41. The effect of crystalline waterproofing a dmixtures on the self-healing and permeability of concreteAnita Gojević, Vilma Ducman, Ivanka Netinger Grubeša, Ana Baričević, Ivana Banjad Pečur, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: This paper investigates the effectiveness of a specific crystalline waterproofing admixture (CWA) in concrete as a function of a water–binder ratio. Four concrete mixes with and without CWA were prepared; two of them with a water–binder ratio of 0.45 and two of them with a water– binder ratio of 0.55. Water permeability and compressive strength were tested on hardened concrete specimens and self-healing of cracks over time was observed. Cement paste and CWA paste were prepared to clarify the results obtained on the concrete specimens. SEM and EDS and XRD and FTIR were performed on the hardened pastes to explain the mechanism of CWA working. The results show that the addition of CWA had no significant effect on the compressive strength of the concrete, but reduced the water penetration depth in the concrete, and the reduction was more effective for mixes with lower water–binder ratio. Regarding the self-healing effect, it can be concluded that the addition of CWA improves the crack healing in concrete, but the efficiency of self-healing is highly dependent on the initial crack width. The mechanisms involved in the reduction of water penetration depth and crack healing in concrete can be explained by different mechanisms; one is creation of the CSH gel from unreacted clinker grains, then formation carbonate, and additional mechanism is gel formation (highly expansive Mg-rich hydro-carbonate) from magnesium based additives. The presence of sodium silicate, which would transform into carbonate/bicarbonate, also cannot be excluded.
Keywords: slag, self healing concrete, crystal admixture, microstructural analysis
Published in DiRROS: 03.07.2023; Views: 357; Downloads: 251
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42. Quantitative in situ X-ray diffraction analysis of early hydration of belite-calcium sulfoaluminate cement at various defined temperaturesMaruša Mrak, Christian L. Lengauer, Sabina Dolenec, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: The influence of temperature on the early hydration of belite-calcium sulfoaluminate cements with two different calcium sulfate to calcium sulfoaluminate molar ratios was investigated. The phase composition and phase assemblage development of cements prepared using molar ratios of 1 and 2.5 were studied at 25, 40 and 60 ◦C by in situ X-ray powder diffraction. The Rietveld refinement method was used for quantification. The degree of hydration after 24 h was highest at ambient temperatures, but early hydration was significantly accelerated at elevated temperatures. These differences were more noticeable when we increased the temperature from 25 ◦C to 40 ◦C, than it was increased from 40 ◦C to 60 ◦C. The amount of calcium sulfate added controls the amount of the precipitated ettringite, namely, the amount of ettringite increased in the cement with a higher molar ratio. The results showed that temperature also affects full width at half maximum of ettringite peaks, which indicates a decrease in crystallite size of ettringite at elevated temperatures due to faster precipitation of ettringite. When using a calcium sulfate to calcium sulfoaluminate molar ratio of 1, higher d-values of ettringite peaks were observed at elevated temperatures, suggesting that more ions were released from the cement clinker at elevated temperatures, allowing a higher ion uptake in the ettringite structure. At a molar ratio of 2.5, less clinker is available in the cement, therefore these differences were not observed.
Keywords: in situ X-ray diffraction, hydration, temperature, cement, rietveld analysis
Published in DiRROS: 26.06.2023; Views: 418; Downloads: 228
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43. 3D finite element analysis of a concrete dam behavior under changing hydrostatic load : a case studyPavel Žvanut, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: In this study, a large arch-gravity Moste Dam was analyzed, where an automated system for the measurements of horizontal displacements of the upper part of the dam was established. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) analyses of dam behavior, taking into account the earth pressures and the hydrostatic load, using the finite element method (FEM)-based computer program DIANA, were performed. The influence of lowering the water level of the reservoir by 6.2 m, on the horizontal displacements of the upper part of the dam, at stationary temperature conditions, was investigated. It was found that the results of the performed 2D and 3D FEM analyses fitted in very well with the result of experimentally determined measurement of horizontal displacements (which was 0.48 mm in the upstream direction) that was obtained using a hanging pendulum. An additional comparison of the results of 3D calculations showed that the finite element mesh density had a small effect on the calculated horizontal displacements.
