open landscapes.

Lateral Flow and Contributing Area Control Vegetation Cover in a Semiarid Environment

AbstractSemiarid ecosystems attract attention, because they support the life of large human populations, while functioning under growing threats of degradation due to global climate change that may lead to reduced productivity and possibly irreversible desertification. Empirical support is consequently highly sought after to validate the soil‐moisture‐biomass relationship at the local scale in these ecosystems. Combining physically based models and a database of 32 years of field and remotely sensed data, we examined the effect of soil‐moisture content (SMC) on vegetation cover and patch size distribution in the heterogenous semiarid Lehavim LTER in the Negev Desert, Israel. Results from numerical solutions of flow equations in the shallow soil layer allowed predictions of distributions of SMC as the outcome of vertical and lateral water fluxes. The association of vertical fluxes with patch size distribution and vegetation cover did not support the notion that direct rainfall is sufficient for the shrubs' survival in drought conditions. However, re‐infiltration of downslope runoff, generated in sealed bare intershrub soil area, significantly contributed to the water available to supporting shrub patches. Accordingly, our approach determines potential vegetation cover in semiarid areas, due to the dependency on contributing area and rainfall‐infiltration‐runoff processes. This underscores the fact that, additionally to infiltration from direct rainfall, run‐on contribution controls vegetation cover in semiarid environments. We therefore suggest that estimations of shrub resilience to water stress should consider scenarios involving surface sealing, rainfall duration and intensity, and contributing area size—each in accordance with the contribution of lateral flows to the water available to shrubs.

Functional diversity and habitat preferences of native grassland plants and ground-dwelling invertebrates in private gardens along an urbanization gradient.

Urbanization is occurring around the globe, changing environmental conditions and influencing biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Urban domestic gardens represent a small‐grained mosaic of diverse habitats for numerous species. The challenging conditions in urban gardens support species possessing certain traits, and exclude other species. Functional diversity is therefore often altered in urban gardens. By using a multi‐taxa approach focused on native grassland plants and ground‐dwelling invertebrates with overall low mobility (snails, slugs, spiders, millipedes, woodlice, ants, rove beetles), we examined the effects of urbanization (distance to city center, percentage of sealed area) and garden characteristics on functional dispersion, functional evenness, habitat preferences and body size. We conducted a field survey in 35 domestic gardens along a rural–urban gradient in Basel, Switzerland. The various groups showed different responses to urbanization. Functional dispersion of native grassland plants decreased with increasing distance to the city center, while functional dispersion of ants decreased with increasing percentage of sealed area. Functional evenness of ants increased with increasing distance to the city center and that of rove beetles decreased with increasing percentage of sealed area. Contrary to our expectation, in rove beetles, the proportion of generalists decreased with increasing percentage of sealed area in the surroundings, and the proportion of species preferring dry conditions increased with increasing distance to the city center. Body size of species increased with distance to city center for slugs, spiders, millipedes, ants, and rove beetles. Local garden characteristics had few effects on functional diversity and habitat preferences of the groups examined. Our study supports the importance of using multi‐taxa approaches when examining effects of environmental change on biodiversity. Considering only a single group may result in misleading findings for overall biodiversity. The ground‐dwelling invertebrates investigated may be affected in different ways from the more often‐studied flying pollinators or birds.

FORAGING ACTIVITY OF MANAGED BEE POLLINATOR (Apis cerana indica) IN BITTER GOURD CROPPING SYSTEM IN INDIA

Honey bees play an important role in crop pollination of bitter gourd flowers. An experiment was conducted at Coimbatore District to observe the foraging activity and pollination efficiency of Indian bee (A. cerana indica) in Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.). The foraging activity and number of foragers/ flower/ min was recorded in male and female bitter gourd flower. Bitter gourd fruit set and yield was assessed under three conditions pollinator exclusion, bee pollination and open pollination. No. of foragers/ flower/ minute (abundance of pollinators) and floral handling time in seconds (foraging rate) of Indian bees recorded on male flower (0.88 bees) and (6.52 sec) was higher than in female flower (0.57 bees) and (3.61 sec) respectively. The peak foraging activity of A. cerana indica noticed between 08:00-10:00 hours with 1.2 foragers/ 5 mins. Pollination efficiency index of Indian bee was 747035.5. Foraging activity at the hive entrance was maximum at 08:00 to 10:00 hours. Colony growth parameter of A. cerana indica was increased 67.85% in respect of the sealed honey area and 15.07% in respect of the adult population. The results of pollination studies show, the number of fruits/plant (17.4 fruits) and fruit yield per hectare (41.13 t/ha) was higher in managed bee pollinated plot than to open pollination condition (16.2 fruits) and (37.25 t/ha) and no fruit set was recorded in pollination exclusion condition.

