Structure and species composition of tree stands on verges and slopes along a major highway in Hong Kong

Arboricultural research focusing on transport land use was lacking in Hong Kong.Some highway slopes were registered in the Systematic Identification of Maintenance Responsibility of Slopes in the Territory(SIMAR),abbreviated as SIMAR slopes.We aimed to analyze patterns in the structure and species composition of the tree stock along a highway in Hong Kong and examined how a slope registration system could help explain the characteristics of urban forests.The 53 slopes and 52 verges along San Tin Highway,Hong Kong were randomly selected.The trees on each slope and verge were collectively sampled as a tree stand.Six variables,namely tree abundance,species richness,maximum tree height,Shannon-Wiener diversity,Simpson's dominance,and Pielou's evenness were measured for each stand.In addition,a limited visual tree risk assessment was performed.The 7,209 trees in 23 species were recorded.Species richness was low,ranging from one to eight species per stand.SIMAR and non-SIMAR slopes were compared.SIMAR slopes had significantly higher species richness,diversity,evenness but lower dominance,with mean difference of 1.41 species,0.17,0.17 and-0.28respectively.SIMAR slopes were associated with lower tree risk rating.When training regression models,boosting as an ensemble method arbitrarily raised the explanatory power and the predictive accuracy of some models.Slope height,length,angle and area could be significant predictors of the biodiversity-related variables.Future research can sample more habitat characteristics related to the structure and species composition of slopes and verges which were important components of urban forestry.

The Urban Singularity-Envisioning the Future of Cities

This paper is a hypothetical exploration of the connections between teleological evolution,the Omega Singularity,and the future of cities,weaving together insights from a diverse array of disciplines.Our investigation delves into the possibility that cities are evolving towards a Singularity,a state characterized by infinite knowledge,intelligence,and adaptability,which would bring about a radical transformation of urban environments and their underlying dynamics in the 21st century and beyond.At the heart of this exploration lies the role of language and time as crucial dimensions of the Urban Singularity.Moreover,we examine how linguistic developments and cross-cultural exchanges can foster more inclusive,adaptable,and resilient urban environments,while also highlighting the need for advanced technologies and communication modalities that can support the dynamic needs of future cities.Furthermore,the paper investigates the profound implications and transformative potential of merging human consciousness with the urban Singularity.By examining the interplay between these concepts,we seek for a deeper understanding of the potential trajectories and implications of these concepts for the transformation of human society and our relationship with the built environment.

Enhancement of UV-assisted TiO_2 degradation of ibuprofen using Fenton hybrid process at circumneutral pH

A synergistic UV/TiO2/Fenton(PCF)process is investigated for the degradation of ibuprofen(IBP)at circumneutral pH.The IBP decay in the PCF process is much faster than that with the conventional UV,UV/H2O2,Fenton,photo‐Fenton,and photocatalysis processes.The kinetics analysis showed that the IBP decay follows a two‐stage pseudo‐first order profile,that is,a fast IBP decay(k1)followed by a slow decay(k2).The effects of various parameters,including initial pH level,dosage of Fenton’s reagent and TiO2,wavelength of UV irradiation,and initial IBP concentration,are evaluated.The optimum pH level,[Fe2+]0,[Fe2+]0/[H2O2]0 molar ratio,and[TiO2]0 are determined to be approximately 4.22,0.20 mmol/L,1/40,and 1.0 g/L,respectively.The IBP decay at circumneutral pH(i.e.,6.0–8.0 for wastewater)shows the same IBP decay efficiency as that at the optimum pH of 4.22 after 30 min,which suggests that the PCF process is applicable for the treatment of wastewater in the circumneutral pH range.The lnk1 and lnk2 are observed to be linearly correlated to 1/pH0,[IBP]0,[H2O2]0,[H2O2]0/[Fe2+]0 and ln[TiO2]0.Mathematical models are therefore derived to predict the IBP decay.

The Energy Consumption of Heatingin the Northeast Rural Area of China from the Perspective of the Kang and Agricultural Waste

In China, the heating energy consumption patterns of rural housing are changing due to economic development. This study investigated domestic heating in rural areas of Dalian, a city in northeast China. In rural areas of the country, heating devices such as coal boiler, radiator, and/ or air-conditioner are typically used. The Kang, as the main heating system, has been used together with other heating methods for a long time in detached houses, one-story buildings, and quadrangles. Use of the Kang in collective housing is no longer observed. In addition to coal, agricultural wastes have been used to fuel the Kang; the associated CO2 emissions with agricultural fuels are lower than from other heating equipment. Even when a combination of the Kang and other equipment is used, with agricultural waste as fuel, CO2 emissions remain relatively low.

