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Natural language processing-driven framework for the early detection of language and cognitive declineNatural Language Processing (NLP) technology has the potential to provide a non-invasive, cost-effective method using a timely intervention for detecting early-stage language and cognitive decline in individuals concerned about their memory. The proposed pre-screening language and cognition assessment model (PST-LCAM) is based on the functional linguistic model Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) to analyse and represent the structure and meaning of utterances, via a set of language production and cognition parameters. The model is trained on a DementiaBank dataset with markers of cognitive decline aligned to the global deterioration scale (GDS). A hybrid approach of qualitative linguistic analysis and assessment is applied, which includes the mapping of participants´ tasks of speech utterances and words to RRG phenomena. It uses a metric-based scoring with resulting quantitative scores and qualitative indicators as pre-screening results. This model is to be deployed in a user-centred conversational assessment platform.
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Experiment and numerical modelling of a demountable steel connection system for reuseCurrently, steel reuse is only a marginal practice. To facilitate deconstruction and efficient reuse of steel components, an innovative connection system was proposed. This system adopts a ‘Block Shear Connector (BSC)’ that allows beam length to be standardised and suitable for a wide range of different sizes of the supporting members within the same planning grid. This paper presents the experimental and numerical studies of a beam-to-beam connection using BSCs. The BSC used was made from a standard universal HE / UC section and was bolted to the beams by using partial depth end plates. The experimental results provided the shear resistance, momentrotation, failure behaviour, demountability and reusability of the steel components. Further numerical simulation conducted investigated the effect of some key parameters (steel strength, thickness of BSC web, thickness of BSC flange, initial bolt stress) on the behaviour of the connections. The results obtained highlighted the demountability of this innovative bolted connection system and the reusability of structural components.
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An NLP-based framework for early identification of design reliability issues from heterogeneous automotive lifecycle dataNatural Language Processing is increasingly used in different areas of design and product development with varied objectives, from enhancing productivity to embedding resilience into systems. In this paper, we introduce a framework that draws on NLP algorithms and expert knowledge for the automotive engineering domain, to extract actionable insight for system reliability improvement from data available from the operational phase of the system. Specifically, we are looking at the systematic exploration and exploitation of automotive heterogeneous data sources, including both closed-source (such as warranty records) and open-source (e.g., social networks, chatrooms, recall systems) data, to extract and classify information about faults, with predictive capability for early detection of issues. We present a preliminary NLP-based framework for enhancing system knowledge representation to increase the effectiveness and robustness of information extraction from data, and discuss the temporal alignment of data sources and insight to improve prediction ability. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework using real-world automotive data in a recall study for a vehicle lighting system and a particular manufacturer: four recall campaigns were identified leading to corrective actions by the warranty experts.
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Cavitation in die drawn poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) during second-stage tensile deformationPre-oriented poly (4-methyl-1-pentene) samples were prepared by the die drawing process. The stress whitening phenomenon induced by cavities in the different die drawn P4M1P samples during the second-stage tensile deformation was investigated at temperatures below and above Tg. At 30 °C and 50 °C, the cavitation process near yield point is influenced by the fraction of unoriented crystalline phase in pre-oriented samples. Cavities originate from the fracture of the crystalline skeleton at small strains were observed in the sample with a high fraction of unoriented crystalline phase. At high deformation temperature, the small strain cavities were suppressed and the cavitation processes in all die drawn samples are due to the failure of the highly oriented fibrillar network caused by the breaking of the load-bearing interfibrillar/microfibrillar tie molecule chains.
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Deformation Temperature Dependency of Microstructure Evolution in Die-Drawn iPP/UHMWPE BlendsUltrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is one of the most promising polyolefins, but its processability and consequently applications are limited by its high melt viscosity. An effective method to improve the processability is to introduce another polymer component. Yet it is challenging to deform the sample if the components are not compatible with each other. In this work, we blended the UHMWPE with isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and successfully processed the iPP/UHMWPE samples via die-drawing at temperatures below, near, and above the melting temperature of UHMWPE. It was found that the melting behavior of the die-drawn samples was determined by the deformation temperature. The molecular chain orientation slightly decreased, while the long periods first increased and then decreased with increasing deformation temperature. Three melting peaks observed in the samples deformed at 130 and 140 °C originated from the melting of cooling-induced UHMWPE crystallites, deformation-induced fibrillar UHMWPE crystallites, and deformation-induced fibrillar iPP crystallites, respectively. The melting peak of deformation-induced fibrillar UHMWPE crystallites could not be observed in the sample deformed at 150 °C because it is unlikely for UHMWPE chains to crystallize at such a high temperature. This sample also has the lowest melting point since the UHMWPE lamellae formed during deformation could serve as nucleation sites in the other two samples.
