Additive manufacturing (3D printing) and computer-aided design (CAD) still have limited up-take in biomedical and bioengineering research and education, despite the significant potential of these technologies. The utility of organ-scale 3D-printed models of living structures is widely appreciated, while the workflows for microscopy data translation into tactile-accessible replicas are not well developed yet. Here, we demonstrate an accessible and reproducible CAD-based methodology for generating 3D-printed scalable models of human cells cultured in vitro and imaged using conventional scanning confocal microscopy and fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing. We termed this technology CiTo-3DP (Cells-in-Touch for 3D Printing). As a proof-of-concept, we created CiTo-3DP models of human pancreatic cancer cells and healthy dermal fibroblasts by using selectively stained nuclei and the cytoskeleton components (f-actin and α-smooth muscle actin). The production of dismountable sets of cellular components was al-so shown. The CiTo-3DP approach can be adapted to comprehensively present various cell types, subcellular structures and extracellular matrices. We envisage that the resulting CAD and 3D printed models could be used for further applications, including but not limited to in silico simulations for biology, medicine, pharmacological research, tissue engineering, morphometrical analysis, multiphysics modelling, education, rehabilitation of visually impaired people, and integration into virtual reality.

Buildability, i.e. the ability of a deposited material bulk to retain its dimmensions under increasing load, is an inherent prerequisite for formwork-free digital construction (DC). Since DC processes are relatively new, no standard methods of characterization are available yet. The paper at hand presents practice-oriented buildabilty criteria by taking various process parameters and construction costs into consideration. In doing so, direct links between laboratory buildability tests and target applications are established. A systematic basis for calculating the time interval (TI) to be followed during laboratory testing is proposed for the full-width printing (FWP) and filament printing (FP) processes. The proposed approach is validated by applying it to a high-strength, printable, fine-grained concrete. Comparative analyses of FWP and FP revealed that to test the buildability of a material for FP processes, higher velocities of the printhead should be established for laboratory tests in comparison to those needed for FWP process, providing for equal construction rates.

We introduce optically clear and resilient free-form micro-optical of pure (non-photosensitized) organic-inorganic SZ2080 material made by femtosecond 3D laser lithography (3DLL). This is advantageous for rapid printing of 3D micro-/nanooptics, including their integration directly onto optical fibers. A systematic study on the fabrication peculiarities and quality of resultant structures is performed. Comparison of microlenses’ resiliency to CW and femtosecond pulsed exposure is determined. Experimental results prove that pure SZ2080 is ∼3 fold more resistant to high irradiance as compared with a standard photo-sensitized material and can sustain up to 1.91 GW/cm² intensity. 3DLL is a promising manufacturing approach for high-intensity micro-optics for emerging fields in astro-photonics and atto-second pulse generation. Additionally, pyrolysis is employed to shrink structures up to 40% by removing organic SZ2080 constituents. This opens a promising route towards downscaling photonic lattices and creation of mechanically robust glass-ceramic structures.

As the most active plateau on the Earth, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has a complex crust-mantle structure. Knowledge of the distribution of such a structure provides information for understanding the underlying geodynamic processes. We obtains a three-dimensional density model of crustal and upper mantle beneath Qinghai-Tibet plateau and its surrounding areas from the residual geoid anomalies using the Earth Gravitational Model (EGM) 2008. We estimate a refined density model by iterations, using an initial density contrast model. We confirm that the EGM2008 mission products can be used to constrain the crust-mantle density structures. Our major findings are: (1). At 300-400 km depth, high-D anomalies terminate around Jinsha River Suture (JRS) in the central TP, suggesting that the Indian plate has been reached over the Bangong Nujiang Suture (BNS) and almost reach to the JRS. (2). On the eastern TP, low-D anomalies at the depth of 0-300 km together with high-D anomalies at 400-670 km further verified the current eastward subduction of Indian plate. The ongoing subduction provides forces to the occurrences of frequent earthquakes and volcano. (3). At 600 km depth, low-D anomalies inside the TP illustrate the existence of hot weak material beneath there, contributing to the external material inward-thrusting.

Nowadays the relationship between planning land use and actual land use is not so clear in general. A lot of efforts have been put in the failures of regulation for the expansion of construction land. However, it still lacks an integrated approach to study the effectiveness of land use regulation in terms of different land use types. Furthermore, the existing evaluation of land use plan mainly focuses on a general level, a detailed research on the regulation effectiveness of each construction land use type is absent. Therefore, this research tries to evaluate regulation effectiveness of land use plan, which takes Cangwu country, Guangxi Province as an example. The finding by analysis is that the total area of construction land expansion was about 3494.73 ha, nearly 1.1 times of the plan quota. Moreover, the effectiveness differs greatly in various construction land use types. Town, industrial/mining sites can be well regulated through the quota of land use plan. While, the quota regulation system is not as effective for other type of construction land. Thus, we suggest to improve the regulation effectiveness of construction land through different plan instruments.

3D plotting is an additive manufacturing technology enabling biofabrication, thus the integration of cells or biologically sensitive proteins or growth factors into the manufacturing process. However, most (bio-)inks developed for 3D plotting were not shown to be processed into clinical relevant geometries comprising critical overhangs and cavities, which would collapse without a sufficient support material. Herein, we have developed a support hydrogel ink based on methylcellulose (mc), which is able to act as support as long as the co-plotted main structure is not stable. Therefore, 6 w/v %, 8 w/v % and 10 w/v % mc were allowed to swell in water, resulting in viscous inks, which were characterized for their rheological and extrusion properties. The successful usage of 10 w/v % mc as support ink was proven by multichannel plotting of the support together with a plottable calcium phosphate cement (CPC) acting as main structure. CPC scaffolds displaying critical overhangs or a large central cavity could be plotted accurately with the newly developed mc support ink. The dissolution properties of mc allowed complete removal of the gel without residuals, once CPC setting was finished. Finally, we fabricated a scaphoid bone model by computed tomography data acquisition and co-extrusion of CPC and the mc support hydrogel.

Despite all their advantages, load-bearing concrete shell structures with double curvatures are not frequently in use. The main reason is the complexity of their construction. In such a context, this article starts with a brief, critical review of existing technologies while their pros and cons are highlighted. Against that background the authors then propose a new approach for the highly automated fabrication of gridshell structures from variable modules. To demonstrate the feasibility of such a new technology, a demonstrator called ConDIT 1.0, a sphere-like shell structure composed of several frames was designed and built. The frame modules were fabricated automatically using extrusion-based 3D printing and a printable, strain-hardening cement-based composite (SHCC). This article presents the design of ConDIT 1.0, the mechanical material characterization of printed SHCC, the technology of module production, the results of geometry verification for print modules using 3D scanning, and the procedure for the demonstrator’s assembly.

Driving factors of smart city construction are exploratively studied by grounded theory method based on text sources from journal papers in SCI and CSSCI databases. Initial scale of driving factors about smart city construction is obtained on the basis of above analyses. This paper modifies measuring items of the initial scale with a small sample pretest and reliability test, then forms final items by exploratory factor analysis. According to the above scale, questionnaires are designed to obtain empirical data, and confirmatory factor analysis is used to verify further validity and reliability of the scale. The results show that driving factors of smart city construction include three main dimensions: problem-oriented factors, business- or technology-driven factors and endogenous development requirements.

For multi-sensor integrated systems, such as a mobile mapping system (MMS), data fusion at sensor-level, i.e., the 2D-3D registration between optical camera and LiDAR, is a prerequisite for higher level fusion and further applications. This paper proposes a line-based registration method for panoramic images and LiDAR point cloud collected by a MMS. We first introduce the system configuration and specification, including the coordinate systems of the MMS, the 3D LiDAR scanners, and the two panoramic camera models. We then establish the line-based transformation model for panoramic camera. Finally, the proposed registration method is evaluated for two types of camera models by visual inspection and quantitative comparison. The results demonstrate that the line-based registration method can significantly improve the alignment of the panoramic image and LiDAR datasets under either the ideal spherical or the rigorous panoramic camera model, though the latter is more reliable.

This research integrates systemic and participatory techniques to model the Russian Federation construction innovation system. Understanding this complex construction innovation system, and determining the best levers for enhancing it, requires the dynamic modelling of a number of factors such as flows of resources and activities, policies, uncertainty and time. To build the foundations for such a dynamic model, the employed study method utilised an integrated stakeholder-based participatory approach coupled with structural analysis (MICMAC - Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement Cross-Impact Matrix). This method identified the key factors of the Russian Federation construction innovation system, their causal relationship (i.e. influence/dependence map) and ultimately a causal loop diagram. The generated model reveals pathways to improving construction innovation in the Russian Federation, and underpins the future development of an operationalised systems dynamic model.

Interfaces between layers in 3D-printed elements produced by extrusion-based material deposition were investigated on both macro- and micro-scales. On the macro-scale, compression and bend tests were performed on two 3D-printable cement-based compositions (3PCs), namely C1 and C2. The influences of binder composition and time interval between layers on layer-interface strength were critically analyzed. In the context of additive manufacturing, the optimized composition C2, containing pozzolanic additives, exhibited mechanical performance superior to that of the mixture with Portland cement as the sole binder. In particular, Mixture C2 showed a less pronounced decrease in interface tensile strength. Even for time intervals between depositions of two layers as long as 1 day the loss in corresponding flexural strength was below 25%, as compared with C2 specimens tested in the perpendicular direction. In contrast, the decrease in flexural strength measured for C1 specimens amounted to over 90% for the same set of parameters. Higher porosity at the interfaces of the printed concrete layers was identified as the cause for the lower interface strengths of C1. Microscopic observations supported the findings of the macroscopic investigations. While a pronounced recovery (“self-healing”) of the porous, discontinuous interlayers was observed with increasing age for Mixture C2, in case of C1 the filling products grown in the porous interlayer were found to be non-strengthening.

The move to lean construction is a lengthy process that may call into question established ways of construction management delivery. The objective of this article is to help businesses take the first step on this route by introducing a few lean manufacturing techniques and practices that may be used on projects over the next few weeks. Although the construction industry has come a long way since its start, the essential technology to change it has not yet found a home. The digital switch has now entered the construction industry to boost production. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a discipline of computer science described as the potential of machines to mimic intelligent human behavior by modelling traditionally complicated problems using human-inspired techniques. Due to its complexity, AI distinguishes itself from lower degrees of digitalization. The complexity of artificial intelligence involves the formation of new circumstances for human collaboration and trust. This dissertation investigates the application of artificial intelligence and the suitable interaction between humans and AI-based technologies. This study attempts to shed light on how the construction industry may close the gap between the potential and actual benefits of artificial intelligence deployment. Comparing the prospective benefits of AI implementation to the present benefits and challenges of AI deployment in the construction industry revealed the disparity.

Both drones and laser scanners digitally take the as-built context of an object into the computer and the data taken is transmitted to a Building Information Modeling (BIM) world to create ac-curate 3D models. Although the laser scanner is the leading method of the Scan-to-BIM proce-dure, many professionals indicate drawbacks of the technology and point out the drone is an al-ternative that can improve the shortcomings, leading to the UAV-to-BIM process. Korean con-struction industry plans to implement the drone technology for scrutinizing as-built construc-tion quality by 2025. However, the drone is not popular in the construction projects. Korean universities where Construction Engineering and Management program have been implement-ed are requested to develop a drone curriculum for construction professionals. Since the majori-ty of the professionals are not familiar with drone operation, in order for the schools to be suc-cessful in developing the curriculum, it is very necessary to perform a preliminary experimental study for identifying the essential education contents that are appropriate to drone beginners. The main objective of this paper is to perform the study for the drone beginners and recognize the recommendations and the framework of drone curriculum that will be beneficial for the schools to develop a comprehensive curriculum later on.