The Application of Time Series Modelling and Monte Carlo Simulation: Forecasting Volatile Inventory Requirements

During the assembly of internal combustion engines, the specific size of crankshaft shell bearing is not known until the crankshaft is fitted to the engine block. Though the build requirements for the engine are consistent, the consumption profile of the different size shell bearings can follow a highly volatile trajectory due to minor variation in the dimensions of the crankshaft and engine block. The paper assesses the suitability of time series models including ARIMA and exponential smoothing as an appropriate method to forecast future requirements. Additionally, a Monte Carlo method is applied through building a VBA simulation tool in Microsoft Excel and comparing the output to the time series forecasts.

Effects of Rice Husk and Rice Husk Charcoal on Soil Physicochemical Properties, Rice Growth and Yield

To investigate the effect of the application of rice husk (RH) and rice husk charcoal (RHC) on soil properties and rice production, pot experiment comprising of five treatments was conducted. Soil was mixed at the rate of 0 (control), 2% and 4% (w/w) with RH and RHC, respectively with randomized complete block design (RCBD). RHC incorporation had a potential to reduce the acidity of the soil, whereas, RH incorporation had almost no effect on the pH of the soil. RH and RHC amendment both increased the saturated hydraulic conductivity, saturated water content, plant available water and field capacity but decreased the bulk density of soil. Crop growth components at harvest revealed that the highest plant height was recorded in RH4%. However, for the panicle length, panicle weight and number of tillers, the highest value was found in RHC2%, 14.2 cm, 4.0 g and 28.8 cm, respectively. Furthermore, number of panicle, 1000-grains weight and grain yield were also found highest in RHC2%, 22.4 g and 4.41 t/ha, respectively. However, for the number of grain per panicle and percentage of filled grain, the highest value was found in RH4%, 79.0 and 88.5, respectively. The grain yield increased by 38%, 28%, 18% and 22% and the biological yield increased by 27%, 18%, 14%, and 16% for RHC2%, RHC4%, RH2%, and RH4%, respectively, compared to that of the control;however, the significant difference was found only for RHC2% for both. The harvest index increased under all application rates of RH and RHC compared to that of control.

The Effect of Functionally Graded Materials into the Sandwich Beam Dynamic Performance

The original purpose of FGMs was the development of super resistant materials for propulsion systems. In the present work, numerical and experimental techniques are used to investigate the dynamic behavior of generally laminated composited beams. In the numerical analysis, the laminated beam is modeled using the commercial finite element software ANSYS. In the experimental study the core and face materials of sandwich beam specimens are nylon/epoxy FGMs and pure epoxy laminates respectively. The dynamic behavior of the sandwich composite beam specimens with different fiber orientation was carried out using two dynamic excitation techniques, harmonic using harmonic response and impulse using hammer. The specimens were prepared in the following configurations, different orientation angles, different layers, and different thickness. The results reveal that the natural frequencies of sandwich beam were affected directly by the face materials. The natural frequency decreases with increasing fiber orientations of the nylon/epoxy face laminates. Increasing the thickness increases natural frequencies. This study concluded that it is useful for the designers to select the fiber orientation angle to shift the natural frequencies as desired or to control the vibration level.

Effectiveness of Urban Farming Program in Providing Multiple Benefits to the Urban Community in Malaysia

Residents have chosen to be living in urban regions in recent years largely due to the accessibility of job opportunities and public services.These led to a fast increase in the amount of people live in urban regions and cities.As a result,a large amount of the property used for agricultural activities was transformed into factories,housing units,and highways.This also resulted in a decrease in food production,growth in food prices and food import bills as the country now relies on food imports especially rice,fruits and vegetables,that can prevent the fostering of urban farming activities and then provide beneficial information essential to form it into a more consumer friendly program.Moreover,studies on urban farming are somewhat few in Malaysia and this study can become helpful for future research.The study focused on small-scale agriculture projects,such as community gardens,and community-level programs such as community supported agriculture and farmers markets.The study found that how urban agriculture enhances community resilience and wellbeing.This is the necessity for the Malaysian urban authorities to provide more proper identification and support to city residents and promote them to develop the practice of urban farming.

