• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.289-299
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• 2014

Alkali-activated slag concretes are being extensively researched because of its potential sustainability-related benefits. For such concretes to be implemented in large scale concrete applications such as infrastructural and building elements, it is essential to understand its early and long-term performance characteristics vis-a'-vis conventional ordinary portland cement (OPC) based concretes. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the property and performance features including early-age isothermal calorimetric response, compressive strength development with time, microstructural features such as the pore volume and representative pore size, and accelerated chloride transport resistance of OPC and alkali-activated binder systems. Slag mixtures activated using sodium silicate solution ($SiO_2$-to-$Na_2O$ ratio or $M_s$ of 1-2) to provide a total alkalinity of 0.05 ($Na_2O$-to-binder ratio) are compared with OPC mixtures with and without partial cement replacement with Class F fly ash (20 % by mass) or silica fume (6 % by mass). Major similarities are noted between these binder systems for: (1) calorimetric response with respect to the presence of features even though the locations and peaks vary based on $M_s$, (2) compressive strength and its development, (3) total porosity and pore size, and (4) rapid chloride permeability and non-steady state migration coefficients. Moreover, electrical impedance based circuit models are used to bring out the microstructural features (resistance of the connected pores, and capacitances of the solid phase and pore-solid interface) that are similar in conventional OPC and alkali-activated slag concretes. This study thus demonstrates that performance-equivalent alkali-activated slag systems that are more sustainable from energy and environmental standpoints can be proportioned.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.165-180
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• 1999

The cost effectiveness of using steel roof systems for residential buildings is becoming increasingly apparent with the decrease in manufacturing cost of steel components, reliability and efficiency in construction practices, and the economic and environmental concerns. While steel has been one of the primary materials for structural systems, it is only recently that its use for residential buildings is being explored. A comprehensive system for the design of residential steel roof truss systems is presented. In the first stage of the research the design curves obtained from the AISI-LRFD code for the manufactured cross-sections were verified experimentally. Components of the truss systems were tested in order to determine their member properties when subjected to axial force and bending moments. In addition, the experiments were simulated using finite element analysis to provide an additional source of verification. The second stage of the research involved the development of an integrated design approach that would automatically design a lowest cost roof truss given minimal input. A modified genetic algorithm was used to handle sizing, shape and topology variables in the design problem. The developed methodology was implemented in a software system for the purpose of designing the lowest cost truss that would meet the AISI code provisions and construction requirements given the input parameters. The third stage of the research involved full-scale testing of a typical residential steel roof designed using the developed software system. The full scale testing established the factor of safety while validating the analysis and design procedures. Evaluation of the test results indicates that designs using the present approach provide a structure with enough reserve strength to perform as predicted and are very economical.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.3855-3863
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• 2022

An evaluation of the radiation shielding performance of high-Z-particle-loaded polylactic acid (PLA) composite materials was pursued. Specimens were produced via fused deposition modeling (FDM) using copper-PLA, steel-PLA, and BaSO₄-PLA composite filaments containing 82.7, 75.2, and 44.6 wt% particulate phase contents, respectively, and were tested under broad-band flash x-ray conditions at the Sandia National Laboratories HERMES III facility. The experimental results for the mass attenuation coefficients of the composites were found to be in good agreement with GEANT4 simulations carried out using the same exposure conditions and an atomistic mixture as a model for the composite materials. Further simulation studies, focusing on the Cu-PLA composite system, were used to explore a shield design parameter space (in this case, defined by Cu-particle loading and shield areal density) to assess performance under both high-energy photon and electron fluxes over an incident energy range of 0.5-15 MeV. Based on these results, a method is proposed that can assist in the visualization and isolation of shield parameter coordinate sets that optimize performance under targeted radiation characteristics (type, energy). For electron flux shielding, an empirical relationship was found between areal density (AD), electron energy (E), composition and performance. In cases where ${\frac{E}{AD}}{\geq}2MeV{\bullet}cm{\bullet}g^{-1}$, a shield composed of >85 wt% Cu results in optimal performance. In contrast, a shield composed of <10 wt% Cu is anticipated to perform best against electron irradiation when ${\frac{E}{AD}}<2MeV{\bullet}cm{\bullet}g^{-1}$.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.170-178
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• 2022

