Wood-Boring Insect Control in Constructions by High Temperature and Microwaves

The chapter focusses on the control wood boring insects in constructions. The influence of temperature in the range of 50–65°C was studied for the larvae of Hylotrupes bajulus L. Attempt is made to clarify the influence of high temperature on the larvae in the context of the different results in the former German publications. The paper presents too the conditions in which the insects, which are technical pest to timber, can be combated by the use of high air temperature and microwaves 12,2cm length (2,45GHz) and which are emitted in the form of scattered field. In the experiments two prototype microwave devices ware used, their power being 600W and 1400–2400W, as well as one microwave chamber whose power was 1000 W. Laboratory results of author were presented against the designer results obtained with other insect species and the results in the recent publications by other authors. The aim of this work is to present the results of the author’s microwaves research and some problems in practice. Additional experiments were conducted on polychrome and gilded timber as well as the timber into which two-inch steel nails had been driven. The study included the possibility of melting wood resin

Suspended sediment routing through a small on-stream reservoir based on particle properties

Purpose A novel concept of suspended sediment (SS) routing through a small reservoir is proposed that relies on the particle properties in the reservoir inflow. Methods The SS routing through the reservoir is described following the single continuous stirred tank reactor concept with only one model parameter, the SS decay coefficient. This parameter is linked to the sediment settling velocity and water flow velocity. Hence, the model does not require a direct calibration with recorded data. This model was tested on a small reservoir in Warsaw, Poland, with seven storm events. Suspended sediment samples at the reservoir inflow and outflow were taken manually during the passage of flood flows at irregular intervals. The performance of the proposed method was verified with the approach when the model parameter is estimated directly from recorded events. Results The parameter calculated based on particle properties was about 10 times higher than the corresponding parameter optimized from recorded SS events. Hence, there was a need to introduce a correction factor to accurately predict the effluent SS. This led to a high model performance for all events (Nash-Sutcliffe = 0.672 on average). Conclusions (i) The proposed SS routing model based on particle properties has been proven to accurately simulate SS in the reservoir outlet. (ii) Thus, the parameter can be estimated from the sediment settling velocity and water flow velocity, but the correction factor must be applied. (iii) Our findings acknowledge difficulties in describing SS routing through small reservoirs and indicate a lack of knowledge on the functioning of these reservoirs

Niektóre problemy ochrony obiektów architektury w tzw. stylu nadświdrzańskim

The paper contains a definition trial of wooden architecture objects in so-called. nadświdrzański style (popularly known as "świdermajer") in the area of vernacular architecture. Discussed were issues of sustainability materials and construction solutions in terms of the occurrence of degradation factors of wood in Poland and the solutions currently used in wooden constructions. Also analyzed ware some discrepancies in realities of residens initially using wooden buildings built in the so-called nadświdrzański style and contemporary standards for housing and recreation on the background of the region's population changes Otwock / Wawer- region. The paper also addresses functioning attempts to preserve the architectural tradition so-called nadświdrzański style.Referat zawiera określenie miejsca obiektów drewnianej architektury tzw. stylu nadświdrzańskiego (popularnie określanego jako „świdermajer”) w obszarze architektury wernakularnej. Omówione zostały kwestie trwałości materiałów i rozwiązań konstrukcyjnych w aspekcie występowania czynników degradacji drewna w Polsce i stosowanych obecnie rozwiązań w budownictwie drewnianym. Przeanalizowano również pewne rozbieżności realiów życia ludności pierwotnie wykorzystującej drewniane budynki wzniesione w stylu nadświdrzańskim i współczesnych standardów w budownictwie mieszkaniowym i rekreacyjnym na tle zmian populacji ludności rejonu Otwock – Wawer. W referacie odniesiono się również do funkcjonujących prób zachowania tradycji budowlanej stylu nadświdrzańskiego

Software Defined Networking Topology Service

Project Specification Through the openlab collaboration with Brocade, CERN is investigating the potential of Software Defined Networking (SDN) [1] for improving the programmability and agility of its network services. The underlying network topology (physical and logical) information is a key prerequisite for providing flexible and resilient SDN-enabled network services. The aim of the project is to investigate the network topology services offered by the OpenDaylight [2] controller and to implement a software module for fetching and tracking network topology information in real-time. Abstract Traditional networks, while using stable and proven technology, don’t always provide enough agility for modern computing environments. Software Defined Networking is a new paradigm meant to improve this shortcoming, decoupling the control plane (the logic deciding about where traffic is sent) from the data plane (the network devices that forward traffic to the intended destination). The openlab collaboration with Brocade gives CERN the opportunity to experiment and investigate the potential of the SDN technology for improving its network services. To take the correct decisions, the control plane logic (also denoted as SDN controller) must be aware of the paths that are available in the network. The outcome of the project is a good understanding of the topology services offered by the OpenDaylight controller and their reactivity to network changes, complemented by a software module that maintains an up to date network topology graph. This graph can then be used by higher level SDN applications (such as Brocade’s BFO) to make optimal routing decisions

Variability of the initial abstraction ratio in an urban and an agroforested catchment