The Effects of Touch Button Size on Touchscreen Operability

The present study investigated the effects of touch button size on touchscreen operability and compared these effects between young adult and elderly participants. A total of 21 young adults （aged 22.3 ± 1.5 years） and 20 elderly adults （aged 68.1 ±4.9 years） were recruited and asked to press square number buttons （from 0 to 9） on an experimental touchscreen with their right index finger. The buttons＇ size changed during the experiment with six conditions （6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 mm）. It was found that a decrease of the button size to l0 mm or below tended to increase the operation time and error rate, whereas it decreased the subjective overall operability of the touchscreen. Such effects were greater in the elderly adults than in the young adults. In addition, the reaction positions on the buttons were found to be close to the right side of them, which led the fingertip to approach the right outline of the buttons. These findings suggest that the use of small touch buttons should be minimised on touchscreens, especially for elderly users.

Modelling and Analysis of Distribution Network with HTS Transformer

Transformers utilizing HTS （high temperature superconductors） are considered as a timely invention. The number of power transformers age more than 30 years old and nearing retirement is increasing. If this window of opportunity is not grabbed, there would be great reluctance to replace recently installed highly priced capital asset. Major projects of developing HTS transformers are well making progress in the United States, Europe, Japan, Korea and China which indicate the interest. The efforts must have been appropriately verified through the economic interest of the discounted losses. Consequently, it is very important to develop an understanding of the fundamental HTS transformer design issues that can provide guidance for developing practical devices of interest to the electric utility industry. The parameters of HTS transformer need to be validated before any effort is to carry out to model the behaviour of a distribution network under a range of conditions. The predicted performance and reliability of HTS transformers can then be verified through the network modelling and analysis calculation. The ultimate purpose is to furnish electric utilities precise information as to which HTS transformers work under various applications with greater technical efficiency and proven reliability.

A Novel Tele-Operated Flexible Robot Targeted for Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery

In this paper, a novel flexible robot system with a constrained tendon-driven serpentine manipulator(CTSM) is presented. The CTSM gives the robot a larger workspace, more dexterous manipulation, and controllable stiffness compared with the da Vinci surgical robot and traditional flexible robots. The robot is tele-operated using the Novint Falcon haptic device. Two control modes are implemented, direct mapping and incremental mode. In each mode, the robot can be manipulated using either the highest stiffness scheme or the minimal movement scheme. The advantages of the CTSM are shown by simulation and experimental results.

Twenty-Hour Sleep Deprivation Does Not Affect Perceived Vection Strength

We examined the effect of sleep deprivation on self-motion perception (vection). We measured the strength of vection, its latency, and its duration in two conditions: Sleep-Deprivation and Normal-Sleep (by using the between-subject design). For the Sleep-Deprivation condition, participants did not sleep for about 20 hours. We also recorded subjective sleepiness with a subjective rating scale that was filled out by the participants. Results showed that vection strength did not differ between the two conditions. Sleep deprivation did not have any clear effect on vection. As expected, subjective sleepiness significantly increased following sleep deprivation. Further, subjective sleepiness significantly correlated with vection latency and duration only in the Normal-Sleep condition. Vection was immune to sleep deprivation. We conclude that when people are not deprived of sleep, sleepiness can enhance the perceived strength of vection.

Building Sustainable Score (BSS)—A Hybrid Process Approach for Sustainable Building Assessment in China

Sustainable building in China has gained attention both domestically and abroad. Despite the fast increase in sustainable assessment tools developed locally or adopted from overseas, there are still criticisms about the current situation of weak implementation and lack of comprehensive consideration. The lack of consideration of economic and social aspects or building performance on whole building life cycle all lead to departure from the true meaning of sustainable development. And lack of participation on the part of stakeholders makes it too theoretical to be carried out. This research aims to develop a model to address this problem. This research started with review of current sustainable assessment tools applied in China. As the assessment indicators have clear regional disparities, and almost no current tool considers all three pillars of environmental, economic and social in building life cycle. An industry survey was therefore designed for generation of indicators at different building stages, and personal interviews relevant to different occupation in building industry were conducted to complement the questionnaire survey. After that, the model Building Sustainable Score (BSS) was developed based on the stakeholders’ participation. Finally, the model is verified by a case study.

