Book review: urban neighborhoods in a new era: revitalization politics in the postindustrial city edited by Clarence N. Stone and Robert P. Stoker

In the edited collection Urban Neighborhoods in a New Era: Revitalization Politics in the Postindustrial City, Clarence N. Stone and Robert P. Stoker investigate how North American cities have developed neighbourhood-level policies aimed at challenging urban deprivation through case studies of cities including Baltimore, Chicago and Los Angeles. Although the book does not fully tackle the root causes of structural inequality, it does offer clear proposals that predict a positive future for deprived urban communities, writes Do Young Oh

Book review: urban revolution now: Henri Lefebvre in social research and architecture

More than half of the world’s population now live in cities – but how has this transformation in how we live occurred? Urban Revolution Now: Henri Lefebvre in Social Research and Architecture uses the work of Lefebvre to critically understand the process of urbanisation and to offer practical answers to the problems facing urbanised society. Do Young Oh praises the book’s collection of case studies as being useful for showing how Lefebvrian ideas can be used for research and practice across the disciplines of the social sciences

Developmentalist cities? Interrogating urban developmentalism in East Asia

Developmentalist cities? Interrogating urban developmentalism in East Asia, editedby Jamie Doucette and Bae-Gyoon Park, Leiden, Brill, 2018, 364 pp., $198 (hardback), ISBN: 978900438360

The university and East Asian cities: the variegated origins of urban universities in colonial Seoul and Singapore

This essay explores and compares the development of colonial urban universities in Seoul and Singapore for the purpose of examining the multifaceted and scaled socio-political relationships in colonial cities. The colonial universities were a contested space where different interests crossed. The pattern of these intersections was different because Seoul and Singapore experienced different colonial powers – Japan and Britain, respectively. In this regard, this essay focuses on how different colonial experiences affected universities as well as urban environments in Seoul and Singapore. The findings show that the university campus development trends of colonial universities in Seoul and Singapore are important to understanding the urbanization processes of both cities. The varied colonial interests, global and local, shaped universities and their surrounding urban environments in different ways. Understanding these differences helps us understand the development trajectory of East Asian urbanization

Development of a burst pressure prediction model for flawless and dented pipelines