Abstract: We review the development and application of an organic polymer-gel capable of producing fixed, three-dimensional fluorescent images of complex radiation fields. The gel consists for more than 99% of γ-ray-polymerized (~15% conversion) tertiary-butyl acrylate (TBA) containing ~100 ppm of a fluorogenic compound, e.g. maleimido-pyrene (MPy). The radio-fluorogenic effect depends on copolymerization of the MPy into growing chains of TBA on radiation-induced polymerization. This converts the maleimido residue, which quenches the pyrene fluorescence, into a succinimido moeity (SPy), which doesn't. The intensity of the fluorescence is proportional to the yield of free-radicals formed and hence to the local dose deposited. Because the SPy moieties are built into the cross-linked polymer matrix the image is fixed. The method of preparing the gel and imaging the radiation-induced fluorescence are presented and discussed. The effect is illustrated with fluorescent images of the energy deposited in the gel by beams of X-rays, electrons and protons as well as a radioactive isotope.

In this paper, a new millimeter wave 3D imaging radar is proposed. The user just needs to move the radar along a circular track, a high resolution 3D imaging can be generated. The proposed radar uses the movement of itself to synthesize a large aperture in both the azimuth and elevation directions. It can utilize inverse Radon transform to resolve 3D imaging. To improve the sensing result, compressed sensing approach is further investigated. The simulation and experimental result further illustrated the design. Because a single transceiver circuit is needed, a light, affordable and high resolution 3D mmWave imaging radar is illustrated in the paper.

The frame construction of an apartment complex that consists of multiple buildings encounters various uncertainties, owing to the complex relationships among units of work. Currently, the period of such a construction is calculated based on the number of floors of the highest building in the complex. This study quantitatively analyzes an apartment frame construction period using a queue model and evaluates the validity of the estimated period. In this regard, a methodology is proposed for analyzing the construction period by applying the concept of a customer and a server. A case study on the duration of an apartment frame construction is conducted with Korea Land and Housing Corporation, which has supplied the largest number of apartments in South Korea. It was found that the stable state of a queue system was observed when the rate of server utilization was applied to the basement and aboveground floors. However, a stable state was not reached on the ground floor. This study includes non-working days in its calculation and quantitatively analyzes uncertainty factors during construction. Therefore, the findings can be practically utilized to quantitatively plan the durations of work units in an apartment frame construction.

The results of studying the effect of particles of few-layer graphene (FLG) synthesized by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) on the complex of strength and thermo physical properties of polymer composite products obtained by DLP 3D printing are presented. It has been discovered to achieve an increase in thermo physical and strength parameters of polymers modified by FLG compared with samples made on the unmodified base resin. This result was achieved due to low defectiveness, namely the absence of Stone-Wales defects in the structure of FLG due to the homogeneous distribution of FLG over the volume of the polymer in the form of highly dispersed aggregates. It was possible to increase hardness by 120 %, bending strength by 102 %, Charpy impact strength by 205 %, and thermal conductivity at 25 °C by 572 % at concentrations of few-layer graphene of no more than 2 wt. %.

unlike the volume, the expression for the surface area of a regular conoid has not yet been obtained by means of direct integration or a differential geometry procedure. As this non-developable form is relatively used in engineering, the difficulty to determine its surface, represents a serious shortcoming for several problems which arise in radiative transfer, lighting and construction, to cite just a few. In order to solve the problem, I conceived the surface as a set of linearly dwindling ellipses which remain parallel to a circular directrix, a typical problem appears when searching the length of such ellipses. I employed a new procedure which, in principle, consists in dividing the surface into infinitesimal elliptic strips to which we have successively applied Ramanujan’s second approximation for the longitude of the ellipse. In this manner, we can obtain the perimeter of any transversal curve pertaining to the said form as a function of the radius of the directrix and the position of the ellipse’s center on the X-axis. Integrating the so-found perimeters of the differential strips for the whole span of the conoid, an unexpected solution emerges through the newly found number psi (ψ) which seems like a refined approximation to the third decimal of Pi but derived from a definite integral equation. As the strips are in truth slanted in the symmetry axis, their width is not uniform and we need to perform some adjustments in order to complete the problem with sufficient precision, but this is discussed separately in the annexes. Relevant implications for mathematical symmetry applied to multifarious architectural and engineering forms can be derived from this finding

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) has no cure. Earlier, we showed that partial inhibition of mitochondrial complex I (MCI) with small molecule CP2 induces adaptive stress response activating multiple neuroprotective mechanisms. Chronic treatment reduced inflammation, improved synaptic and mitochondrial functions, and blocked neurodegeneration in symptomatic APP/PS1 mice, a translational model of AD. Here, using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM) and three-dimensional (3D) EM reconstructions combined with Western blot analysis and next-generation RNA sequencing, we demonstrate that CP2 treatment also restores mitochondrial morphology and mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) communication in the APP/PS1 mouse brain. Using 3D EM volume reconstructions, we show that mitochondria in AD dendrites exist primarily as mitochondria-on-a-string (MOAS). Compared to other morphological phenotypes, MOAS are extensively enveloped in the ER membranes forming multiple mitochondria-ER contact sites (MERCS) known to contribute to abnormal lipid and calcium homeostasis. CP2 treatment specifically reduced MOAS formation, consistent with improved energy homeostasis in the brain, with concomitant reduction in MERCS, ER stress, and improved lipid homeostasis. These data provide novel information on the role MOAS play in AD and additional support for further development of partial MCI inhibitors as disease modifying strategy for AD.

A drone performs comparable function to a laser scanner in the construction quality monitoring, following Scan-to-BIM process. Both technologies digitally capture the as-is environment into the computer and the data captured is transferred to a BIM world to create accurate as-built models. Although the laser scanner is the dominant method of the Scan-to-BIM process, a number of digital professionals point drawbacks of the method and present the drone is an alternative that can improve the drawbacks thereby leading to UAV-to-BIM process in parallel with the Scan-to-BIM. Korean construction industry plans to utilize the two technologies for monitoring construction operation quality in major public projects by 2025. While contractors need competent engineers to be competitive in the projects, the two technology applications are not so popular to the construction projects in Korea and very few experts skillful and knowledgeable of the technologies are available. Korean universities are requested to develop the curriculum of the technologies for the contractors. To be successful in progressing the curriculum, it is very essential to implement a preliminary study with the technologies minimizing the potential failure in operating the curriculum later on. This study performs empirical research on the technologies and identify valuable lessons beneficial to develop the UAV-to-BIM curriculum for the construction engineers.

In Korea’s air pollutant inventory, construction machinery is a major emission source in the non-road sector. Since 2004, the Korean government has introduced and reinforced emission regulations to reduce the air pollutants emitted from their diesel engines. Since the engine dynamometer test method used in emission regulations has limitations in reflecting emission characteristics under the diverse working conditions of construction machinery, it is necessary to examine the effectiveness of emission regulations and the validity of the emission factors applied as inputs to the air pollutants inventory. This could be done by evaluating engine operation and emission characteristics under real-world working conditions. In this study, 14 units were selected among the excavators, wheel loaders, and forklifts that represent approximately 90% of the registered construction machines in Korea. They were equipped with a portable emission measurement system (PEMS) to measure gaseous emissions and collect engine data under various real-world working conditions. With the reinforcement of emission regulations for the construction machinery from K-tier3 to K-tier4 in Korea, exhaust after-treatment technologies, such as selective catalytic reduction and diesel oxidation catalyst, were applied. Real world NOx were reduced by approximately 83%, and THC 77% and CO by 73%, respectively. Real world NOx + THC of the K-tier3 machines exceeded the laboratory emission limit, but the K-tier4 machines considerably improved despite some differences. The emission factors applied to the air pollutant inventory have been developed using the engine dynamometer test method, but they were considerably underestimated compared with emissions under real-world working conditions. The difference was even larger for the K-tier4 machines. In this study, the possibility of developing emission factor equations that use the engine load factor as a parameter was confirmed by using the engine work 1 g/kW·h segment moving averaging window (MAW) method.

This study aimed to identify the influencing factors that drive the adoption of smart construction technologies by highway construction companies. Using expert interviews and expert scoring, interview data were collected from 25 experts in the field, and the TOSE framework was proposed based on the TOE framework, identifying four dimensions and fourteen influencing factors. The results were analyzed using the Fuzzy-DEMATEL-ISM method, and the findings were then summarized according to the evaluation criteria to determine the validity of the fourteen hypotheses and the extent to which they drive the adoption of intelligent construction technologies by motorway construction companies. The findings of this paper will be of great value to decision-makers and participants in highway construction companies, as well as to other companies in the construction industry, in their decision to adopt smart construction technologies.

The article presents the methodology for classifying economic regions with regards to selected factors that characterize a region, such as: the economic structure of the region, and thus the share of individual sectors in the economy; employment; the dynamics of the development of individual sectors expressed as an increase or decrease in production value; the population density in the region and also the level of occupational safety. Cluster analysis, which is a method of multidimensional statistical analysis available in Statistica software, was used to solve the task. The proposed methodology was used to group Polish voivodships with regards to the speed of economic development and occupational safety in the construction industry. Data published by the Central Statistical Office was used for this purpose, such as the value of construction and assembly production, the number of people employed in the construction industry, the population of an individual region and the number of people injured in occupational accidents.

Highlights: A new material with a bending strength higher than that of concrete was developed using vegetable or fruit waste. The new material maintains the color, taste, and flavor of the original vegetable or fruit. Without water resistant treatment, the material is edible and can be conditioned with seasonings

This publicly available simulation analysis compares baseline construction options versus sustainable options and evaluates both break-even costs as well as environmental effects. The simulation (https://rminator.shinyapps.io/sustain4/) provides users with comparative estimates based upon existing research on costs. This is the first simulation of its type that quantifies multiple sustainable construction options, associated break-even points, and environmental considerations for public use. Results estimate that a 100% solar solution for the baseline 3,000 square foot / 279 square meter house with 2 occupants results in a break-even of 9 years. The simulation includes options for rainwater harvesting or wells, Icynene foam, engineered lumber, Energy Star windows and doors, low flow water fixtures, aerobic / non-aerobic waste treatment or municipal services, and many other options. This is the first simulation of its type to provide publicly available sustainable construction analysis based on research, and it illustrates that sustainable construction might be both green for the environment and green for the pocketbook.

Given the importance of the development of urban infrastructure and environmental impacts produced by the civil construction waste (CCW), it is important to correct the handling of CCW with objective solutions that are more environmentally friendly. In that sense the present study aimed to determine indicators that make it possible to estimate the amount of CCW generated from construction sites in the city of Londrina, Parana State, Brazil. The generation of CCW was estimated in a general way, regarding the composition of its mixture, correlated to the gross areas of the buildings studied and their generated volumes of RCC. This generating rate was evaluated in a general way and specifies two types of sites: the new residential and new non-residential constructions. The data required for the development of these indicators was obtained through extensive survey and interviews carried out at the environment secretariat of the City Hall. The generating rate of CCW obtained for non-residential buildings was 0.2052m3/m2 or 170.44kg/m2, for new residential sites was 0.2054m3/m2 or 170.60kg/m2 and for new commercial or non-residential construction sites, it was 0.20453 m3/m2 or 169.85kg/m2. It was also possible to estimate the amount generated annually per inhabitant in the municipality, which is 0.60m3/inhabit.year or 498.55kg/inhabit.year.