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Control of extrudate swell and instabilities using a rotating roller dieThermoplastics extruded from dies will always swell and above a critical flow rate display instabilities (sharkskin, stick-spurt or gross melt fracture). Prior research has shown that the best way to suppress these instabilities is to reduce the entry converging angle using a smooth convergence and induce permanent wall slip. In this research we go a step further by allowing the walls to move using a rotating roller die. Thus both extrudate swell and flow instabilities become controllable. This paper presents data to support this claim. The practical benefits are important as stable operation at higher flow rates become permissible. Also, by providing extra control variables, this device becomes a useful tool to help unravel the causes of the various instabilities that arise in polymer melt die extrusion. A first from this research, using this roller die geometry we were able to tease out surface roughness instability with polystyrene hitherto not reported.
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Evaluation of carbon calculators in construction industry: A parametric studyThe construction industry has high energy demand and emissions, and its devasting impact negatively contributes to climate emergency and climate change. A review of government, professional and scientific literature has recommended multiple strategies, including renewable energy adoptions, alternative non-carbon energy sources, circular economy, net zero carbon policies and calculators. The use of carbon calculators as a tool to estimate carbon emissions has become instrumental in guiding construction professionals in selecting appropriate ‘low carbon’ materials for projects. However, the influx of carbon calculators is very important but creates problems for professionals regarding their effectiveness. Therefore, this study compares two popular carbon calculators (One Click LCA Planetary and IStructE) on a building design to ascertain their efficacy. The criteria for the comparison included formats of calculators, commercialisation of calculators, customisation of data, sustainability certifications, data sources, data entry parameters and results/outputs. The findings show a ‘mixed’ outcome regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the calculators. These criteria are key for becoming the basis of selecting an appropriate carbon calculator for analysis. The discussion shows that data for the carbon calculators from countries considered upper-middle-income and/or below are lacking; carbon calculators should be easier to use; the interoperability of carbon calculators with other digital tools is key for not just making the use of the tools attractive but makes it easier to reduce non-value activities in the construction project.
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Mapping the barriers of big data process in construction: The perspective of construction professionalsThis study identifies, maps and thematizes the barriers to the big data process in the construction industry from the perspective of construction professionals. Australian construction professionals with varying experiences in the big data process were interviewed. Qualitative data analysis identified forty barriers in the big data process and five themes: people, knowledge, technology, data, and environment. The barriers were further mapped, with some transcending more than one stage in the big data process. Many of the barriers have not been empirically identified in previous studies. By implication, mapping the barriers across the big data process enables professionals/construction firms to visualize the potential lapses before and/or during implementation. Therefore, the study offers professionals/construction firms strategic insights and operational perspectives for planning and deploying big data processes.
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A Novel Approach to Enhancing Multi-Modal Facial Recognition: Integrating Convolutional Neural Networks, Principal Component Analysis, and Sequential Neural NetworksFacial recognition technology is crucial for precise and rapid identity verification and security. This research delves into advancements in facial recognition technology for verification purposes, employing a combination of convolutional neural networks (CNNs), principal component analysis (PCA), and sequential neural networks. Unlike identification, our focus is on verifying an individual's identity, that is a critical distinction in the context of security applications. Our goal is to enhance the efficacy and precision of face verification using several imaging modalities, including thermal, infrared, visible light, and a combination of visible and infrared. We use the pre-trained VGG16 model on the ImageNet dataset to extract features. Feature extraction is performed using the pre-trained VGG16 model on the ImageNet dataset, complemented by PCA for dimensionality reduction. We introduce a novel method, termed VGG16-PCA-NN, aimed at improving the precision of facial authentication. This method is validated using the Sejong Face Database, with a 70% training, 15% testing, and 15% validation split. While demonstrating a remarkable approaching 100% accuracy rate across visual and thermal modalities and a combined visible-infrared modality, it is crucial to note that these results are specific to our dataset and methodology. A comparison with existing approaches highlights the innovative aspect of our work, though variations in datasets and evaluation metrics necessitate cautious interpretation of comparative performance. Our study makes significant contributions to the biometrics and security fields by developing a robust and efficient facial authentication method. This method is designed to overcome challenges posed by environmental variations and physical obstructions, thereby enhancing reliability and performance in diverse conditions. The realised accuracy rates that the approach achieves across a variety of modalities demonstrate its promise for applications that use multi-modal data. This opens the door for the creation of biometric identification systems that are more trustworthy and secure. It is intended that the technology will be used in real-time settings for which the new modalities can be integrated in different situations.