Accurate prediction of the burst pressure of a pipeline is critical for pipeline design and safe operation. There are a number of analytical and empirical formulae derived from theoretical, numerical and experimental methods that can be used to predict the burst pressure of plain pipeline. However, there is not an equivalent method available to predict the burst pressure of dented pipeline and consequently the assessment of dents in pipelines is based on the depth or the shape of the dent. Therefore, this thesis presents the development of practical burst pressure prediction models for the flawless pipelines, which is then extended to predict the burst pressure of dented pipeline. Firstly, a study is carried out to develop a new methodology to predict the burst pressure for API 5L X-grade flawless pipelines using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The FEA is performed using a bilinear material model with the tangent modulus calculated using the strain at Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS). A new formula has been developed in this work to calculate the strain at UTS based on API 5L X-grade material coupon test data. A comprehensive nonlinear FEA based Parametric Study has then been conducted with this bilinear material model to derive an empirical formula for estimating the burst pressure of API 5L X grade flawless pipelines. Secondly, an empirical formula for the assessment of the structural integrity of a pipeline with an unconstrained, hemispherical, plain dent has been developed, based on the formula derived for the unflawed pipeline. Parametric studies have been conducted using non-linear FEA of the burst pressure for API 5L X52, X65 and X80 grade pipelines with a dent. An empirical formula, that can predict the burst pressure of dented pipelines is proposed, based on the output dataset derived from the FEA based Parametric Study results. Thirdly, a dent produced by a spheroidal indenter on API 5L X52 pipeline has been studied to investigate the effect of the longitudinal and transverse dent lengths on the pipeline structural integrity using FEA. According to the FEA based Parametric Study results, it shows that the burst pressure prediction for the spheroidal dent is comparable with the burst pressure prediction for the hemispherical dent for a given dent depth and longitudinal dent length. Consequently, it is confirmed that the proposed burst pressure prediction formula for the hemispherical dent is applicable to examine the structural integrity of API 5L X52 grade pipelines with an unconstrained, spheroidal, plain dent. Finally, the applicability of machine learning techniques such as Deep Neural Networks (DNN) for the prediction of burst pressure has been investigated for unflawed and dented API 5L X-grade pipelines. The burst pressure derived has been compared with the results of FEA based Parametric Study and the experimental test results and showed good agreement. Therefore, it is concluded that DNN can be another solution for predicting the burst pressure of API 5L X-grade flawless and dented pipelines.Accurate prediction of the burst pressure of a pipeline is critical for pipeline design and safe operation. There are a number of analytical and empirical formulae derived from theoretical, numerical and experimental methods that can be used to predict the burst pressure of plain pipeline. However, there is not an equivalent method available to predict the burst pressure of dented pipeline and consequently the assessment of dents in pipelines is based on the depth or the shape of the dent. Therefore, this thesis presents the development of practical burst pressure prediction models for the flawless pipelines, which is then extended to predict the burst pressure of dented pipeline. Firstly, a study is carried out to develop a new methodology to predict the burst pressure for API 5L X-grade flawless pipelines using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The FEA is performed using a bilinear material model with the tangent modulus calculated using the strain at Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS). A new formula has been developed in this work to calculate the strain at UTS based on API 5L X-grade material coupon test data. A comprehensive nonlinear FEA based Parametric Study has then been conducted with this bilinear material model to derive an empirical formula for estimating the burst pressure of API 5L X grade flawless pipelines. Secondly, an empirical formula for the assessment of the structural integrity of a pipeline with an unconstrained, hemispherical, plain dent has been developed, based on the formula derived for the unflawed pipeline. Parametric studies have been conducted using non-linear FEA of the burst pressure for API 5L X52, X65 and X80 grade pipelines with a dent. An empirical formula, that can predict the burst pressure of dented pipelines is proposed, based on the output dataset derived from the FEA based Parametric Study results. Thirdly, a dent produced by a spheroidal indenter on API 5L X52 pipeline has been studied to investigate the effect of the longitudinal and transverse dent lengths on the pipeline structural integrity using FEA. According to the FEA based Parametric Study results, it shows that the burst pressure prediction for the spheroidal dent is comparable with the burst pressure prediction for the hemispherical dent for a given dent depth and longitudinal dent length. Consequently, it is confirmed that the proposed burst pressure prediction formula for the hemispherical dent is applicable to examine the structural integrity of API 5L X52 grade pipelines with an unconstrained, spheroidal, plain dent. Finally, the applicability of machine learning techniques such as Deep Neural Networks (DNN) for the prediction of burst pressure has been investigated for unflawed and dented API 5L X-grade pipelines. The burst pressure derived has been compared with the results of FEA based Parametric Study and the experimental test results and showed good agreement. Therefore, it is concluded that DNN can be another solution for predicting the burst pressure of API 5L X-grade flawless and dented pipelines

A Study on Machine Learning Based Light Weight Authentication Vector

Artificial Intelligence area has been rapidly advanced around the global companies such as Google, Amazon, IBM and so on. In addition, it is anticipated to facilitate the innovation in a variety of industries in the future. AI provides us with convenience in our lives, on the other hand, the valuable information on the subjects that utilize this has the potential to be exposed at anytime and anywhere. In the next advancement of AI area, the technical developments of the new security are required other than the existing methods. Generation and validation methods of light-weight authentication vector are suggested in this study to be used in many areas as an expanded security function. Upon the results of the capacity analysis, it was verified that efficient and safe security function could be performed using the existing machine learning algorithm. Authentication vector is designed to insert the encrypted data as variable according to the change of time. The security function was performed by comparing coordinate distance values within the authentication vector, and the internal structure was verified to optimize the performance cost required for data reverse search