The persistence of diseases that affect construction workforce as a result of activities on construction sites poses a danger to the sustainable development of the industry. This resulted to a huge loss of skilled labour and economic development of the industry and the entire country. The arrival of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies urges an urgent need to assess the effect of the technology’s biological driver on the construction occupation related diseases. Therefore, this study is aimed at assessing the effect of 4IR on the construction occupation related diseases in Gauteng, South Africa. The study is quantitative in design and questionnaire survey were administered to project and Health and Safety (H&S) managers in Gauteng, South African construction sector using a proportionate simple random sampling technique. For data analysis, the Warp PLS-SEM 8.0 software algorithm was used for the analysis of the collated data. The study found that the effects of the 4IR’s biological driver variables ranges between moderate to high effects for genome sequencing (GENSE) and Neurotechnology (NEURO) respectively. The combined predictive relevance of the two (2) variables predicts 64% of the construction occupation related diseases. This implies that the adoption of the driver would help reduce the causes of construction-related diseases. Hence, implies that continuous deployment of 4IR technologies would ensure that construction occupation related diseases are easily identified and put on alert.

Offsite construction is increasingly being presented as a way to increase housing delivery and reduce the housing crisis. Housing Associations play a pivotal role in the delivery of affordable homes and therefore offsite construction could be beneficial in alleviating the crisis. For offsite construction uptake to increase, the conceptual and pragmatic advantages and challenges surrounding offsite housing in relation to evolving social domestic needs to be explored and understood. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the viability of offsite construction as not only a full-service solution to social housing provision, but an integral strategic partner for meeting the range of specialised fabrication needs for these new properties. A literature review is carried out to explore the conceptual and pragmatic advantages and challenges encountered by HAs adopting offsite construction methods. The paper also investigates which the housing tenures are most suited to offsite construction technology. The paper highlighted that whilst individual case studies and example homes offer one mode of justification for Housing Associations to move forward, it is the cumulative effect of cost savings, sustainability, specialised skill sets, labour reduction, structural innovation, and rate of construction that should be weighed and incorporated into this consideration-making process.

Aspects are presented on the interpretation of certainties by assessing risks with maximum level in order to establish reasonable limits of acceptance, tolerance or assumption of risks, supplementing environmental risk factors with external, social, financial elements and introducing a category in the work system analysis.Comparative aspects between INCDPM and MEvAR methods are presented as proposals in the associated tables.The conclusions highlight the current aspects implemented in the method and their usefulness.

The issue of sustainability has long been the subject of interest of the architecture engineering and construction sector. All three aspects of sustainability - economic, environmental and social - can be affected through appropriate construction waste management. Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is one of the largest worldwide waste streams, therefore it is given great attention by all stakeholders (investors, contractors, authorities, etc.). Researches have shown that one of the main barriers to insufficiency CDW recovery is inadequate policies and legal frameworks to manage CDW. It is also one of the EU's environmental priorities. Aim of the article is to confirm the economic potential of construction and demolition waste audit processing through case study. A pre-demolition waste audit has been processed for unused building of shopping center in the town Snina in Slovakia. Subsequently, a comparison of economic parameters (waste disposal costs and transport costs) of recommended CDW management was performed. This comparison confirmed the economic benefits of environmentally friendly construction waste management methods according to the waste audit results, which will also increase the sustainability of construction projects. In addition, the cost parameters of selected waste disposal methods could be another dimension of building information modelling.

In recent years, there have been concerns raised about construction industrialization in China, which have initiated a wave of policy change in both governmental and industrial organizations in order to change the mode of conventional construction. However, the current development level of regional construction industrialization (RCI) in China has not been well-characterized. This study screened preliminary index systems in five dimensions: technical, economic, sustainable, enterprise development and development environment. Based on the data gathered from the questionnaire surveys and subsequently analyzed, twenty-two critical evaluation indicators were identified. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was then employed to determine the weighting of each indicator. The evaluation method of the development level was formulated on the basis of the evaluation criteria. Jiangsu Province was used as an example in this study, with the development level of this province being comprehensively examined using a combination of the index system and evaluation method. The results show that Jiangsu has a relatively high RCI development level. The data from analysis scores of five dimensions and twenty-two indicators show that the index system is feasible, with evaluation results being consistent with actual practice. These findings provide a good practical reference for making decisions about how best to guide the development of RCI.

Mining is an important industry, accounting for 6.9% of global GDP. However, global development promotes accelerated demand, resulting in the accumulation of hazardous waste in land, sea, and air environments. It reached 7 billion tonnes of mine tailings generated yearly worldwide, and 19 billion solid tailings will be accumulated by 2025. Adding to this, the legacy of environmental damage from abandoned mines is worrying; in Canada there are around 10,000 abandoned mines, 50,000 in Australia, 6,000 in South Africa, and 9,500 coal mines in China, reaching 15,000 by 2050. In this scenario, restoration techniques from mining tailing have become increasingly discussed among scholars due to their potential to offer benefits towards reducing tailings levels, thereby reducing environmental pressure for the correct management and adding value to previously discarded waste. This review paper explores available literature on the main techniques of mining tailing recycling and reuse and discusses leading technologies, including the benefits and limitations, as well as emerging prospects. The findings of this review serve as a supporting reference for decision-makers concerning the related sustainability issues associated with mining, mineral processing, and solid waste management.

The quick modernisation of Iceland, that rapidly took place from the first decades of the 20th century onwards, did not only bring fishing trawlers and cars into the country. Among all the techniques of modernity, concrete [steinsteypa] was to become the key material that changed the built landscape of the island and was soon adopted by the first Icelandic architects, such as Rögnvaldur Ólafsson (1874–1914) and Guðjón Samúelsson (1887–1950). Interestingly, the main supporter of this material was Guðmundur Hannesson (1866–1946), a medical doctor and town planner who wrote several articles and even a guidebook published in 1921 and titled Steinsteypa. Leiðarvísir fyrir alþýðu og viðvaninga [Concrete. Guidebook for Common People and Beginners]. In a country that was seeking an architectural self-representation, he understood the technical and formal possibilities that concrete could offer: he claimed, “people [...] were trying to change, to build out of a new material with a new form” (Guðmundur Hannesson 1926, 14). This essay aims thus to retrace the rhetoric of Guðmundur Hannesson and his role in writing an Icelandic chapter of the history of concrete, from its early stage of unmodern trial-and-error to the definition of a modern Icelandic architecture.

Design changes seem inevitable in engineering, procurement and construction EPC projects. Such changes create a need for a proactive approach to adjusting project scope, cost and time (the triple constraints) for efficiency and effectiveness in overall delivery. This study investigates the causes and implications of design changes in order to improve design change management practices. Data for the study was obtained through online interviews with New Zealand industry practitioners. Thematic analysis was used to collate the results into meaningful data. The study found that design changes were predominantly caused by clients' inadequate strategic planning, insufficient attention to design, EPC contractors' inadequate design ability, and on-site variations. There were three categories of such design changes: direct impact on the project, the reciprocal and complementary effect on stakeholders, and the far-reaching impact on the community. The study concludes by suggesting improvements, such as strengthening the integration of project teams to enhance design quality, strategic alignment of stakeholders at the planning stage, early contractor involvement (ECI) between the planning and design phases, and improving collaboration between design and construction teams. Further, a combination of high technical skills (e.g. design ability) and soft skills (can-do attitude, interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, documentation skills, etc.) are needed to effect the desired improvement in design change management.

As is known, the construction industry has one of the highest occupational accidents incidence rates among all economic sectors. Currently, Building Information Modeling (BIM) appears as a tool that addresses occupational safety issues throughout the construction life cycle projects, avoiding hazards and risks and, consequently, increasing safety. This work investigates BIM methodology and related technologies application for building safety planning in construction and demonstrates the potential of this technology for the integrated implementation of safety measures during the design phase and the construction site management. The first step consisted of a literature review on the application of BIM in safety in the design and planning phases. Following, to show the potentialities of construction simulation, a case study based on BIM 4D to prevent falls from height was developed. With BIM 4D, it is possible to follow the construction process over time, giving the construction safety technicians’, designers, supervisors and managers the capability to analyse, in each phase, the potential risks and which safety measures should be implemented. BIM can effectively integrate safety measures from the design phase to the construction and use phase and do integrated safety planning within construction planning, leading to reliable safety management throughout the construction process.

The construction sector has begun to embrace the digital revolution, intending to improve efficiency. How, on the other hand, should the industry adopt digital tools? And how should the connection between humans and technology function? This study aims to shed light on how the construction sector may bridge the gap between AI deployments’s potential and realized advantages. This article presents research based on a comprehensive review of the literature, case studies of Speller Metcalfe, a design-build and refurbishment project in Malvern, England, Jacobsen Construction, a project digitizing the planning process in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and Menkes Development Inc., real-time visibility to construction site insights and data-driven decision-making in Toronto, Canada. The experiences gained via this study show that it is feasible to acquire expertise while adopting sophisticated technologies, such as artificial intelligence, by installing fundamental digital tools (AI). However, when it comes to AI, the level of trust between humans and machines will be the deciding element in its success. This article is a pioneering effort in examining the deployment of AI and how people and technology should interact. This study is limited to three case studies and three digital technologies. To further the study, it is suggested to debate the adaptation of AI on the user's premises, gather more empirical data, and examine case studies from different sectors.

In the information age today, data are getting more and more important. While other industries achieve tangible improvement by applying cutting edge information technology, the construction industry is still far from being enough. Cost, schedule, and performance control are three major functions in the project execution phase. Along with their individual importance, cost-schedule integration has been a significant challenge over the past five decades in the construction industry. Although a lot of efforts have been put into this development, there is no method used in construction practice. The purpose of this study is to propose a new method to integrate cost and schedule data using big data technology. The proposed algorithm is designed to provide data integrity and flexibility in the integration process, considerable time reduction on building and changing database, and practical use in a construction site. It is expected that the proposed method can transform the current way that field engineers regard information management as one of the troublesome tasks in a data-friendly way.

Smart primary healthcare building facility services capture a new level of process and operational data through advanced monitoring, enabling experts to use the building facilities to produce significant and efficient healthcare service delivery within the individual spheres of influence. This study assessed the impact of IoT services on achieving smart primary healthcare building facilities in the rural area of South Africa to enhance primary healthcare delivery. The study identified three (3) basic constructs of IoT services that comprised the application of IoT location recognition and tracking services, the application of the IoT high-speed communication network-based services, and the application of IoT-based services. The study is quantitative, and a questionnaire was used to collect data from the project managers and healthcare practitioners working with the primary healthcare agency in South Africa. The study found a variable degree of impact between the three (3) IoT constructs and the achievement of primary healthcare building facility services in South Africa. The study recommends adopting IoT essential services for achieving smart primary healthcare building facility services in the rural areas of South Africa and other developing countries facing similar primary healthcare delivery challenges.