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Evaluation and improvement of a plastic production system using integrated OEE methodology: A case studyOverall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is a key indicator to measure the effectiveness of production systems. This paper aims to evaluate and improve a plastic production line based on OEE evaluation. An integrated framework is proposed to enhance the production system efficiency. This paper presents the data for a Plastic production line in Jordan under real working conditions. The data covers three months. A framework process to improve the OEE of the Plastic production system was proposed. Six major stoppage losses were inspected with the help of Pareto analysis. Furthermore, the actual availability, efficiency, and quality rate measures, together with the whole OEE for each working day, week, and month of the production line were shown. The methodology is based on determining the OEE of a Plastic production line after determining the causes of failures. The fishbone diagram tool is used to determine the root causes of failures. To improve the OEE measure, several losses are identified. The results reveal that the company should improve its policy to improve the production line’s performance and reduce losses. Top management should also pay attention to reducing the speed losses, which consist of 58.1%, and eliminate the planned and unscheduled disruptions covering 12.73% of all losses. This can be achieved by establishing a proper operation management procedure and strategy. This, in turn, optimized the equipment’s effectiveness. The quality procedure should include the changeover program that may be executed every day. Similarly, all preventive maintenance procedures for the six machines should be properly executed in predetermined intervals. There are several limitations in the research. Firstly, the research case study is only the plastic production system. Secondly, the research is related to the downtime or stoppage by analyzing it using fishbone diagram. Further, supported by other techniques such as the Pareto chart, six big losses analyses and CED. This research conducted on a Plastic industry. However, similar studies can be carried out in future in other manufacturing industries like electronic, pharmaceutical, textile industries, etc., and service industry. However, as future research work the contributions of this paper with other lean manufacturing concept like six sigma, quality function deployment, TQM, and just-in-time manu-facturing, can also be conducting to assess the overall production line efficiency. On the other hand, several statistical tests can be implemented based on data collected of TPM performance indicators. The proposed method supports policymakers in their decision-making process on the operations management line. Further-more, it improves the production systems’ productivity quality, and performance, reducing unplanned stop-pages and breakdowns, and reducing maintenance costs.
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The flow of lubricant as a mist in the piston assembly and crankcase of a fired gasoline engine: The effect of viscosity modifier and the link to lubricant degradationDroplet flows, termed misting, are significant lubrication flow mechanisms to, in and around the piston assembly. Therefore, these are important in piston assembly tribology and engine performance. Crankcase lubricant degradation rate has been hypothesised to be influenced by lubricant droplet flows through the piston assembly and crankcase, but not previously confirmed. Lubricant was sampled from the sump, top ring zone (TRZ), and mist and aerosol from the crankcase during an extend-ed run. The physical and chemical degradation of these samples was characterised. Droplet flows were intermediate in degradation and fuel dilution between TRZ and sump. Flows with smaller droplet sizes were more degraded that those with larger droplets. The degradation of polymers was dependent on their molecular architecture.
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Circular economy in construction - findings from a literature reviewThe paper aims to enable a comprehensive definition for a Circular Economy (CE) that will support its effective introduction in the building and construction sectors. According to the European Commission (EC), the building sector in 2020 accounted for 40 % of the primary energy demand in the European Union (EU) and 37 % of its greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, the sector can play a crucial role in decarbonisation and hence in achieving a zero-emissions future in response to climate change. A CE aims to harmonise economic growth with environmental protection and is based on the concept of closing the loop with minimal practical waste as in a natural ecosystem. The adoption of CE concepts is therefore seen as a feasible response to climate change through the deployment of more sustainable construction processes that significantly reduce the need for natural resources by maximising recycling and reuse. However, and despite the recognition of the potential of a CE in relation to sustainability issues, the adoption of a CE model within building and construction sectors is challenging because of the wide range of aspects and priorities which are reflected in the diversity of definition resulting in a narrow and limited adoption. There are currently many definitions of CEs as related to building and construction in the literature, creating confusion and preventing effective implementation. The study presented here intends, using a comprehensive literature review as its basis, to define the key domains of a CE on which to align a concise and accurate definition that will enable effective application in the building and construction sectors. The research also aims to identify current research gaps and barriers to contribute to the future of CE research in the building sector and thus drive the implementation of CE projects to mitigate the effects of climate change and support the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by laying the foundations for a novel and forward-looking approach to circularity based on properly established, defined and understood principles of CEs.