Actors’ Power, Livelihood Assets and Participatory Forestry in Bangladesh: Evidence from the Sal Forests Area

Decentralize in forest management policies towards more people-oriented approaches has become major policy trends in many of the world’s developing countries during the last decade. However, the power of important actors to misuse the participatory forestry (PF) approach for their self-interests has been stated as a main problem to success. So, this study attempted to identify the most powerful actors and the extent at which they influence the outcomes of PF, and also to measure the impact of PF on livelihood assets of participants. The empirical data were collected from the well-established PF programs at Madhupur Sal forests area of Bangladesh. The results showed that the forest department (FD) proved itself as the most powerful and influential actor in every element of power analysis in PF. Regarding to livelihood analysis, the results revealed that the overall value of participants’ livelihood assets was 0.85 and it was significantly differed from the non-participants value of 0.66. However, the development of human, physical and financial assets was not indicating a decent improvement like as natural and social assets of participants. So, it is necessary to pay more attention to boost up participants’ human and financial assets through intensive training and adopting proper tree-crop production techniques, and also ensuring alternative livelihoods approaches to the local people. In addition, the local government will need to pay more emphasis on constructing village roads and infrastructure so as to enhance physical assets of the local people. Finally, the study would recommend promoting PF with apposite government facilities and also empowering local participants in order to balance the power among different actors, and this will facilitate the participants in governing all of their development activities efficiently.

Evaluation Index System of Green Public Open Space Based on Internet of Things and Mental Health

With the emergence of the loT era,wireless sensor networks will be more and more widely used.In addition to collecting,transmitting and processing simple data such as humidity,temperature and density of the dome,they can also provide multimedia information services such as video and images.It enables more comprehensive and accurate environmental monitoring.Therefore,MSDs have a huge demand in military,daily,forestry,biomedicine and other fields.The intensive city model has obvious advantages in meeting people's diverse needs and comfortable life.Most obviously,it speeds up the rhythm of life for residents,thereby increasing efficiency and saving time.Starting from this aspect,this paper conducts a research on the evaluation index system of public built on the following areas of open space loT and mental health.In this paper,the GRNN neural network model is constructed,the mean condition is calculated,the density function can be estimated,the network output,and the schematic diagram of the generalized regression neural network is improved.Using the established system,the index in 2018 is selected as the base year,and after transformation,the standardized values of the past years are formed,which are substituted into the cells to form different matrices.The value of each cell is counted to obtain the subsystem coordination degree,and the global coordination degree is obtained through calculation.The evaluation results of ecological civilization construction and development in 2018 and 2019,2020 and 2021 were compared.The experimental data shows that compared with 2018,economic development will change from 1 to 2.000,social harmony will change from 1 to 2.480,ecological health will decrease to 0.850,environmental friendliness will decrease to 0.750,and comprehensive evaluation will decrease to 0.513.This shows that while the economy is developing this year,the construction of ecological civilization has been gradually carried out,and good results have been achieved.This reflects the effectiveness of the system.The subject of the evaluation index system of green public open space based on the Internet of Things and mental health has been well completed.

Impact of occupant autonomy on satisfaction and building energy efficiency

The philosophy of building energy management is going through a paradigm change from traditional,often inefficient,user-controlled systems to one that is centrally automated with the aid of IoT-enabled technologies.In this context,occupants’perceived control and building automation may seem to be in conflict.The inquiry of this study is rooted in a proposition that while building automation and centralized control systems are assumed to provide indoor comfort and conserve energy use,limiting occupants’control over their work environment may result in dissatisfaction,and in turn decrease productivity.For assessing this hypothesis,data from the post-occupancy evaluation survey of a smart building in a university in Australia was used to analyze the relationships between perceived control,satisfaction,and perceived productivity.Using structural equation modeling,we have found a positive direct effect of occupants’perceived control on overall satisfaction with their working area.Meanwhile,perceived control exerts an influence on perceived productivity through satisfaction.Furthermore,a field experiment conducted in the same building revealed the potential impact that occupant controllability can have on energy saving.We changed the default light settings from automatic on-and-offto manual-on and automatic-off,letting occupants choose themselves whether to switch the light on or not.Interestingly,about half of the participants usually kept the lights off,preferring daylight in their rooms.This also resulted in a reduction in lighting electricity use by 17.8%without any upfront investment and major technical modification.These findings emphasize the important role of perceived control on occupant satisfaction and productivity,as well as on the energy-saving potential of the user-in-the-loop automation of buildings.