Comprehensive Approach Tackles Systemic Failures in Gas-Lift Valves in Presalt Wells

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 30943, “Comprehensive Approach To Tackle Systemic Failure in Gas-Lift Valves in Presalt Wells,” by Elaine Daniele M.P.C. Real, Thiago Geraldo Silva, and Otavio Borges Ciribelli, Petrobras, et al., prepared for the 2021 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 16–19 August. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2021 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission. This work describes a comprehensive approach to tackle systemic failure in gas-lift valves (GLVs) in presalt wells. Failure analyses in GLVs were performed after unexpected early failures leading to tubing/annulus communication. Understanding the root causes of this problem generates value for assets by increasing equipment life, preventing unnecessary workover, and reducing costs. Equipment and Processes Historically, the operator used conventional orifice GLVs. The complete paper provides a history of the development of the first GLVs, with a flat seat, into a model having a seat in the venturi shape. While GLV designs have evolved since the adoption of the venturi-shaped valves, a cause of failure was identified as blocking of the injection orifices as a result of the displacement of the venturi caused by the rupture of the elastic ring lock. Failure analyses also brought to light important information on the flow of liquid through the valve that is common in workover operations and ramp up of production in oil wells. For high liquid flow rates, the erosion of the internal parts of the valve causes failure. Thus, it was necessary to develop a new GLV that supported higher liquid flow rates. As a result, high-reliability GLV designs emerged. The maximum liquid flow rate through these valves was increased to 2 bbl/min because of improvements in metallurgy and a new geometric design inverting the position of the check valve (CV) and the venturi. An example of this high-reliability GLV, called the “alpha model” by the authors, is presented in Fig. 1. The CV of this model, considered to be of high reliability, has five parts, two more than the CV of the conventional venturi GLV. These two new parts are the ring (elastomer) and the nozzle retainer (metal). This design change eliminated the elastic ring lock that was thinner and made of a more-fragile material than the metal ring. Additionally, this new design uses a double-sealing system of elastomer/metal and metal/metal. The operating mechanism of the high-reliability valve is characterized by the fact that only the dart and the CV’s compression spring are mobile. A second type of high-reliability GLV is called the “beta model” by the authors. The CV of this GLV is comprised only of the spring and dart. When the tubing pressure is greater than that of the annulus pressure, the spring is relaxed and the valve is in the closed position. When the annulus pressure is greater than the tubing pressure, however, the spring is compressed and the CV seat is pushed in the direction of the nose of the valve. At that point, the dart holes line up with the nose holes and the valve is in an open position. The beta model GLV features only metal/metal sealing, which causes small leaks caused by poorly executed polishing or dirt deposition between the seal area and the dart.

Early Type II Endoleaks Are Associated With Late Type I and III Endoleaks and Rupture After Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Type II endoleaks (TIIELs) are the most common complication after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) with a reported occurrence rate of 8% to 45%. However, their clinical significance is still a matter of debate. Treatment policies have varied from conservative management to angiographic evaluation and intervention. With most TIIELs managed conservatively, the question remains whether persistent collateral sac reperfusion increases the risk of reintervention, morbidity, or mortality. We sought to assess the effects of the development of early TIIELs on the midterm outcomes after EVAR. We identified all patients who had undergone EVAR from January 2010 to December 2016 in the Vascular Implant Surveillance and Interventional Outcomes Network (VISION). The patients were divided into two groups: those with and without TIIELs at 30 days of follow-up. The 2-year outcomes included freedom from reintervention for type I and III endoleaks, freedom from abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)-related reinterventions, freedom from rupture, and all-cause mortality. Total of 12,728 patients had undergone EVAR during the study period, of whom, 1088 (8.5%) had developed an early TIIEL. The patients with a TIIEL were older (mean age, 77 ± 7 years vs 75 ± 7 years; P < .001) and less likely to have a history of smoking (79% vs 82.6%; P < .001). The 2-year freedom from reintervention for a type I/III endoleak estimate was 97% for the TIIEL group compared with 99.2% for the no TIIEL group (P < .001). The TIIEL group had significantly lower rates of freedom from AAA-related reinterventions (92.1% vs 94%, P = .02) and freedom from AAA rupture (95.1% vs 96.2%; P = .05) at 2 years. No difference was found in the freedom from all-cause mortality between the two groups (TIIEL, 95.5% vs no TIIEL, 94.5%; P = .19). After adjustment, the development of early TIIELs was associated with a 3.3-fold increase in reinterventions for type I and III endoleaks (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 3.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.13-5.34; P < .001), a 28% increase in AAA-related reinterventions (aHR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.01-1.6; P = .03), and a 38% increase in AAA rupture (aHR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.03-1.84). Our findings suggest that TIIELs are not benign and can lead to high-pressure endoleaks and even rupture after EVAR. This is likely the result of sac expansion and the stress placed on the endograft seal zones and areas of modular component overlap. Thus, it is important to identify the modifiable risk factors for TIIEL occurrence and evaluate the effectiveness of prophylactic measures in reducing their incidence.

Food Tray Sealing Fault Detection in Multi-Spectral Images Using Data Fusion and Deep Learning Techniques.