Assessment of Heavy Metals in Waterleaf from Various Sources in Ota, Nigeria

This study assessed the levels of heavy metals present in waterleaf (Talinum triangulare) from various sources in Ota, Ogun State. Eighty (80) samples of waterleaf were obtained from 5 domestic (non-hazardous) dumpsites, 5 non-dumpsites, 5 markets and 5 streets in Ota. The non-dumpsites were locations in industrial areas. Also, over 500 questionnaires were randomly administered to residents in Ota to assess the extent of consumption of waterleaf. Standard method was followed for sample treatment, digestion, and analysis of selected heavy metals: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. The results showed that in waterleaf from domestic dumpsites the concentration (mg/kg) of heavy metals were: Pb (14.50-20.10), Cd (0.05-0.60), Cr (0.19-2.48), Ni (2.75-7.30) and Co (3.40-6.05); from non-dumpsites: Pb (12.20-24.45), Cd (ND- 0.60), Cr (ND-2.79), Ni (ND-24.00), Co (3.75-5.75); from markets: Pb (0.35-3.85), Cd (ND), Cr (ND-7.11), Ni (ND- 5.10), Co (1.05-2.45); and from streets: Pb (ND-5.00), Cd (ND), Cr (ND), Ni (3.50-7.25), Co (1.50-2.50). Generally, all the heavy metals were highest in waterleaf from domestic dumpsites and non-dumpsites. There were 502 respondents to the questionnaire; of which 82% consumed waterleaf. Out of those who consumed waterleaf, 41% consumed it daily, 32% at least once in a week, and 19% at least once in two weeks. It may be concluded that there is the high tendency of exposure to heavy metals by those who consume waterleaf in the studied locations since the levels in waterleaf from all sources studied generally exceeded the FAO/WHO limits.Keywords: Waterleaf, Talinum triangulare, vegetable, heavy metals, pollution, Ot

Locating the housing crisis in Kuwaiti state, land and society

Despite the oil wealth and hyper-welfare provision to its citizens, Kuwait has seen the rise of a ‘housing crisis’ discourse in recent years. This paper aims to provide an opportunity to understand the nature of Kuwait’s housing crisis and the reasons behind the state’s perceived inability to respond to it. Through the analysis of research findings from the field, we argue that the housing crisis in Kuwait is socially constructed, reflecting the multi- layered conditions of historic provision and consumption of housing in Kuwaiti society. The formulation of the housing crisis can be further disaggregated into (a) the crisis of the Kuwaiti welfare state, (b) the crisis of land development and (c) the society in crisis. Tackling the housing crisis, therefore, requires a holistic approach that involves multi-level stakeholder engagement, including a wide range of citizens. Our study on housing in Kuwait draws attention to the country’s contemporary state–society relations and the complexities of housing crises unfolding globally

Plain language summary of the TOPAZ-1 study: Durvalumab and chemotherapy for advanced biliary tract cancer

WHAT IS THIS SUMMARY ABOUT?: This is a summary describing the results of a Phase III study called TOPAZ-1. The study looked at treatment with durvalumab (a type of immunotherapy) and chemotherapy to treat participants with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). Advanced BTC is usually diagnosed at late stages of disease, when it cannot be cured by surgery. This study included participants with advanced BTC who had not received previous treatment, or had their cancer come back at least 6 months after receiving treatment or surgery that aimed to cure their disease. Participants received treatment with durvalumab and chemotherapy or placebo and chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to find out if treatment with durvalumab and chemotherapy could increase the length of time that participants with advanced BTC lived, compared with placebo and chemotherapy. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY?: Participants who took durvalumab and chemotherapy had a 20% lower chance of experiencing death at any point in the study compared with participants who received placebo and chemotherapy. The side effects experienced by participants were similar across treatment groups, and less than 12% of participants in either treatment group had to stop treatment due to treatment-related side effects. WHAT DO THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY MEAN?: Overall, these results support durvalumab and chemotherapy as a new treatment option for people with advanced BTCs. Based on the results of this study, durvalumab is now approved for the treatment of adults with advanced BTCs in combination with chemotherapy by government organizations in Europe, the United States and several other countries