Outdoor thermal comfort: Analyzing the impact of urban configurations on the thermal performance of street canyons in the humid subtropical climate of Sydney

The quality of outdoor space is becoming increasingly important with the growing rate of urbanization.Visual,acoustic,and thermal balance degradation are all negative impacts associated with outdoor comfort in dense urban fabrics.Urban morphology thus needs assessment and optimization to ensure favorable outdoor thermal comfort(OTC).This study aims to evaluate the thermal performance of streets in residential zones of Liverpool,NSW,Australia,and tries to improve their comfort index(Physiological Equivalent Temperature)to reveal optimum urban configurations.This evaluation is done by investigating the following urban design factors affecting OTC using computational simulation techniques:street orientation,aspect ratio,building typology,and surface coverage.Our findings reveal that street canyon orientation is the most influential factor(46.42%),followed by aspect ratio(30.59%).Among the influential meteorological parameters(air temperature,wind speed,humidity and solar radiation),wind velocity had the most significant impact on the thermal comfort of the outdoor spaces in this coastal region,which typically experiences intense airflow.The results of our analysis can be utilized by multiple stakeholders,allowing them to understand and extract the most vital design factors which contextually influence the thermal comfort of outdoor spaces.Outdoor thermal comfort has a direct effect on the health and wellbeing of occupants of outdoor spaces.

Using Domain Ontology in a Semantic Blogging System for Construction Professionals

Smooth communication is essential for the success of construction projects. As an easy-to-use, context-rich, and high-capacity communication tool, blogging is gaining popularity in construction industry. In this paper, the features of blogging technology and how it could benefit construction organizations are presented. To further improve the effectiveness of blogging technology in information and knowledge sharing, an ontology-based semantic blogging system is proposed. Semantic blogging is an extension of conventional blogging and ontology is the key enabling technology for it. Domain-ontology-based semantic blogging site is composed of a network of concepts, which are clearly defined and interlinked according to their context and bound to certain behaviors. This paper reports how the e-Cognos ontology was implemented into a blogging system and how the system functions to process its contents. The paper concludes that using on-tology-based semantic blogging site can greatly enhance information sharing between construction professionals and it is a very promising tool for construction communities to publish and share their experience.

Urban microclimate and energy consumption:A multi-objective parametric urban design approach for dense subtropical cities

Climate change within the urban contexts is a crisis that cities are confronting globally.This issue poses numerous negative consequences such as thermal discomfort and increased energy usage within the building sector.This is especially the case in Western Sydney,Australia,where the average maximum temperature has risen by 7—8℃ within the past 30 years.This increase in temperature is highly concerning,since this region is witnessing rapid urban and infrastructural development and is proposed as the third-largest economy of Australia.Temperature changes in this region will also result in considerably increasing the electricity used for cooling purposes.This paper presents a parametric approach driven multi-objective optimization methodology to discover optimum design solution based on the urban microclimate and cooling energy demand of multi-functional buildings within this urban context.Mitigation measures including a range of design factors at both building(typology and window to wall ratio)and urban scales(aspect ratio and urban grid rotation)are further suggested for developing context sensitive optimum urban layouts.The resultant solutions indicate an improvement in urban thermal comfort,cooling and heating energy use by up to 25.85%,72.76%,and 93.67%,respectively.

Integrated design approach for improving architectural forms in industrialized building systems

An architectural design process is investigated to achieve form flexibility in industrialized building systems （IBS）, as IBS constructions do not have sufficient flexibility to develop varied architectural forms. The ethnography method has been used to examine the issues related to ＂form＂ flexibility in the design life cycle of IBS constructions by observing the constructions of live experimental models. The major tasks and respective design aspects that facilitate form flexibitities in architectural design have been identified. Furthermore, an integrated life cycle mode[ has been developed to effectively address the interfaces between the design tasks and eventually fulfill the needs of IBS in the design life cycle.