Bangladeshi construction industry suffers a lot of safety and accidental issues than other developing countries in the world. Among many of these, accident of construction project goes far beyond and shape a horrific figure of death for every year. The aims of this study is that analysis and discussion of causes of accident at construction project in Bangladesh. A widespread statistical data collection and data analysis take place to identify the causes and design the questionnaire. The questionnaire-based survey was used to elicit the attitude of four stakeholders as workers, owners, consultants, and contractors towards passive causes of fatal accident at construction site. These study also identify 77 passive causes under 14 major groups and ranked them based on Relative Importance Index (RII). The top 5 major group of causes are (1) Management related, (2) Consultant related, (3) Technology related, (4) Labour related and (5) Contractor related. The top 5 passive causes are: (1) Unaware of safety-related issue, (2) Lack of personal protective equipment, (3) Lack of safety eliminating/ avoiding design, (4) Unfit equipment, (5) Lack of knowledge and training on equipment.

Construction project management and cost management is a difficult process that affects the overall success of construction projects. The success of a construction project can be assessed according to key performance indicators (KPIs). Cost savings and cost optimization over the life of a construction project is one of these KPIs. Cost management is largely performed through intelligent information technology in the construction industry. Information systems and information technologies have seen an increase in use in the management of construction projects. The same goes for cost management. Several studies mentioned in the paper point to this increase in use in recent years also in the management of costs at various stages. Many studies point to the use of information technology and software applications in the field of cost management. Still, to a large extent, there are no surveys focused on the analysis of the impact and impact factor of information technology on cost savings or cost optimization in various phases of construction projects. The research discusses the issue of the impact of information technology on cost management in various phases of a construction project. The main goal of the research is to analyze the influence of information technology factors on cost savings and optimization in individual phases of a construction project. Several statistical methods were used in the research. The resulting model of information technology impact factor was created based on data processing and the use of the AHP method.

3D printing is playing an important role in cardiovascular disease by use of personalised models with replication of normal anatomy and pathology with high accuracy and reliability. While 3D printed heart and vascular models are shown to improve medical education, preoperative planning and simulation of cardiac procedures, and enhance communication with patients, 3D bioprinting however, represents a potential advancement of 3D printing technology by printing cellular or biological components, functional tissues and organs that can be used in a variety of applications in cardiovascular disease. Recent advances in bioprinting technology have shown the ability to support vascularisation of large scale constructs with enhanced biocompatibility and structural stability, thus creating opportunities to replace damaged tissues or organs. In this review, we provide an overview of the use of 3D bioprinting in cardiovascular disease with a focus on technologies and applications in cardiac tissues, vascular constructs and grafts, heart valves and myocardium. Limitations and future research directions are highlighted.

Tumor cells evolve in a complex and heterogeneous environment composed of different cell types and an extracellular matrix. Current 2D culture methods are very limited in their ability to mimic the cancer cell environment. In recent years, various 3D models of cancer cells have been developed, notably in the form of spheroids/organoids, using scaffold or cancer-on-chip devices. However, these models have the disadvantage of not being able to precisely control the organization of multiple cell types in complex architecture and are sometimes not very reproducible in their production, and this is especially true for spheroids. Three-dimensional bioprinting can produce complex, multi-cellular, and reproducible constructs in which the matrix composition and rigidity can be adapted locally or globally to the tumor model studied. For these reasons, 3D bioprinting seems to be the technique of choice to mimic the tumor microenvironment in vivo as closely as possible. In this review, we discuss different 3D-bioprinting technologies, including bioinks and crosslinkers that can be used for in vitro cancer models, and the techniques used to study cells grown in hydrogels; finally, we provide some applications of bioprinted cancer models.

The lean supply chain of construction engineering projects is to achieve the maximum satisfaction of the owners' needs in order to effectively achieve the goal of supply chain management. This paper explores an effective method of lean supply chain cost management for construction engineering projects with target cost management, so that each participating unit on the supply chain node can fully utilizes its core competencies to minimize internal consumption and waste, and achieve the optimal overall efficiency of the supply chain. According to the requirements of the goal planning theory of the construction project company, establish a lean supply chain cost planning system for the construction project, realize the basic model of the lean supply chain cost management of the construction project, and set the target cost from the lean project of the construction project. The technical decomposition is established by the process of cost decomposition and cost pressure transmission and sub-target cost planning.

Progressive technologies and practices are shifting the possibilities of building design and improving work efficiency. Constantly changing site conditions require different procedures and designs that take into account these changing conditions, whether it is a design solution, a change in environmental conditions, or just sustainability factors. Adaptive building design offers opportunities to cope with changing factors to achieve the highest possible level of building quality. This case study deals with the topic of adaptive formwork design for building renovation, taking into account sustainability. Aim of the article is an investigation and demonstration of the building information modelling (BIM) environment used for the adaptive design of formwork elements for the building renovation in the context of sustainability. The object of the case study is a building in the center of Kosice, Slovakia. BIM environment allows prompt and correct adaptation of the formwork design to changing conditions of lighting, ventilation, heating and temperature during the design of the building.

The use of New-age (Nano) Modified Emulsions (NME) for the stabilisation of marginal materials for use in the upper-pavement layers of roads have been proven in laboratories, through Accelerated Pavement Tests (APT) and in practice. In addition, material design methods have been developed based on the scientific analysis of granular material mineralogy and the chemical interaction with the binder to design a material compatible NME stabilising agent for naturally available (often marginal) materials. However, the introduction of any new disruptive technology in a traditionally well-established industry, such as the road construction industry, is usually associated with considerable resistance. This is especially relevant when the new technology enables the use of granular materials traditionally considered to be of an unacceptable quality in combination with relatively new concepts such as New-age (Nano) Modified Emulsions (NME). In practice, few road construction projects are without any problems. The introduction of new-technologies obviously makes it an easy target to blame for any non-related problem that may arise during construction. This article aims to assist in pre-empting, recognising, preventing and resolving material or non-material related construction problems through the correct identification of the cause of the problem and recommending the best, most cost-effective way to correct any deficiencies on site.

In 2007, the excavation of the M-30 ring road located in Madrid and the creation of a green corridor either side of the Manzanares river brought significant change to the metropolitan area. The corridor and linear park which it provided were designed to contribute to the regeneration of the fluvial ecosystem, establish links among residents on each side of the river and promote cultural and leisure activities. This paper provides a sustainability analysis of the excavation of the M-30 (involving the socio-economic and environmental impact) 14 years after its construction. In order to show such an impact, an analysis of the area both prior to the project and after completion, as well as a hypothetical solution that uses improved materials, has been performed. This entails use of the multi-criteria decision-making model named MIVES (initials in Spanish, modelo integrado de valor para una evaluación sostenible). The MIVES method is based on the application of value functions of sustainability indicators selected by socio-economic and environmental criteria, chosen by experts. Results from analysis showed that the excavation of the M-30 considerably improved the sustainability of the area (sustainable index 3.43 and 6.26 both before and after the excavation works). However, use of improved materials in contrast with the application of conventional materials slightly improved the sustainability of the work (Sustainability Index 6.26 and 6.74, respectively, of the conventional materials).

The validity of our universe as a three-dimensional space (3+1 in relativity) is considered a fundamental fact in physics. In this study, we show that our observed world is thus the output of a prior fundamental operator referred to as an organizer. The organizer is an expansion of projecting operators. It is been shown that identical weighted projecting operators, which are associated with identical particles, generate subspaces of entangled states, whereas groups of unequal weighted coefficients are responsible for finite-size subspaces that are associated with unidentical particles. Considering 3D-subspaces as evidence of the coefficients’ arrangement in our universe, we implement our formalism to describe the implacable vectors, location, momentum, and force within each 3D subspace. By implementing the Heisenberg relation, we drive both the classical and quantum expressions for the laws of motion.

Quantum mechanics introduces the concept of an observer who selects a measuring device and reads the outputs. This measurement process is irreversible. Lately, scholars on quantum collapse phenomena have presented a quantum-like formalism describing the measurement results as an interpretation of the measured object. Note that an observer must read the interpretation results after the interpretation process. Therefore, we propose that the definition of the concept of life should be expanded based on the following concept: A living system decreases entropy, measured results are interpreted, and an internal observer reads the commentary.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) simplifies the fabrication of complex geometries. Its scope has rapidly expanded from the fabrication of pre-production visualization models to the manufacturing of end use parts driving the need for better part quality assurance in the additively manufactured parts. Machine learning (ML) is one of the promising techniques that can be used to achieve this goal. Current research in this field includes the use of supervised and unsupervised ML algorithms for quality control and prediction of mechanical properties of AM parts. This paper explores the applications of supervised learning algorithms - Support Vector Machines and Random Forests. Support vector machines provide high accuracy in classifying the data and is used to decide whether the final parts have the desired properties. Random Forests consist of an ensemble of decision trees capable of both classification and regression. This paper reviews the implementation of both algorithms and analyzes the research carried out on their applications in AM.

Fatigue remains a challenge especially for high end metal AM parts and materials. From a design perspective, the fatigue limit of an AM solution can be improved upon by optimizing the manufacturing process for a certain material and part. In addition, improved accuracy of design methodologies aids in capturing the features critical for fatigue and quantifies their significance to desired part lifetime as well as providing a basis for their avoidance. In current work we present an overall concept merging thermomechanical process and powder bed solidification modeling to micromechanical analysis of fatigue of the resulting material microstructure. Material features critical to fatigue, particularly surface roughness, internal defects such as porosity and cracks and on the other hand inclusions, can be assessed directly on the basis of AM part microstructure with respect to the resulting fatigue limit. Case analyses consist of maraging steel and nickel alloys. The overall scheme provides a basis for optimization of metal AM solutions against fatigue and multiscale modeling founded basis for fatigue design.

Three-dimensional reconstruction plays an important role in assisting doctors and surgeons in diagnosing bone defects’ healing progress. Common three-dimensional reconstruction methods include surface and volume rendering. As the focus is on the shape of the bone, volume rendering is omitted. Many improvements have been made on surface rendering methods like Marching Cubes and Marching Tetrahedra, but not many on working towards real-time or near real-time surface rendering for large medical images, and studying the effects of different parameter settings for the improvements. Hence, in this study, an attempt towards near real-time surface rendering for large medical images is made. Different parameter values are experimented on to study their effect on reconstruction accuracy, reconstruction and rendering time, and the number of vertices and faces. The proposed improvement involving three-dimensional data smoothing with convolution kernel Gaussian size 0.5 and mesh simplification reduction factor of 0.1, is the best parameter value combination for achieving a good balance between high reconstruction accuracy, low total execution time, and a low number of vertices and faces. It has successfully increased the reconstruction accuracy by 0.0235%, decreased the total execution time by 69.81%, and decreased the number of vertices and faces by 86.57% and 86.61% respectively.

OBJECTIVE: Although 3D-printed anatomic models are not new to medicine, the high costs and lengthy production times entailed have limited their application. Our goal was developing a new and less costly 3D modeling method to depict organ-tumor relations at faster printing speeds. METHODS: We have devised a method of 3D modeling using DICOM images. Coordinates are extracted at a specified interval, connecting them to create mesh-work replicas. Adjacent constructs are depicted by density variations, showing anatomic targets (ie, tumors) in contrasting color. RESULTS: An array of organ solid-tumor models were printed via Fused Deposition Modeling 3D printer at significantly less cost ($0.05/cm3) and time expenditure (1.73 min/cm3; both, p<.001). Printed models helped promote visual appreciation of organ-tumor anatomy and adjacent tissues. Our mesh-work 3D thyroidal prototype reproduced glangular size/contour and tumor location, readily approximating the surgical specimen. CONCLUSIONS: This newly devised mesh-type 3D printing method may facilitate anatomic modeling for personalized care and improve patient awareness during informed surgical consent.