A correct food tray sealing is required to preserve food properties and safety for consumers. Traditional food packaging inspections are made by human operators to detect seal defects. Recent advances in the field of food inspection have been related to the use of hyperspectral imaging technology and automated vision-based inspection systems. A deep learning-based approach for food tray sealing fault detection using hyperspectral images is described. Several pixel-based image fusion methods are proposed to obtain 2D images from the 3D hyperspectral image datacube, which feeds the deep learning (DL) algorithms. Instead of considering all spectral bands in region of interest around a contaminated or faulty seal area, only relevant bands are selected using data fusion. These techniques greatly improve the computation time while maintaining a high classification ratio, showing that the fused image contains enough information for checking a food tray sealing state (faulty or normal), avoiding feeding a large image datacube to the DL algorithms. Additionally, the proposed DL algorithms do not require any prior handcraft approach, i.e., no manual tuning of the parameters in the algorithms are required since the training process adjusts the algorithm. The experimental results, validated using an industrial dataset for food trays, along with different deep learning methods, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. In the studied dataset, an accuracy of 88.7%, 88.3%, 89.3%, and 90.1% was achieved for Deep Belief Network (DBN), Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), Stacked Auto Encoder (SAE), and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), respectively.

QUANTIFYING THE IMPACT OF URBAN INFILL ON THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT – A CASE STUDY FOR AN ALTERNATIVE MEDIUM DENSITY MODEL

Abstract. Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) impact the quality of life in many urban centres. Metropolitan areas of Australian cities and urbanised regional centres, in particular, show vulnerability towards UHIs due to challenging climatic conditions and the model of greater subdivision of established properties whereby backyards and mature trees are replaced with more residential dwellings and sealed areas. The measurements for the UHI mitigation, such as imposing reforestation, employing sustainable and medium density housing build form typology must be quantified. Simulation-based identification and mitigation of UHIs can be used for planning decisions. There are several advantages to use simulations. For instance, alternative subdivision design, building design and the placement of trees and other measures is only required in the digital twin. Experimenting with the digital twin saves resources and maximises the outcome by being able to quantify the heat reduction. The aim of this work is to quantify the impact of the current urban infill methods on UHI. We focus on an area that has gone through a process of re-subdivision that is bounded by roads within Perth, Western Australia. For the same area we propose an alternative design with an urban infill model based on a medium density housing guidelines with an improved green space allocation. While the current model shows significant effects of UHIs we could mitigate those effects in the alternative proposed model. In our simulation the hottest surfaces are roads with a temperature of approximately 45 °C at 2PM in the afternoon. In the current model close to 100% of the road surfaces reach this temperature. In contrast, in the alternative model only 45% of all road surfaces reach this temperature, significantly reducing the impact of UHI for pedestrian walking close by to those roads. At 2PM, the most frequent temperature of all surfaces for the current model is around 44 °C while the alternative’s model the most frequent temperature is approximately 28 °C – a difference of 16 °C.

Recapitulation and Prospect of Research on Flow Field in Coal Mine Gob

Coal mine gob, mined-out areas in underground coal mines, often accumulates explosive methane-air mixtures that pose a deadly hazard to miners. A good understanding of the flow field in a sealed coal mine area is crucial in preventing and minimizing accidents associated with mine combustible gases and also for planning and implementing a mine rescue strategy. In recent years, the research on the flow field in the gob has changed from qualitative research in the past to quantitative research. This paper synthesizes the research results of flow field in gob in recent 40 years, covering the permeability of quarried areas, the airflow simulation in quarried areas, and the influence of ventilation parameters and geohydrological conditions on the flow field. Firstly, the overburden failure mechanism and fracture development characteristics of the mine gob, the distribution of porosity and permeability in the gob, and the relationship between them are introduced. Secondly, the development of research methods and numerical models used to study the flow field in mine gob is discussed. The distribution of the flow field in the gob under different conditions is expounded. Thirdly, the research on the prevention and control of fire and explosion risks in the gob is discussed. Finally, the problems to be solved in such research direction are addressed and suggestions are put forward.

Effect of Protein Supplementation in the Bee Apis mellifera L. Exposed to the Agrochemical Fipronil

Inadequate quantity and quality of proteins in honey bee diet can cause weakening of their colonies and damage their resistance to agrochemical contamination, such as fipronil, which is highly toxic to bees. Thus, we tested the hypothesis if protein supplementation would improve longevity and locomotion of honeybees exposed to fipronil pesticide. Colonies of Apis mellifera Africanized were distributed into Control Group without protein supplementation and Supplemented Group with 25% crude protein provided as a paste form at 100 g per week. After four weeks, frames with sealed brood were removed and kept in an incubator until the emergence of worker bees, which were marked, returned to their hives and recaptured six days later to measure protein concentration in the hemolymph. The bee population development was measured by evaluating frames containing the queen’s oviposition from each colony. Also, nursing bees were recaptured exposed by contact to fipronil LD50% (0.009 ± 0.003 μg/bee), and the longevity and motor activity were measured. The results showed that the bee swarms protein supplementation promoted a significant increase in the sealed brood area. However, it did not promote changes in the protein content of the hemolymph. Protein supplementation of bee swarms did not influence the survival of bees exposed to fipronil in the locomotion tests; however, fipronil was toxic to bees and promoted changes in the locomotion of bees.