The Curve Number method is one of the most commonly applied methods to describe the relationship between the direct runoff and storm rainfall depth. Due to its popularity and simplicity, it has been studied extensively. Less attention has been given to the dimensionless initial abstraction ratio, which is crucial for an accurate direct runoff estimation with the Curve Number. This ratio is most often assumed to be equal to 0.20, which was originally proposed by the method’s developers. In this work, storm events recorded in the years 2009–2017 in two small Polish catchments of different land use types (urban and agroforested) were analyzed for variability in the initial abstraction ratio across events, seasons, and land use type. Our results showed that: (i) estimated initial abstraction ratios varied between storm events and seasons, and were most often lower than the original value of 0.20; (ii) for large events, the initial abstraction ratio in the catchment approaches a constant value after the rainfall depth exceeds a certain threshold value. Thus, when using the Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCS-CN) method, the initial abstraction ratio should be locally verified, and the conditions for the application of the suggested value of 0.20 should be established

Long-term changes of hydrological variables in a small Lowland watershed in Central Poland

Climate-induced changes in small watersheds are still not well researched because long-term datasets are usually missing for these watersheds. Such studies can, however, improve our understanding of the watershed response to climatic changes at such a small scale being transparent. In this study, we investigate trends in temperature, precipitation and river-flow characteristics in a small watershed, typical for Central Poland, with 53 years of observations (1963–2015) using the Mann-Kendall test. Particularly, we examine whether any trends in hydro-meteorological variables can be identified, and if any associated changes in water resources in this region can already be observed. We found that this short period already allows for detecting some changes in hydro-meteorological variables. These changes could be characterized by a significant increase in the mean annual air temperature on a daily basis, and a significant decrease in the mean annual discharge on a daily basis and in the minimum annual discharge on a daily basis. Yet, no significant trend could be detected for the total annual precipitation, the maximum summer rainfall, and the maximum annual discharge on a daily basis. These findings indicate that water resources are decreasing in this region, which affects natural habitats, agriculture and local communities

Age dependence of critical pressure in the segments and branches of the circle of Willis

Spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage is one of the most dramatic neurological disasters. The source of haemorrhage is linked to the pathology of the arterial wall or is unknown. Because the risk of haemorrhagic stroke increases with age, we tried to investigate the relationship between age and rupture pressure of cerebral arteries. In the presented study, 51 segments of large cerebral arteries (at the level of the circle of Willis and its incoming and outgoing branches) were obtained from 33 cadaver brains aged 12–86 years. The segments were pressurized up to the rupture. The rupture pressure was noted. The highest observed pressure was 4.3atm in specimen aged 24 years. The lowest pressure 1.19atm was observed in specimen aged 80 years. The mean value of rupture pressure of all investigated segments was 2.28atm. Statistical analysis showed a nonlinear exponential decrease of the rupture pressure of the large cerebral arteries with age. The main conclusion from our study is that drop of cerebral arteries strength is observed to the age of 40. Later this lowering is visible but not so evident

Extensible Structure-Informed Prediction of Formation Energy with Improved Accuracy and Usability employing Neural Networks

In the present paper, we introduce a new neural network-based tool for the prediction of formation energies of atomic structures based on elemental and structural features of Voronoi-tessellated materials. We provide a concise overview of the connection between the machine learning and the true material-property relationship, how to improve the generalization accuracy by reducing overfitting, and how new data can be incorporated into the model to tune it to a specific material system. The present work resulted in three final models optimized for (1) highest test accuracy on the Open Quantum Materials Database (OQMD), (2) performance in the discovery of new materials, and (3) performance at a low computational cost. On a test set of 21,800 compounds randomly selected from OQMD, they achieve a mean average error (MAE) of 28, 40, and 42 meV/atom, respectively. The second model provides better predictions on materials far from ones reported in OQMD, while the third reduces the computational cost by a factor of 8. We collect our results in a new open-source tool called SIPFENN (Structure-Informed Prediction of Formation Energy using Neural Networks). SIPFENN not only improves the accuracy beyond existing models but also ships in a ready-to-use form with pre-trained neural networks and a GUI interface. By virtue of this, it can be included in DFT calculations routines at nearly no cost

Transportation of sediment carried during flood events in a small urban catchment

The aim of this study is to present results of investigations into rainfall–runoff–suspended sediment transport process, based on field measurements conducted in small (A = 28.7 km2) urban catchment of Służew Creek, located in Warsaw. Hydrological monitoring was carried out by the Department of Hydraulic Engineering at the WULS-SGGW (Warsaw University of Life Sciences). Between 2014–2017, twelve flood events were recorded, during which rainfall, discharge, turbidity, and suspended sediment concentrations were measured. The correlation between the flows and sediment concentration was analysed and dextrorotary hysteresis for all events was indicated, meaning that sediment concentrations during the increase of water flows were higher than at the same flow values during the fall of the flood wave. Also first flush effect has been noted, that is, most of the sediment loads was washed-off at the beginning of the flood event; whereas the peak concentration occurred prior to the maximum discharge. Statistically significant correlation between direct runoff and suspended sediment has been established