Coupled Numerical Analysis of Variations in the Capacity of Driven Energy Piles in Clay

Energy piles are an emerging alternative for the reduction of energy consumption to heat and cool buildings. Most of the research to date has focused on thermodynamic properties or axial and radial stress and strain of piles. This paper focuses on the effects of temperature fluctuation on the capacity of driven energy piles in clayey soils. Consolidation of clay surrounding driven piles affects the pile capacity (i.e., set up in clay). The heating and cooling periods of energy piles can create the excess pore-water pressure (EPWP, ue) or relax the existing one (e.g., due to pile driving or previous thermal loads) in clayey soils (due to the contraction and expansion of water) affecting the pile capacity. In the meantime, the thermal expansion and contraction of the pile also generate or relax the EPWP in the soil, which can be computed using the cavity-expansion theory. This paper studies the resulting changes in the pile capacity due to the daily and seasonal thermal cycles. The results show that thermal cycles in an energy pile can cause a decrease in the pile capacity leading to a delay in reaching the capacity after a complete clay set up

The development of imagined interactions in online text-based initial interactions

Many individuals meet romantic partners, friends, and coworkers online before meeting in person. This study investigates the development of online-first partner perceptions, utilizing the imagined interactions framework to test the specificity, frequency, and proactivity of cognitions about an online-first meeting. Individuals chatted with a new partner in a lab. Their cognitions about the partner were measured two days later. Results show that individuals engaged in specific and frequent imagined interactions based on how similar they perceived their partner to be. In turn, specific imagined interactions increased idealization of one’s partner over time.</p

Attitudinal and Emotional Reactions to the Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021

This article reports on two online surveys concerning reactions to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Study 1 occurred between January 8 and 11, 2021; Study 2 took place between July 8 and 15, 2021. In both studies, both Trump and Biden voters reported negative attitudes toward the rioters, but those attitudes became significantly more positive from Study 1 to Study 2 in both groups. As expected, in both studies, Trump/Pence voters had less confidence in, and satisfaction with, the election results, which correlated with more positive attitudes toward the rioters and the president. Biden/Harris voters held more positive beliefs about the election, which correlated with more negative attitudes toward the rioters and the president. In both studies, Biden voters were more likely to report feeling fear, disgust, anger, and sadness than Trump voters, who were more likely to report feeling joy and surprise. Unexpectedly, across all voters and within voting groups, more people in Study 2 reported feeling each emotion, compared with Study 1

Online Daters’ Sexually Explicit Media Consumption and Imagined Interactions

Individuals oftentimes turn to interpersonal and mass media content to cope and satisfy their sexual needs in absence of offline interpersonal connection. Online dating platforms enable virtual and physical connections between users. The literature on imagined interactions suggests that people may play out these interpersonal scenarios in their minds; however, it is less clear the role sexually explicit media exposure and sexual mediated interactions may serve in facilitating imagined interactions. We conducted a survey to examine U.S. online daters’ relationship preferences, sexually explicit media consumption practices (pornography and sexting), and imagined interactions with potential mates focusing on three primary functions: catharsis, compensation, and sexual fantasy. Results indicate that participants exclusively seeking casual, short-term relationships via online dating platforms were significantly more likely to view pornographic content online and sext with others compared to those interested in romance. We also found that both forms of sexually explicit media were positively related to experiencing imagined interactions for catharsis and sexual fantasy. Implications for research on imagined interactions and online dating are discussed, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic

PocketLAI: una smart-app per la determinazione in vigneto dei valori di LAI

The Leaf Area Index (LAI) measure in vineyard involves some critical issues, due to its non-homogeneous and discontinuous canopy that lead to a reduction of the measurements accuracy with the conventional tools. The study goal was to evaluate the suitability of an innovative smart-app, PocketLAI, in measuring the vineyard LAI (LAIv), and carry out the comparison with the performance of hemispherical photography (HP). The estimated LAIv values were compared with those from destructive and direct measurements. Six surveys were carried out on three sampling areas of different vigor in a vineyard. The results show good agreement between PocketLAI data and the direct measurements, especially for LAIv ranging between 0.13-1.41 (R2 = 0.94, RRMSE = 17.27%), while an accuracy decrease, due to a saturation effect, occurred including an outlier LAIv value (R2 = 0.77, RRMSE = 43.00%). The HP showed good agreement with direct measurement (R2 = 0.94), but a large over-estimation (RRMSE = 99.46%). PocketLAI has proved to be a valuable tool to monitor the spatial-temporal variability of vine vigour, as alternative to the traditional methods