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The Achievement of Sustainability in the Built EnvironmentThe built environment presents particular challenges in relation to the achievement of sustainability, not least because of the number of building types and the uses to which they are put. Design issues thus include ensuring that buildings are energy efficient with effective ventilation in relation to use while enabling the maximum utilization of shared spaces and flexibility of use. In this context, many of the underlying technologies, as for instance those involved in energy management and use, are mechatronic in nature while developments such as Building Digital Twins are supporting real-time responses to changing conditions. The chapter examines the background to these issues and places them into the context of the developing approach to building construction, operation and management. In doing so, it draws on as an exemplar the award winning, including at COP26, design and development of the Antonio Brancati School in Pesaro in Italy to illustrate how innovative approaches to design and the use of technology have enabled the creation not only of a place of learning, but also a shared resource for the local community.
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Green Public Procurement and the circularity of the built environmentThe case study presented in this paper is a demonstration of the success of a green public procurement (GPP) model that allows to build buildings in accordance with the principles of the circularity by ensuring sustainable consumption and production. The relevance of green procurement has lately become a focus of research because of public institutions' growing interest in circularity for built environment investment. The case study of a school gym presented in this paper is emphasising the role the public authorities are playing in promoting the transition to the circularity of the built environment through sustainable procurement. Despite being a voluntary instrument, GPP also plays a significant part in the global efforts to develop a more resource-efficient economy. It can help to develop a critical mass of demand for more sustainable buildings that would be difficult to bring to the market otherwise. The challenge of convincing public-sector institutions to use GPP across nations, to become 'normal practice' continues and will drive the market for environmentally friendly buildings. The case study presented demonstrate that the GPP model is widely replicable and leads to positive outcomes. It has already been applied for the Brancati secondary and high school project built in Pesaro, Italy, that has been awarded by the International Jury of the Green Solutions Awards 2020-21, Construction 21, the Prize for the Energy for the Temperate Climate International Platform category.
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Performance of a bidirectional horizontal-axis tidal turbine with passive flow control devicesHorizontal-axis tidal turbines (HATTs) have the acknowledged potential to extract a large amount of green renewable energy from ocean tides. Among these, bidirectional HATTs (BHATTs) with centrosymmetric hydrofoils have advantages in terms of reliability and maintenance cost. To improve the performance of BHATTs, this paper investigates the influence of different passive flow control devices (PFCDs), such as wing fences, winglets, and squealers, on the performance of the BHATT. To the end, a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model with a k-ω SST model and a sliding mesh method was applied to simulate a 18 m diameter BHATT. The numerical framework was validated using two experiments. The mesh convergence was tested. The results show that the wing fences can effectively suppress the spanwise flow above the suction surface of blades, although they cannot improve the BHATT performance. To inhibit the wingtip vortices and enhance the torque of the rotor, a series of centrosymmetric winglets are designed and optimized. The optimal BHATT can produce up to 2.3% more energy at design tip speed ratio (TSR).
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Experimental investigation on wake and thrust characteristics of a twin-rotor horizontal axis tidal stream turbineStudy on the performance of the tidal stream turbines could greatly improve tidal stream energy development. Up to date, few studies about the twin-rotor horizontal axis tidal turbines (TRHATTs) are available. In this study, laboratory experiments with a range of approaching flow velocity and yaw angles are conducted to investigate the wake structures in the lee side of the turbine. The experimental results show that there are three ‘rod-liked’ wakes behind the turbine, which merge into one wake further downstream. Increase of the approaching flow velocity can accelerate wake velocity recovery and enhances turbulence intensity. Correspondingly, the thrust and the fluctuation of thrust also increase. When the turbine is subjected to the yawed inflow, one side of the near wake mixing accelerates and the turbulence intensity distribution becomes asymmetric. The study shows that the thrust is slightly reduced with an increase of the yaw angle, and reaches the maximum when the yaw angle is 40°. Fluctuation range of the thrust increases with the increase of the yaw angle, and starts to decrease when the yaw angle exceeds 30°.