Solar3D is an open-source software application designed to interactively calculate solar irradiation at three-dimensional (3D) surfaces in a virtual environment constructed with combinations of 3D city models, digital elevation models (DEMs), digital surface models (DSMs) and feature layers. The GRASS GIS r.sun solar radiation model computes solar irradiation based on two-dimensional (2D) raster maps for given day, latitude, surface and atmospheric conditions. With the increasing availability of 3D city models and demand for solar energy, there is an urgent need for better tools to computes solar radiation directly with 3D city models. Solar3D extends GRASS GIS r.sun from 2D to 3D by feeding the model with input, including surface slope, aspect and time-resolved shading, that is derived directly from the 3D scene using computer graphics techniques. To summarize, Solar3D offers several new features which, as a whole, distinguish itself from existing 3D solar irradiation tools: (1) the ability to consume massive heterogeneous 3D city models, including massive 3D city models such as oblique airborne photogrammetry-based 3D city models (OAP3Ds or integrated meshes); (2) the ability to perform near real-time pointwise calculation for duration from daily to annual; (3) the ability to integrate and interactively explore large-scale heterogeneous geospatial data. (4) the ability to calculate solar irradiation at arbitrary surface positions including at rooftops, facades and the ground. Solar3D is publicly available at https://github.com/jian9695/Solar3D.

The attention to sustainable-related issues has grown fast in recent decades. The experience gained with these themes reveals the importance of considering this topic in the construction industry, which represents an important sector in the world. This work consists on conducting a multicriteria analysis of four cement powders, with the objective of calculating and analysing the environmental, human health and socio-economic effects of their production processes. The economic, technical, environmental and safety performances of the examined powders result from official, both internal and public, documents prepared by the producers. The Analytic Hierarchy Process permitted to consider several indicators (i.e. environmental, human health related and socio-economic parameters) and to conduct comprehensive and unbiased analyses which gave the best, most sustainable cement powder. As assumed in this study, the contribution of each considered parameter to the overall sustainability has a different incidence, therefore the procedure could be used to support on-going sustainability efforts under different conditions. The results also prove that it is incorrect to consider only one parameter to select the ‘best’ cement powder, but several impact categories should be considered and analysed if there is an interest for pursuing different, often conflicting interests.

In contemporary design practices, there is a disconnect between the design techniques used for early-stage design experimentation and performance analysis, and those used for the manufacture and construction. This study addresses the problems in developing an integrated digital design workflow and provides a research framework for integrating environmental performance requirements with robotic manufacturing processes on a construction site. The proposed method enables the user to import a design surface, identify design parameters, set several environmental performance goals, and thereafter simulate and select a robotic building strategy. Based on these inputs, design alternatives are developed and evaluated, considering their robotically simulated constructibility, in terms of their performance criteria. To validate the proposed method, the design is evaluated in an experiment wherein a double-skin facade perforation is generated using the proposed methodology. The results suggest a heuristic feature to improve the simulated robotic constructibility. Moreover, the functionality of the prototype is demonstrated.

In contemporary design practices, there is a disconnect between the design techniques used for early-stage design experimentation and performance analysis, and those used for the manufacture and construction. This study addresses the problems in developing an integrated digital design workflow and provides a research framework for integrating environmental performance requirements with robotic manufacturing processes on a construction site. The proposed method enables the user to import a design surface, identify design parameters, set several environmental performance goals, and thereafter simulate and select a robotic building strategy. Based on these inputs, design alternatives are developed and evaluated, considering their robotically simulated constructibility, in terms of their performance criteria. To validate the proposed method, the design is evaluated in an experiment wherein a double-skin facade perforation is generated using the proposed methodology. Initial results suggest a heuristic feature to improve the simulated robotic constructibility. Moreover, the functionality of the prototype is demonstrated.

This study evaluated the grain size and high organic content from drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS) in the properties of ceramics. Samples were studied using raw and oven dried DWTS at 110 °C in two granulometries (0.180 mm and 0.075 mm), with and without calcination (550 °C), as partial replacement of two soils commonly used in ceramic production. Specimens were prepared with 5, 10, and 20% DWTS and calcined at 950 °C to determine their chemical, physical, mineralogical and mechanical properties. The DWTS reduced the density and increased the absorption and shrinkage of the specimens after calcination. An increase in strength with up to 10% sludge, driven by the presence of fluxing agents, was verified. The processing method had little influence on the properties of ceramic with above 10% of sludge. In conclusion, the use of raw DWTS obtained better results with low energy usage for its reuse.

Wet coffee processing methods will produce wastewater containing organic matter. The high content of organic matter can be utilized as biogas through the anaerobic process. Anaerobic digesters construction can affect removal process of wastewater pollution and biogas quantity. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of digester construction between conventional digester, CSTR and UASB producing biogas from coffee wastewater. The conventional digester worked without temperature control system as control, a UASB digester, and CSTR digester worked with temperature control system. Biomass volume was about 5 L with 35 days incubation time. Temperature and pH for UASB and CSTR were set within the range 30 – 35^oC and pH 6.0 – 8.0. Based on the feeding variations, UASB has a stable performance with 83.57 ml/day of average biogas production. It has also highest remediation efficiency of COD, BOD and C/N with 85.00±0.34 %, 84.40%± 5.66 and 97.78± 0.57.

Recent researches proved that the underbridge geometry can be reconstructed by mounting a 3D laser scanner on a motorized cart travelling on a walkway located under the bridge. The walkway is moved by a truck and the accuracy of the bridge model depends on the accuracy of the trajectory of the scanning head with respect to a fixed reference system. In this paper, we describe the metrological characterization of a method that uses non-contact systems to identify the relative motion of the cart with respect to the walkway; the orientation of the walkway with respect to the bridge is determined using inclinometers and optical rails, while the position of the truck with respect to the bridge is measured using a conventional odometer. The measurement uncertainty of the proposed system was initially evaluated by numerical simulations and successively verified by experiments in laboratory conditions. The complete system has then been tested in operative conditions; the validity of the proposed approach has been demonstrated by comparing the geometry of buildings reconstructed with the proposed system with the geometry obtained with a static scan. Results evidenced that the errors are approximately 6 mm.

Background: Melatonin is a potent mitochondrial, cytoprotective and antioxidant molecule with potentially strong anti-aging properties. Topical melatonin has shown to improve the clinical signs of skin aging. Melatosphere™ is a new lipid-based delivery system able to improve stability and skin penetration of melatonin when used in topical formulations. No clinical studies, using objective instrumental data, are available so far regarding the positive effect of Melatosphere™ in improving wrinkles in women with mild-to-moderate skin aging. Study Aim: We evaluate, in an open prospective, evaluator-blinded trial, the effects on skin texture of 2 months treatment with a Melatosphere™ based cream. Subjects and Methods: 15 women aged >45 years with mild to moderate facial skin aging (Glogau score ≥2) participated in the trial, after their informed consent. An ANTERA 3D computer-assisted skin analysis evaluation for the assessment of coarse and fine wrinkles of the periorbital area and melanin content was performed at baseline and after two months of treatment. An evaluator-blinded Investigator Global assessment of skin elastosis, roughness, level of dyscromia, skin dryness and presence of actinic damage was also performed at the same time points using a 4-grade score from 0 (no sign) to 3 (severe sign). Results: At baseline the mean (SD) IGA score was 8.2(1.0). After 2 months the IGA score significantly decrease to 4.2(1.4) (49% reduction) (P=0.0007). ANTERA 3D evaluations showed a significant reduction in skin coarse and fine wrinkles volume in the target area of -31% and -18%, respectively. Melanin content was reduced significantly by -17%. Conclusion: Topical melatonin carried in Melatosphere improves in the short-term signs of skin aging evaluated clinically and by ANTERA 3D device in women with mild to moderate skin aging.

The question of building sustainable in a geographical locality is inexorably linked to cost. In 2011, one of the authors built a sustainable house that was (at the time) the highest certified sustainable home based on the National Association of Home Builder’s standards for sustainable construction. This Texas house has been used for residential and research purposes for the past decade. In this case study, the authors evaluate components of the construction and their effectiveness as well as unseen secondary and tertiary effects. Some of the specific components discussed are home site placement; rainwater harvesting (100% of residential requirements); aerobic septic system; grid-tied solar array power; electric car charging; geothermal heating and cooling; reclaimed wood framing; spray foam installation; selection of windows, fixtures, and appliances; on-demand electric water heaters for guest areas; generator backups; and use of local items. Electric bills and water system improvements are discussed in detail, as improvements were made as part of residential and research requirements. This case study suggests that the financial outlay is worth the extra up-front costs if residents in this geographical area and climate will occupy the residence 7 years.

This paper analyses and evaluate the precision and the accuracy the capability of low-cost terrestrial photogrammetry by using many digital cameras to construct a 3D model of an object. To obtain the goal, a building façade has imaged by two inexpensive digital cameras such as Canon and Pentax camera. Bundle adjustment and image processing calculated by using Agisoft PhotScan software. Several factors will be included during this study, different cameras, and control points. Many photogrammetric point clouds will be generated. Their accuracy will be compared with some natural control points which collected by the laser total station of the same building. The cloud to cloud distance will be computed for different comparison 3D models to investigate different variables. The practical field experiment showed a spatial positioning reported by the investigated technique was between 2-4cm in the 3D coordinates of a façade. This accuracy is optimistic since the captured images were processed without any control points.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies are transforming the design and manufacture of components and products across a variety of disciplines, however their application in the construction industry is still limited. Material deposition processes can achieve infinite geometries and have advanced from rapid prototyping and model-scale markets to their application in fabricating functional products, large objects and the construction of full-scale buildings. Many international projects have recently been realized and the construction industry is beginning to utilise these dynamic technologies. The potential advantages for integrating 3D printing into house construction are significant, these include the capacity for mass customization of designs and parameters for functional and aesthetic purposes, reduction in construction waste from highly precise material placement, and the use of recycled waste products in layer deposition materials. With the ultimate goal of improving construction efficiency and decreasing building costs, applying Strand7 Finite Element Analysis software, a numerical model was designed specifically for 3D printing in a cement mix incorporated with recycled waste product High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and found that construction of an arched truss-like roof was structurally feasible without the need for steel reinforcements. The lab sizes prototypes were manufactured based on the destined numerical model by using a 3D printing technology. Currently available 3D printing technologies can be adopted for building construction and this paper discusses the applications, advantages, limitations and future directions of 3D printing as an innovative and viable solution for affordable house construction.

In recent years, with the development of social media, people are more and more inclined to upload text, pictures and videos on the platform to express their personal emotions, thus the number of short videos is increasing and becoming the first choice for people to socialize. Unlike the traditional way, people can convey their personal emotions and opinions through media other than words, such as video images, etc. for external information. Therefore, the expression and analysis of emotions is not only through text, but also through the analysis of emotional needs in images and videos, and the research scholars have customized products for individual users. Compared with pure text content, video information can more intuitively express users' happiness, anger and sorrow, thus short video-related applications have gained more and more popularity among Internet users in recent years. However, not all short videos on social networking sites can accurately express users' emotions, and related text information can more accurately assist sentiment analysis and thus improve accuracy. However, short video sentiment analysis based on video frame images is inaccurate in some scenarios, such as when expressing tears of joy, the sentiment expressed by the user's facial expression and voice are different, which will cause errors in the analysis of sentiment. As a result, researchers began to consider multimodal sentiment analysis to reduce the impact of the above scenarios on short video sentiment analysis. This paper focuses on proposing a sentiment analysis method for short videos. We first propose a residual attention model to make full use of the information in audio to classify the emotions contained in them. Then the text information in the dataset is classified by feature extraction. The key to extract features from text information is not only to retain the semantic information of the text, but also to explore the potential emotional information in the text, so as to ensure the integrity of the text information features. The experiments show that the sentiment analysis model proposed in this paper is more superior than the baselines.