Keywords: concrete dam, finite element method, material properties, structure behavior, measuring instruments, monitoring, ime series analysis, horizontal displacements, hydrostatic pressure
Published in DiRROS: 21.06.2023; Views: 470; Downloads: 243
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44. PyPore3D : an open source software tool for imaging data processing and analysis of porous and multiphase mediaAmal Aboulhassan, Francesco Brun, George Kourousias, Gabriele Lanzafame, Marco Voltolini, Adriano Contillo, Lucia Mancini, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: In this work, we propose the software library PyPore3D, an open source solution for data processing of large 3D/4D tomographic data sets. PyPore3D is based on the Pore3D core library, developed thanks to the collaboration between Elettra Sincrotrone (Trieste) and the University of Trieste (Italy). The Pore3D core library is built with a distinction between the User Interface and the backend filtering, segmentation, morphological processing, skeletonisation and analysis functions. The current Pore3D version relies on the closed source IDL framework to call the backend functions and enables simple scripting procedures for streamlined data processing. PyPore3D addresses this limitation by proposing a full open source solution which provides Python wrappers to the the Pore3D C library functions. The PyPore3D library allows the users to fully use the Pore3D Core Library as an open source solution under Python and Jupyter Notebooks PyPore3D is both getting rid of all the intrinsic limitations of licensed platforms (e.g., closed source and export restrictions) and adding, when needed, the flexibility of being able to integrate scientific libraries available for Python (SciPy, TensorFlow, etc.).
Keywords: tomographic 3D/4D imaging data, image processing and analysis, open source software, Python
Published in DiRROS: 28.04.2023; Views: 553; Downloads: 186
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45. Chloroplast redox state changes mark cell-to-cell signaling in the hypersensitive responseTjaša Lukan, Anže Županič, Tjaša Mahkovec Povalej, Jacob O. Brunkard, Mirjam Kmetič, Mojca Juteršek, Špela Baebler, Kristina Gruden, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most commonly used substances in the manufacture ofvarious everyday products. Growing concerns about its hazardous properties, including endocrinedisruption and genotoxicity, have led to its gradual replacement by presumably safer analogues inmanufacturing plastics. The widespread use of BPA and, more recently, its analogues has increasedtheir residues in the environment. However, our knowledge of their toxicological profiles is limitedand their combined effects are unknown. In the present study, we investigated the toxic effectscaused by single bisphenols and by the combined exposure of BPA and its two analogues, BPAP andBPC, after short (24-h) and prolonged (96-h) exposure in HepG2 spheroids. The results showed thatBPA did not reduce cell viability in HepG2 spheroids after 24-h exposure. In contrast, BPAP andBPC affected cell viability in HepG2 spheroids. Both binary mixtures (BPA/BPAP and BPA/BPC)decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, but the significant difference was only observedfor the combination of BPA/BPC (both at 40μM). After 96-h exposure, none of the BPs studiedaffected cell viability in HepG2 spheroids. Only the combination of BPA/BPAP decreased cellviability in a dose-dependent manner that was significant for the combination of 4μM BPA and 4μMBPAP. None of the BPs and their binary mixtures studied affected the surface area and growth ofspheroids as measured by planimetry. In addition, all BPs and their binary mixtures studied triggeredoxidative stress, as measured by the production of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde,at both exposure times. Overall, the results suggest that it is important to study the effects of BPsas single compounds. It is even more important to study the effects of combined exposures, as thecombined effects may differ from those induced by single compounds.
Keywords: chloroplast redox state, hypersensitive response (HR)-conferred resistance, immune signaling, live cell imaging, Solanum tuberosum (potato), spatiotemporal analysis, stromules, virus resistance
Published in DiRROS: 13.04.2023; Views: 459; Downloads: 211
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46. Mapping dreams in a computational space : a phrase-level model for analyzing Fight/Flight and other typical situations in dream reportsMaja Gutman Mušič, Pavan Holur, Kelly Bulkeley, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: This article demonstrates that an automated system of linguistic analysis can be developed – the Oneirograph – to analyze large collections of dreams and computationally map their contents in terms of typical situations involving an interplay of characters, activities, and settings. Focusing the analysis first on the twin situations of fighting and fleeing, the results provide densely detailed empirical evidence of the underlying semantic structures of typical dreams. The results also indicate that the Oneirograph analytic system can be applied to other typical dream situations as well (e.g., flying, falling), each of which can be computationally mapped in terms of a distinctive constellation of characters, activities, and settings.
Keywords: dreams, patterns, natural language processing, Oneirograph, network analysis, semantic structure
Published in DiRROS: 22.03.2023; Views: 448; Downloads: 255
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47. Fo Guang Shan's Expansion in the Religious Market of Thailand : a SWOT analysisGuiyu Su, Yaoping Liu, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: As one of the prominent Mahayana Buddhist institutions from Taiwan, Fo guang Shan (FgS) entered the religious market of Thailand as early as the 1990s. Its influence has grown tremendously among the local Chinese communities and Thai society. Despite this, there is a dearth of scholarship dedicated to FgS’s mar-ket expansion in Theravada-dominated Thailand. Through a SWOT analysis, this paper explores FgS’s marketing strategy for the Thai religious market. The findings suggest that FgS bears certain strengths, such as its appealing humanistic Budd-hist doctrine, gift-giving networking skills and its strong emotional bonds with the Chinese communities in Thailand. These strengths have brought and will conti-nuously provide FgS with opportunities for further expansion. However, FgS’s weakness is always there and obvious, given its foreign and non-mainstream na-ture and questionable legitimacy of existing as a Buddhist institution (or temple) in Thailand. All this has already caused threats to FgS’s missionary clergies and sanctuaries, mainly based in the Bangkok area, not to mention the growingly fierce competition from its Thai Theravada and local-born Mahayana counterparts.