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Smartphone Assessment of the Sitting Heel-Rise TestThe study presents a new approach for assessing plantarflexor muscles’ function using a smartphone. The test involves performing repeated heel raises for 60 s while seated. The seated heel-rise test offers a simple method for assessing plantarflexor muscles’ function in those with severe balance impairment who are unable to complete tests performed while standing. The study aimed to showcase how gyroscopic data from a smartphone placed on the lower limb can be used to assess the test. Eight participants performed the seated heel-rise test with each limb. Gyroscope and 2D video analysis data (60 Hz) of limb motion were used to determine the number of cycles, the average rise (T-rise), lowering (T-lower), and cycle (T-total) times. The number of cycles detected matched exactly when the gyroscope and kinematic data were compared. There was good time domain agreement between gyroscopic and video data (T-rise = 0.0005 s, T-lower = 0.0013 s, and T-total = 0.0017 s). The 95% CI limits of agreement were small (T-total −0.1118, 0.1127 s, T-lower −0.1152, 0.1179 s, and T-total −0.0763, 0.0797 s). Results indicate that a smartphone placed on the thigh can successfully assess the seated heel-rise test. The seated heel-rise test offers an attractive alternative to test plantarflexor muscles’ functionality in those unable to perform tests in standing positions.
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A Systems Thinking approach to analyse sustainability strategies, employee motivation and impact on financial performanceSocial, institutional and business interest in Sustainability has increasingly grow in the last decades. New regulations, technological progress, social awareness related to environmental impact of the industrial activities and irregular working conditions, are some of the key elements affecting the way organisations plan and measure their corporate, business unit, and operational strategies. Sustainability strategies can play a key role in driving innovation through learning, motivation, attraction and retention of skilful employees. The aim of this paper is to analyse the interrelations between the deployment of effective sustainability strategies, employee motivation and the financial perspective of business performance. The analysis applies a Systems Thinking approach through the development of a series of Causal Loop Diagrams to identify key factors and the nature of their interrelationships. The analysis also considers the Ability, Motivation and Opportunity (AMO) framework to explain the complexity of employee behaviour, motivation and impact on strategic performance. This research confirmed that a supportive relation can be established between the implementation of effective sustainability strategies, represented by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Human Resources (HR) initiatives, and the financial performance of a business organisations. The study focused on publications related to private business organisations in the UK and USA, which encourages future broad studies. This research provides relevant insights to understand better the complexity of the relationships between sustainability strategies, employee motivation and business performance.
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Environmental hydraulics, turbulence and sediment transport, 2nd editionIn the search for sustainable city solutions, engineers face a bottleneck situation in balancing development and the intensified environmental challenges induced by scaled-up flooding, over-grown river vegetation, sediment transport, bridge and coastal scouring, and excessive pollution. The coupling impacts of uncontrolled flood and sediment to a city has caused difficulty in its management. Various numerical, theoretical, and experimental approaches have been proposed to reproduce flow and sediment transport conditions in real-world urban rivers, in order to perfect management strategies for them. This reprint, which is built from a well-planned journal’s Special Issue, aims to construct a collection of state-of-the-art studies and technologies to give insights to the related environmental, river, and sustainable city research and engineering communities. It is related and, hence, useful for environmental, river, and hydraulic engineers, authorities, and researchers to understand the current state-of-the-art practices in urbanized flow modelling, as well as vegetation- and sediment-related management. It also serves as a good knowledge source for research, post- or undergraduate students, in terms of knowledge about the most up-to-date topical advances.
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Editorial: Environmental hydraulics, turbulence, and sediment transport. Second EditionWithin river systems, the process of bed-forming is intricate, dynamic and is shaped by different factors. Hydraulic forces exerted by water flow play a crucial role, forming the bed substrate over time. Additionally, the presence of vegetation within the riverbed and along its banks introduces further complexity, as the interaction between plants and hydrodynamics can alter sediment transport patterns and riverbed morphology. The movement of both suspended particles and bedload materials within the water column contributes to the ongoing riverbed landscape evolution. The primary aim of this editorial collection is to assemble an extensive range of research methodologies aimed to inform engineering practices pertinent to river management. Through an exhaustive exploration of various topics, including water quality indexing, erosion and sedimentation patterns, influence of vegetation, hydrological modelling for understanding flow dynamics, and identification of critical hydraulic parameters with the utilisation of both analytical and experimental modelling techniques, this paper endeavours to provide valuable insights derived from rigorous research efforts. By synthesising and presenting these findings, we offer a resource that can effectively guide future endeavours in river engineering and related disciplines.