An approach employing ultrafast laser hybrid subtractive-additive microfabrication combining ablation, 3D nanolithography and welding is proposed for the realization of Lab-On-Chip (LOC) device. Single amplified Yb:KGW fs-pulsed laser source is shown to be suitable for fabricating microgrooves in glass slabs, polymerization of fine-meshes filter out of hybrid organic-inorganic photopolymer SZ2080 inside them, and, lastly, sealing the whole chip with cover glass into a single monolithic piece. The created microfluidic device proved its particle sorting function by separating 1 μm and 10 μm polystyrene spheres in a mixture. All together, this shows that fs-laser microfabrication technology is a flexible and versatile tool for the manufacturing of mesoscale multi-material LOC devices.

Abstract: Guanxi, a Chinese term that defines social networks of power and benefits, can be divided into inter-personal and inter-organizational relationships, and guanxi significantly influences construction innovation in China. Many studies have examined the relationship between guanxi and construction innovation at the project or organizational level. However, few of these studies explained how guanxi could affect an individual’s innovative behaviour from a double-level perspective. This paper builds on social capital theory and social exchange theory to examine guanxi’s role in motivating innovative behaviour in a China-specific construction context. It investigates the main effects of inter-personal relationships on innovative behaviour, the mediating effects of knowledge sharing, and the cross-level moderating effects of inter-organizational relationships. These elements were tested using a survey that received 178 responses from 35 different organizations. The results were analysed using Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) and revealed that inter-personal relationships have positive influences on innovative behaviour, thus highlighting the partial mediating effects of knowledge sharing. In addition, the analyses showed that inter-organizational relationships augment inter-personal relationships and knowledge sharing on innovative behaviour by cross-level interaction. The research findings enhance an understanding of guanxi and innovative behaviour in China-specific construction project settings, as well as verifying the significance of guanxi in stimulating innovative behaviour.

According to circular economy principles, the recycling and reuse of waste tyre rubber is one of the most advanced and ecological waste disposal technologies. Each year about 19 million tons of tyres are produced, and this amount is increasing each year. One of the most innovative ways to recycle rubber waste is devulcanization. There are many methods of rubber devulcanization, but the most popular are grinding and chemical. In this article devulcanized rubber granules were used for the preparation of rubber samples. Two of them were obtained by the grinding method and one by chemical devulcanization. 15 different rubber samples were produced for the experimental measurements. Multilayer constructions with two solid layers of plasterboard on both sides (GKB and GKFI) and porous acoustic material of rubber sample inside were produced. Measurements were made in an impedance tube and compared with the results of TMM analysis. The same trends of resonant frequencies were determined. According to the results, the resonant frequencies depended on the thickness of the material, since transmission loss values depended on the mass of construction. According to the test results of transmission loss, constructions with 50mm thick rubber samples had on average 3dB better results than the structures with 25mm samples and 5dB better results than structures with 12 mm thick rubber samples. In addition, it was found that higher density plasterboards (GKFI) increased the overall transmission loss value of the structure by 5 dB. The same trends were determined by the TMM method. The test results showed that multi-layered constructions with devulcanized waste rubber had high transmission loss result and could be used for sound insulating structures.

Fabrication of a true-3D inorganic ceramic with resolution down to nanoscale using sol-gel resist precursor is demonstrated. The method has an unrestricted free-form capability, control of the fill-factor, and high fabrication throughput. A systematic study of the proposed approach based on ultrafast laser 3D lithography of organic-inorganic hybrid sol-gel resin followed by a heat treatment enabled formation of inorganic amorphous and crystalline composites guided by the composition of the initial resin. The achieved resolution of 100 nm was obtained for 3D patterns of complex free-form architectures. Fabrication throughput of 50×10³ voxels/s is achieved; voxel - a single volume element was recorded by a single pulse exposure. After a subsequent thermal treatment, ceramic phase was formed depending on the temperature and duration of the heat treatment as validated by Raman micro-spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed a gradual emergence of the crystalline phases at higher temperatures with a signature of cristobalite SiO₂, a high-temperature polymorph. Also, the tetragonal ZrO₂ phase known for its high fracture strength was observed. This 3D nano-sintering technique is scalable from nano- to millimeter dimensions and opens a conceptually novel route for optical 3D nano-printing of various crystalline inorganic materials defined by an initial composition for diverse applications for microdevices in harsh physical and chemical environments and high temperatures.

An inter- and transdisciplinary concept has been developed, focusing on the scaling of industrial circular construction using innovative compacted mineral mixtures (CMM) derived from various soil types (sand, silt, clay) and recycled mineral waste. The concept aims to accelerate the systemic transformation of the construction industry towards carbon neutrality by promoting the large-scale adoption and automation of CMM-based construction materials, which incorporate natural mineral components and recycled aggregates or industrial by-products. In close collaboration with international and domestic stakeholders in the construction sector, the concept explores the integration of various CMM-based construction methods for producing wall elements in conventional building construction. Leveraging a digital urban mining platform, the concept aims to standardize the production process and enable mass-scale production. The ultimate goal is to fully harness the potential of automated CMM-based wall elements as a fast, competitive, emission-free, and recyclable alternative to traditional masonry and concrete construction techniques. To achieve this objective, the concept draws upon the latest advances in soil mechanics, rheology, and automation and incorporates open-source digital platform technologies to enhance data accessibility, processing, and knowledge acquisition. This will bolster confidence in CMM-based technologies and facilitate their widespread adoption. The extraordinary transfer potential of this approach necessitates both basic and applied research. As such, the proposed transformative, inter- and transdisciplinary concept will be conducted and synthesized using a comprehensive, holistic, and transfer-oriented methodology.

The increased accessibility of drone technology and the wide use of Structure from Motion 3D scene reconstruction have transformed the approach for mapping inaccessible slopes undergoing active rockfalls. The Poggio Baldi landslide offers the possibility for many of these techniques to be deployed and integrated with the aim of defining a suitable workflow for the analysis of hazards in mountainous regions. The generation of multitemporal digital slope twins (2016 – 2019), informed a rockfall trajectory analysis that was carried out with a physical-based GIS model. We tested the rockfall scenario reconstructed and calibrated on the analysis of the rock mass characteristics and the geometrical and physical constraints given by the multi-temporal analysis of the SfM point clouds. This time-independent rockfall hazard analysis is a critical component to any subsequent holistic risk analysis on this case study, and any potential similar mountainous setting.

3D Zernike moments based on 3D Zernike polynomials have been successfully applied to the field of voxelized 3D shape retrieval and have attracted more attention in biomedical image processing. As the order of 3D Zernike moments increases, both computational efficiency and numerical accuracy decrease. Due to this phenomenon, a more efficient and stable method for computing high-order 3D Zernike moments was proposed in this study. The proposed recursive formula for computing 3D Zernike radial polynomials combines the recursive calculation of spherical harmonics to develop a voxel-based algorithm for the calculation of 3D Zernike moments. The algorithm was applied to the 3D shape Michelangelo's David with a size of 150×150×150 voxels. As compared to the method without additional acceleration, the proposed method uses a group action of order sixteen orthogonal group and saving unnecessary iterations, the factor of speed-up is 56.783±3.999 when the order of Zernike moments is between 10 and 450. The proposed method also obtained an accurate reconstructed shape with the error rate (normalized mean square error) of 0.00 (4.17×10^-3) when the reconstruction was computed for all moments up to order 450.

To further explore the bearing capacity and sustainable construction of vacuum drainage pipe (VDP) piles, field tests were carried out to compare and analyze the ultimate single pile bearing capacity, pile side friction and pile end resistance of ordinary piles and vacuum drainage pipe piles. The effect of the VDP pile on energy conservation and emission reduction in practical projects is discussed. The results shows that the VDP pile basically eliminated the soil squeeze and did not cause excessive relative displacement of pile and soil after vacuum consolidation. The VDP pile enhances pile side friction resistance, resulting in a 17.6% increase in ultimate bearing capacity compared to traditional piles. The VDP pile method can reduce carbon emissions by 31.4% compared to traditional methods. This study provides guidance for the production and design of VDP piles in the future and demonstrates their potential for energy conservation and emission reduction benefits compared to traditional methods.

The introduction of any new disruptive technology in a traditionally well-established industry, such as the road construction industry, is usually associated with considerable resistance. This is especially relevant when the new technology is based on the use of granular materials traditionally considered to be of an unacceptable quality in combination with relatively new concepts such as New-age (Nano) Modified Emulsions (NME). In such cases, the fact that the material design methods are based on fundamental scientific principles and have been proven in laboratories and through Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT), may be of little influence. However, the general acceptance of new disruptive technologies, e.g. telecommunications and Information Technologies (IT), have been based on the considerable advantages it presented. The same principles are applicable to the general acceptance and use of NME stabilisation/enhancement of materials in the road construction industry. This article is aimed at the practical cost-effective demonstration of the general application of the use of nanos-silane modified emulsions in the construction of the highest order roads, i.e. inter-city multi-lane highways, lower order roads (including Low-Volume-Roads (LVR)) and even local accesses to farms and in villages/townships. The implementation of NME technologies is directly associated with ease of use, time and cost savings and the addressing and reduction of risks applicable to the use thereof.

Objectives: 1) To describe the cardiovascular health of the construction workers in Hong Kong, 2) to examine the demographic differences in cardiovascular health, and 3) to examine the association between modifiable lifestyle behaviors and cardiovascular conditions. Methods: 626 registered construction workers were included in the analysis. Blood chemistry, blood pressure, weight and height were measured. Face-to-face questionnaire interview was conducted. T-tests and One-way ANOVAs were used to compare the cardiovascular health score, cardiovascular outcomes, and lifestyle behaviors by demographic characteristics. Logistic regressions were performed to assess the cardiovascular outcomes by lifestyle behaviors. Results: Two-thirds of the construction workers failed to achieve three out of the seven “ideal” cardiovascular health indicators. The younger, more educated, and female subjects had better cardiovascular health scores than their counterparts. The ideal fish and seafood consumption was associated with 1) ideal weight status and 2) ideal cholesterol level, whereas less soft drink consumption was associated with ideal cholesterol level. Conclusions: The findings highlighted the importance of promoting cardiovascular health in the construction industry. This study provided insights for future interventions, which should include increasing fish and seafood intake, decreasing soft drink consumption, and enhancing the health literacy amongst older, less educated, and male construction workers.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disease involving cartilage degeneration. This study aimed to compare properties of chondrocytes from less-affected (LA-Cartilage) and severely-affected (SA-Cartilage) of human OA articular cartilage. Based on Dougados classification, OA cartilage was classified into two groups; less-affected (Grade 0–1) and severely-affected (Grade 2–3). Chondrocytes from each group were cultured until passage (P) 4. Growth, migration, stem cell properties and chondrogenic properties under normal and inflammatory conditions, and the formation of in vitro 3D cartilage tissues were compared between groups. The growth and migratory properties of LA-chondrocytes and SA-chondrocytes were similar, except that the migration rate of SA-chondrocytes was significantly higher at P0 compared to LA-chondrocytes. Both LA-chondrocytes and SA-chondrocytes expressed mesenchymal stem cell markers and tri-lineage differentiation, but the expression of stem cell markers decreased significantly with increasing passage number. Exposure to inflammatory conditions induced distinct morphological changes and significant increases in expression of SOX9 at P4 and MMP3 at P1 for LA-chondrocytes. LA-chondrocytes and SA-chondrocytes able to develop into in vitro 3D constructs, but SA-chondrocytes exhibited superior cartilage-like properties. Chondrocytes from both less- and severely-affected regions are suitable to be used in clinical applications, however, chondrocytes from severely-affected regions could be a more favorable cell source.