Keywords: religion, Thai religion, religious market, marketing strategy, SWOT analysis, Thailand
Published in DiRROS: 28.02.2023; Views: 441; Downloads: 276
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48. Tools for landscape analysis of optimisation problems in Procedural Content Generation for gamesVanessa Volz, Boris Naujoks, Pascal Kerschke, Tea Tušar, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: The term Procedural Content Generation (PCG) refers to the (semi-)automatic generation of game content by algorithmic means, and its methods are becoming increasingly popular in game-oriented research and industry. A special class of these methods, which is commonly known as search-based PCG, treats the given task as an optimisation problem. Such problems are predominantly tackled by evolutionary algorithms. We will demonstrate in this paper that obtaining more information about the defined optimisation problem can substantially improve our understanding of how to approach the generation of content. To do so, we present and discuss three efficient analysis tools, namely diagonal walks, the estimation of high-level properties, as well as problem similarity measures. We discuss the purpose of each of the considered methods in the context of PCG and provide guidelines for the interpretation of the results received. This way we aim to provide methods for the comparison of PCG approaches and eventually, increase the quality and practicality of generated content in industry.
Keywords: optimization, search-based procedural content generation, exploratory landscape analysis, Mario level generation
Published in DiRROS: 24.02.2023; Views: 519; Downloads: 199
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49. Analysis of the geological control on the spatial distribution of potentially toxic concentrations of As and F- in groundwater on a Pan-European scaleElena Giménez-Forcada, Juan Antonio Luque-Espinar, María Teresa López-Bahut, Juan Grima-Olmedo, Jorge Jiménez-Sánchez, Carlos Ontiveros-Beltranena, José Angel Díaz-Muñoz, Daniel Elster, Ferid Skopljak, Denitza D. Voutchkova, Birgitte Hansen, Klaus Hinsby, Jörg Schullehner, Eline Malcuit, Laurence Gourcy, Teodóra Szőcs, Nóra Gál, Daði Þorbjörnsson, Katie Tedd, Dāvis Borozdins, Henry Debattista, Nina Rman, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: The distribution of the high concentrations of arsenic (As) and fluoride (F-) in groundwater on a Pan-European scale could be explained by the geological European context (lithology and structural faults). To test this hypothesis, seventeen countries and eighteen geological survey organizations (GSOs) have participated in the dataset. The methodology has used the HydroGeoToxicity (HGT) and the Baseline Concentration (BLC) index. The results prove that most of the waters considered in this study are in good conditions for drinking water consumption, in terms of As and/or F- content. A low proportion of the analysed samples present HGT≥ 1 levels (4% and 7% for As and F-, respectively). The spatial distribution of the highest As and/or F- concentrations (via BLC values) has been analysed using GIS tools. The highest values are identified associated with fissured hard rock outcrops (crystalline rocks) or Cenozoic sedimentary zones, where basement fractures seems to have an obvious control on the distribution of maximum concentrations of these elements in groundwaters.
Keywords: trace elements, arsenic fluoride, groundwater, geo-hydrochemistry, spatial analysis
Published in DiRROS: 30.01.2023; Views: 1070; Downloads: 246
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50. Prediction of actual from climatic precipitation with data collected from northern Poland : a statistical approachJacek Barańczuk, Martina Zeleňáková, Hany F. Abd-Elhamid, Katarzyna Barańczuk, Salem S. Gharbia, Peter Blišťan, Cécil J. W. Meulenberg, Peter Kumer, Włodzimierz Golus, Maciej Markowski, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Water is a basic element of the natural environment and the most important component in human water management. Rainfall is the main source of water. Therefore, determining the amount of precipitation reaching the ground using sensors is crucial information. Precise precipitation data are necessary for better modeling quality, as the observation data from weather stations are used as basics for weather model assessment. The authors compared precipitation from the Hellmann rain gauge (climatic precipitation, 1.0 m above the ground surface) measured throughout the year and the GGI 3000 rain gauge (actual precipitation on the ground level) measured from April to October. Measurement sequences from the years 2011–2020 were considered. The data for analysis were obtained from a weather station located in northern Poland. The authors analyzed the relationships between data from the two sensors. A comparative study showed that the measurements of actual precipitation are higher and there are strong relationships between actual and climatic rainfall (r = 0.99). Using the introduced coefficient it is possible to determine the full–year actual precipitation with high probability, taking into account the precipitation with a correction from the winter half-year and the actual precipitation from the summer half-year, which is of great importance in the calculation of the water balance.
Keywords: natural environment, climate change, precipitation, prediction, statistics, analysis, Poland
Published in DiRROS: 25.01.2023; Views: 479; Downloads: 273
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