In the production of green parts from powder, there is unavoidable slight deviation in the die filling, even when high-quality powders are used. The quantity of powder in the die varies and thus affects the weight of the compact. This filling variation results in variation of the pressing force, and thus influences the part geometry. The development of the DORST Netshape® System was conceived as an autonomous manufacturing system in order to compensate for these effects. Based on the Dorst Industry 4.0 innovations for part weight measuring immediately after pressing in combination with a laser dimension measuring system, this technology package attempts to reach enhanced precision and consistency in production. The paper presents results from various trials that show the capability of this new system, designed to improve the quality of pressed parts.

This paper presents the results of the investigation of composite sinters W-TiB2 which were used as an electrode in the process of electro-spark deposition (ESD) and the examination of the deposited layers. The scope of the study includes detailed characteristics of powder mixtures, composite sinters made using the spark plasma sintering method (SPS) and layers deposited in the electro-spark process. The ESD process, using the W+30 vol.% TiB2 electrode, was carried out using an automated device. The substrates were made of copper and aluminium. The topography analysis of the surfaces of the composite layer and the evaluation of their wear resistance properties are also presented. The analysis of the results of research showed the possibility to obtain, using the SPS method, composite materials of good quality, which can be used as electrodes in the ESD process. The obtained layers had increased wear resistance in relation to the substrate material.

We present progress in fast, high-resolution imaging, material classification, and fault detection using hyperspectral X-ray measurements. Classical X-ray CT approaches rely on data from many projection angles, resulting in long acquisition and reconstruction times. Additionally, conventional CT cannot distinguish between materials with similar densities. However, in additive manufacturing, the majority of materials used are known a priori. This knowledge allows to vastly reduce the data collected and increase the accuracy of fault detection. In this context, we propose an imaging method for non-destructive testing of materials based on the combination of spectral X-ray CT and discrete tomography. We explore the use of spectral X-ray attenuation models and measurements to recover the characteristic functions of materials in heterogeneous media with piece-wise uniform composition. We show by means of numerical simulation that using spectral measurements from a small number of angles, our approach can alleviate the typical deterioration of spatial resolution and the appearance of streaking artifacts.

Quality assurance has been one of the major challenges in laser-based additive manufacturing (AM) processes. This study proposes a novel process modeling methodology for layer-wise in-situ quality monitoring based on image series analysis. An image-based autoregressive (AR) model has been proposed based on the image registration function between consecutively observed thermal images. Image registration is used to extract melt pool location and orientation change between consecutive images, which contains sensing stability information. Subsequently, a Gaussian process model is used to characterize the spatial correlation within the error matrix. Finally, the extracted features from the aforementioned processes are jointly used for layer-wise quality monitoring. A case study of a thin wall fabrication by a Directed Laser Deposition (DLD) process is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

3D printing facilitates the straightforward construction of microchannels with complex three-dimensional architectures. Here, we demonstrate 3D-printed modular mixing components that operate on the basis of splitting and recombining fluid streams to decrease interstream diffusion length. These are compared to helical mixers that operate on the principle of chaotic advection.

The brittle shear failure of reinforced concrete beams is complexed and unfavorable. For decades, research on the mechanical properties and durability of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) to make recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) has been widely investigated. However, test results on the shear strength of reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams are still limited and contradictory. This paper reports the shear strength of reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams without stirrups. Eight RAC beams and two controlled beams with natural coarse aggregate (NCA) were tested under the four-point flexural test with the shear span-to-effective depth ratio (a/d) of 3.10. Parameters in this study were the replacement percentage of RCA (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) and longitudinal reinforcement ratio (w) of 1.16% and 1.80%. It was found that the normalized shear stresses of RAC beams with w = 1.80% at all levels of replacement percentage were quite similar to that of the NAC counterparts. Normalized shear stress of the beam with 100% RCA and w = 1.16% was lower than that of the NAC beam by 5%. Database of 128 RAC beams without shear reinforcement from literature was analyzed to evaluate the ability of the most recent ACI 318-19 shear provisions in shear strength prediction. A reduction factor of 0.75 is proposed to the current ACI code provision to account for the physical variations of RCA such as replacement percentage, RCA source and quality, density, amount of residual mortar, and physical irregularity.

The construction of earth buildings, both throughout history and in the current day, is well-established worldwide. Despite New Zealand's pre- and post-colonial history of earth construction, earth buildings as residential homes have not been well-received or popularised throughout present-day New Zealand. This research aims to identify the reasons for this lack of awareness and to determine methods that promote earth buildings in New Zealand. This research is based on data collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with subject matter experts and via an online questionnaire completed by members of the Earth Building Association New Zealand (EBANZ). The data collected revealed the experiences and perceptions of all participants regarding the advantages, challenges and promotion of earth buildings specific to New Zealand. Upon analysing these responses, key reoccurring themes were identified and compared. Regarding New Zealand's lack of awareness of earth buildings, interview and questionnaire participants responded that this shortcoming was due to earth construction being a very niche market and lacking commercial marketing. Education was the most frequently reoccurring theme raised by all participants as the top promotional tool for raising awareness of earth buildings. The results of this research can be applied to future work regarding obstacles that limit the growth of New Zealand's earth building industry, as well as research on the role of New Zealand's education system in exposing the next generation of builders, designers, and consumers to earth construction.

The chapter presents the current state of research concerning the development of the BE + past participle constructions from Latin to Spanish. Starting from the description in Rosemeyer (2014) and the theoretical background collated in Kailuweit & Rosemeyer (2015), it will be shown that the functional change does not follow traditional grammaticalisation paths. Several concepts that deal with cases contradicting traditional grammaticalisation theory will be discussed. ‘Exaption’ (Lass 1990, 1997) focussing on total defunctionalisation does not account for the fact that the resultative value of the BE + past participle construction, marginal in Latin, becomes central in Mediaeval Spanish. ‘Refunctionalisation’ Smith (2008) captures this aspect in a more appropriate way. However, the development of the construction could be also conceived as the opposite of what Pountain (2000) describes as ‘capitalisation’: a process of ‘decapitalisation’ by which a feature is exploited not for wider, but for more restricted purposes.

Free-edge effect is one of the factors affecting the mechanical properties of three-dimensional woven composites under tensile load. However, current research is relatively poorly understood regarding the effect of free-edge on the stiffness and strength of the material. This paper aims at examining the influence of free-edge effect on the mechanical properties of 3D woven composites under tension through experimental and simulation mathods. The three-dimensional DIC technique is used to collect the full-field strains on the specimen surface during the test, and the stress-strain differences in different regions in the width direction are analyzed, and the overlap of the curves in each region is found to be high. Experimental studies are conducted on specimens of different widths (within the range of 15-20 mm), and the results indicate that the differences in mechanical properties of 3D woven composites under tension loading in this width range are not significant. A progressive damage finite element model is developed for calculation and compared with experimental results.

3D printing is described as the third industrial revolution: its impact is global in industry and progresses every day in society. It presents a huge potential for ecology and evolution, sciences with a long tradition of inventing and creating objects for research, education and outreach. Its general principle as an additive manufacturing technique is relatively easy to understand: objects are created by adding material layers on top of each other. Although this may seem very straightforward on paper, it is much harder in the real world. Specific knowledge is indeed needed to successfully turn an idea into a real object, because of technical choices and limitations at each step of the implementation. This article aims at helping scientists to jump in the 3D printing revolution, by offering a hands-on guide to current 3D printing technology. We first give a brief overview of uses of 3D printing in ecology and evolution, then review the whole process of object creation, split into three steps: (1) obtaining the digital 3D model of the object of interest, (2) choosing the 3D printing technology and material best adapted to the requirements of its intended use, (3) pre- and post-processing the 3D object. We compare the main technologies available and their pros and cons according to the features and the use of the object to be printed. We give specific and key details in appendices, based on examples in ecology and evolution.

Concrete, as one of the essential construction materials is responsible for a vast amount of emissions. Using recycled materials and gray water can considerably contribute to the sustainability aspect of concrete production. Thus, finding a proper replacement for fresh water, in the production of concrete, is significant. The usage of industrial wastewater, instead of water in the concrete can is considered in this paper. In this study, 450 concrete samples are produced with different amounts of wastewater. The mechanical parameters such as slump, compressive strength, water absorption, tensile strength, electrical resistivity, rapid freezing, half-cell potential, and appearance are investigated. The results showed that the usage of industrial wastewater does not significantly change the main characteristics of concrete. Although, increasing the concentration of the wastewater can decrease durability and strength features nonlinearly.

Electric energy has become essential nowadays not only for the daily life of each of us but also for the economy of different countries. The dissemination of geographic information plays an important role in national development as it facilitates communication between managers, investors, and consumers in this sector. Since the management of electricity network data was previously done in Tunisia based on paper maps and plans, the purpose of this article is to present a case of planning based on GIS, Web, and 3D Web GIS, which would have significant positive consequences on this sector from a technical and financial sides with an improvement in customer satisfaction and the creation of an intelligent electricity network which will be a real decision-making tool. This work draws up an inventory of the network MV (Medium Voltage)/LV (Low Voltage) of the region of Medjez El Bab which routes electricity to the big centers of consumption with access to MV/LV subscribers. The analysis of the network's impedance allowed carrying out different scenarios to optimize performance and obtain more realistic routes. Many thematic maps were produced as part of this project (Slope map, Land use map, map of the MV voltage domains, map of the MV/LV transformer stations power, etc.). A three-dimensional virtual city has been developed to visualize the graphical and attribute data for the study area. A Web and 3D Web GIS applications that allows the publication of the interactive maps on the Web as well as the database information have been developed to offer users the possibility of consulting the produced products by internet. Finally, a website related to the study was developed.

A pilot study on laser 3D printing of inorganic free-form micro-optics is experimentally validated. Ultrafast laser nanolithography is employed for structuring hybrid organic-inorganic material SZ2080TM followed by high-temperature calcination post-processing. The combination allows production of 3D architectures and the heat-treatment results in converting the material to inorganic substance. The produced miniature optical elements are characterized and their optical performance demonstrated. Finally, the concept is validated for manufacturing compound optical components such as stacked lenses. This is opening for new directions and applications of laser made microoptics under harsh conditions such as high intensity radiation, temperature, acidic environment, pressure variations, which include open space, astrophotonics, and remote sensing.

A key component of efforts to identify the biological and drug-specific aspects that contribute to therapeutic failure or unexpected exposure-associated toxicity is the study of drug-intestinal barrier interactions. While methods supporting such assessments are widely described for human therapeutics, there is relatively little information available for similar evaluation in support of veterinary pharmaceuticals. There is, therefore, a critical need to develop novel approaches for evaluating drug-gut interactions in veterinary medicine. Three-dimensional (3D) organoids can address these difficulties in a reasonably affordable system that circumvents the need for more invasive in vivo assays in live animals. However, a first step in the development of such systems is understanding organoid interactions in a 2D monolayer. Given the importance of orally administered medications for meeting the therapeutic need of companion animals, we demonstrate growth conditions under which canine colonoid-derived intestinal epithelial cells survive, mature, and differentiate into confluent cell systems with high monolayer integrity. We further examine the applicability of this canine colonoid-derived 2D model to assess the permeability of three structurally diverse, passively absorbed β-blockers (e.g., propranolol, metoprolol, and atenolol). Both absorptive and secretive apparent permeability (Papp) of these drugs at two different pH conditions were evaluated in canine colonoid-derived monolayers and were compared with that of Caco-2 cells. This proof-of-concept study provides promising preliminary results with regard to the utility of canine-derived organoid monolayers for species-specific assessments of therapeutic drug passive permeability.

The initial stability after implantology is paramount to the survival of the dental implant and the surface roughness of the implant plays a vital role in this regard. The characterisation of surface topography is a complicated branch of metrology, with a huge range of parameters available. Each parameter contributes significantly towards the survival and mechanical properties of 3D-printed specimens. The purpose of this paper is to experimentally investigate the effect of surface roughness of 3D-printed dental implants and 3D-printed dogbone tensile samples under areal height (Ra) parameters, amplitude parameters (average of ordinates), skewness (Rsk) parameters and mechanical properties. During the experiment, roughness values were analysed and the results showed that the skewness parameter demonstrated a minimum value of 0.596%. The 3D-printed dental implant recorded Ra with a 3.4 mm diameter at 43.23% and the 3D-printed dental implant with a 4.3 mm diameter at 26.18%. Samples with a complex geometry exhibited a higher roughness surface, which was the greatest difficulty of additive manufacturing when evaluating surface finish. The results show that when the ultimate tensile stress (UTS) decreases from 968.35 MPa to 955.25 MPa, Ra increases by 1.4% and when UTS increases to 961.18 MPa, Ra increases by 0.6%. When the cycle decreases from 262142 to 137433, Ra shows that less than a 90.74% increase in cycle is obtained. For 3D-printed dental implants, the higher the surface roughness, the lower the mechanical properties, ultimately leading to decreased implant life and poor performance.

Paclitaxel is a natural, highly lipophilic anti proliferative drug widely used in medicine. We have studied the release of tritium-labeled paclitaxel (³H-PTX) from matrices destined for the coating of vascular stents and produced by the electrospinning method from the solutions of polycaprolactone (PCL) with paclitaxel (PTX) in hexafluoisoropropanol (HFIP) and/or solutions of PCL with PTX and human serum albumin (HSA) in HFIP or HIFP-dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) blend. The release of PTX has been shown to depend on the solvent and the composition of electrospinning solution, as well as the composition of the surrounding medium, particularly the concentration of free PTX and PTX-binding biomolecules present in human serum. It was shown that 3D matrices can completely release PTX without weight loss. Two-phase PTX release from optimized 3D matrices was obtained: ~27% of PTX was released in the first day, another 8% were released over the next 26 days. Wherein ~2.8%, ~2.3%, and ~0.25% of PTX was released on day 3, 9, and 27, respectively. Considering PTX toxicity, the rate of its diffusion through the arterial wall, and the data obtained the minimum cytostatic dose of the drug in the arterial wall will be maintained for at least three months.

Existing rammed earth construction methods have disadvantages such as increased initial costs for manufacturing the large formwork and increased labor costs owing to the labor-intensive construction techniques involved. To address the limitations of existing rammed earth construction methods, an autonomous rammed earth construction method is introduced herein. As this autonomous rammed earth construction method uses a modular formwork, alternative materials must be used in the construction to satisfy the requirements for the early-age binder performance. Accordingly, this study evaluates the use of an epoxy emulsion composed of epoxy and a hardener to enhance the performance of the binder. Preliminary experiments were conducted to determine the optimal formulation of the epoxy emulsion, following which the compressive strength, water loosening, shrinkage, rate of mass change, and microstructure of several red clay binder specimens with and without epoxy emulsion were analyzed at early ages. The results confirmed that the epoxy emulsion can be applied to satisfy the performance requirements for autonomous rammed earth construction by improving the durability and strength of the binder at early ages.

The determination of the non-loading condition of the rail cable shifting (RCS) system, which consists of main cables, hangers and rail cables, is the premise of the girder erection for the long-span suspension bridges. An analytical form-finding analysis model of shifting system is established according to the basic assumptions of flexible cable structures. Herein, the rail cable is discretized into segmental linear cable elements and the main cable is discretized into segmental catenary elements. Moreover, the calculation and analysis equation of each member and their iterative solutions are derived by taking the elastic elongation of the sling into account. In addition, by taking the girder construction of Aizhai suspension bridge as engineering background, a global scale model of the RCS system is designed and manufactured; also the test system and working conditions are established. The comparison between the test results and analytical results shows the presented analytical method is correct and effective. The process is simplified in the analytical method, and the computational results and precision can satisfy the practical engineering requirements. In addition, the proposed method is suitable to apply to the computation analysis of similar structures.

Visualization techniques are a powerful communication tool between construction stakeholders. The advancement of technology from 2D drawings to 3D models, Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) has emphasized the crucial role of efficient communication of ideas, designs, and concepts in preventing project delays and other issues in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Contemporary innovations such as web-based virtual reality cloud platforms that facilitate collaborative AEC projects and Head-mounted Displays that enable the viewing of VR environments are some of the latest technological developments that are emerging in the construction industry. These technological advances have the potential to improve communication, increase project efficiency, and enhance the quality of construction work. The purpose of this research is to identify existing trends and potential future directions by appropriating the state of the art of the intellectual growth of Virtual reality and Augmented Reality. The study used scientometric analysis in reviewing existing publications to scientifically map the evolution of VR and AR in the AEC sector. The study observed an emerging but little amount of publications on VR and AR in construction. While Africa contributes little significance, advancement in VR and AR research is led by United States and America. The study expresses concern over the dearth of research and the low amount of collaborations amongst institutions in diverse countries. The study concludes that VR and AR research in the AEC sector must be afforded the needed focus and attention. In recent times, the global Coronavirus pandemic has shown that technology such as VR and AR is inevitable in the success of a project.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been more popular in the construction industry as a consequence of the many advantages it offers, such as increased productivity, improved project outcomes, and reduced expenses. However, there are many obstacles that must be overcome before BIM can be widely used. This research uses a poll of construction industry experts to investigate the challenges associated with using BIM in projects. Cost of implementation, inadequate standards and procedures, and a lack of knowledge with BIM were some of the hurdles that were measured in the study. Statistical techniques were used to examine the data, and the findings indicate that the high cost of implementation and the absence of sufficient standards and procedures are the two main obstacles to the widespread adoption of BIM. Problems with supply chain management and a lack of experience with BIM are also mentioned as obstacles. The report also suggests solutions, such as a more focused teaching effort on BIM-related issues and the creation of a specialised BIM curriculum. Professionals in the construction industry may utilise the study’s results to their advantage by expanding their knowledge of the obstacles standing in the way of widespread adoption of BIM.

In this paper the development process of a deployable modular sandwich panelized system for rapid assembly building construction is presented, and its structural performance under some different action effects is investigated. This system, which includes an innovative sandwich panel and its integrated connections, can be used as structural walls and floors in quickly assembled post-disaster housing, as well as load bearing panels for pre-fabricated modular construction and semi-permanent buildings. Panels and connections are composed of a pneumatic fabric formwork, and two 3-D high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sheets as the skins, filled with high-density rigid Polyurethane (PU) foam as the core. HDPE sheets manufactured with a studded surface considerably enhance the stress distribution, buckling performance and delamination strength of the sandwich panel under various loading conditions. The load-carrying behaviour of the system in accordance with some ASTM standards is presented here. The results show the system satisfies the codes criteria regarding semi-permanent housing.

Interprofessional learning (IPL) is essential to prepare healthcare trainees as the future public health workforce. WHIRL was an innovative IPL intervention that engaged multi-professional teams of volunteer healthcare trainees (n=20) to deliver health checks (n=464), including tailored advice and signposting, to employees in the UK construction industry (across 21 events, 16 sites, 10 organisations) as part of an ongoing research programme called Test@Work. Volunteers undertook a four-part training and support package of trainer-led education, observations of practice, self-directed learning and clinical supervision, together with peer mentoring. In a one-group post-test only design, IPL outcomes were measured using the Inventory of Reflective Vignette - Interprofessional Learning (IRV-IPL), and the psychometric properties of the IRV-IPL tool were tested. WHIRL demonstrably improved healthcare trainees’ interprofessional skills in all five areas of collaboration, coordination, cooperation, communication, and commendation. The IRV-IPL tool was found to be a valid and reliable measure of interprofessional competencies across three scenarios; before and after health promotion activities, and as a predictor of future health promotion competence. This industry-based workplace IPL programme resulted in attainment of health check competencies, and bridged the gap between research, education and clinical practice.

Improving the efficiency of the supply process in prefabricated components is challenging and requires accounting for a variety of risks involved in the management of the suppliers. The purpose of this study is to present a method to account for the systematic trade-offs between several supplier alternatives. A novel framework is presented for the whole assessment of supplier alternatives by taking advantage of the information extracted from customized building information modeling (BIM) and a database required for assessment of impacts. A data library related to assessment criteria for supply alternatives is built to facilitate the storage and sharing of information. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to select the optimal supplier that is able to provide the most satisfaction for the determined criteria. The proposed framework was also illustrated by the implementation in a mega project. The study implication is that BIM-enabled supplier selection can indeed lead to more benefits and higher values for all stakeholders.

Construction projects are usually operating in a complex and dynamic environment in which the accumulation of many interrelated factors causes high uncertainty. Construction projects are complex and frequently involve substantial uncertainties including process complicatedness, intricate organization structure, dynamic environment, and financial strain. The study aims to categorize the influencing factors into three groups, namely construction project system, economic-market climate, and external environment. It attempts to adopt a novel analysis tool to examine the relationship between the project cost and multiple influencing factors by using Bayesian SEM. While the Bayesian SEM method has been receiving increasing attention in exploring the relationship between latent variables, construction studies still heavily rely on the covariance-based SEM approach. This study introduces several advantages of Bayesian SEM that make it more flexible and powerful than covariance-based SEM and provides the foundation of Bayesian SEM estimation and inference by illustrating this method in a project cost application.

Construction projects are usually operating in a complex and dynamic environment in which the accumulation of many interrelated factors causes high uncertainty. Construction projects are complex and frequently involve substantial uncertainties including process complicatedness, intricate organization structure, dynamic environment, and financial strain. The study aims to categorize the influencing factors into three groups, namely construction project system, economic-market climate, and external environment. It attempts to adopt a novel analysis tool to examine the relationship between the project cost and multiple influencing factors by using Bayesian SEM. While the Bayesian SEM method has been receiving increasing attention in exploring the relationship between latent variables, construction studies still heavily rely on the covariance-based SEM approach. This study introduces several advantages of Bayesian SEM that make it more flexible and powerful than covariance-based SEM and provides the foundation of Bayesian SEM estimation and inference by illustrating this method in a project cost application.