A high-performing Earned Value Management System (EVMS) can influence project success and help stakeholders meet project objectives. Although EVMS processes are well-supported by technical guidelines and standards, project managers often face challenges related to the project culture, team, resources, and business practices that make up the project environment within which an EVMS is being used. A comprehensive literature review revealed a lack of a data-driven and consistent assessment frameworks that can gauge the environment surrounding EVMS implementation. This paper will discuss the EVMS environment of construction and environmental projects, and examine its impact on cost performance. The authors used a multi-method approach to identify 27 environment factors that make up the EVMS environment, assessing them on 18 construction and environmental projects worth over $2 billion of total cost. Research methods employed include: (1) a literature review of more than 300 references; (2) a survey of 294 respondents; and (3) remote research charrettes with more than 60 participating expert practitioners. Culture (one of the identified environment categories) was found to be relatively more important in terms of its impact on the EVMS environment, followed by people, practices, and resources. These exploratory results show statistically significant differences in cost performance between completed projects with either a good or poor environment, for the sample projects. Key environment factors are outlined, and guidance is provided to practitioners around how to set up an effective EVMS environment in a construction or environmental project to inform decision-making and support achieving the project cost objectives successfully.

• Advances in Energy Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2014

A co-spray deposition technique has been developed to bypass a fundamental limitation in the conventional spray deposition technique, i.e., the deposition of metal oxides from incompatible precursors in the starting solution. With this technique, ZnO films codoped with F and Al have been successfully synthesized, in which F is incompatible with Al. Two starting solutions were prepared and co-sprayed through two separate spray heads. One solution contained only the F precursor, $NH_4F$. The second solution contained the Zn and Al precursors, $Zn(O_2CCH_3)_2$ and $AlCl_3$. The deposition was carried out at $500^{\circ}C$ on soda-lime glass in air. A minimum sheet resistance, $55.4{\Omega}/{\square}$, was obtained for Al and F codoped ZnO films after vacuum annealing at $400^{\circ}C$, which was lower than singly-doped ZnO with either Al or F. The transmittance for the codoped ZnO samples was above 90% in the visible range. This co-spray deposition technique provides a simple and cost-effective way to synthesize metal oxides from incompatible precursors with improved properties for photovoltaic applications.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.90-99
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to study how F.L. Wright reflected the climatic properties and materials of the region into creative ways of designing his architecture. The research method examined the design methods and use of materials by Wright in existing research literature and compares the space plans of housing works in Arizona. The research results will be summarized as follows : 1) For two-story houses, pilotis was used to avoid the hot air and the walls on the ground floor were often planned as thick wall. 2) In the fifties, F.L. Wright's design method changed in a circle from the vertical and horizontal lines. 3) F.L.Wright's Architectural form concepts and design concepts were extracted from local symbolic forms and natural forms. 4) F.L.Wright avoided Arizona's direct light but Indirect sunlight enters into the interior space. 5)External space was expressed as a closed space, while internal space was expressed as an open space. It's like an organic space. 6) Most of the housing materials used are stone and cement from rough deserts, and wood with low heat conductivity and thick concrete blocks to prevent the sunlight from rising above.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2007

The goal of this study is to determine if High Pressure Micro Jet (HPMJ) conditioning can be used as a substitute for, or in conjunction with, conventional diamond pad conditioning. Five conditioning methods were studied during which 50 ILD wafers were polished successively in a 100-mm scaled polisher and removal rate (RR), coefficient of friction (COF), pad flattening ratio (PFR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements were obtained. Results indicated that PFR increased rapidly, and COF and removal rate decreased significantly, when conditioning was not employed. With diamond conditioning, both removal rate and COF were stable from wafer to wafer, and low PFR values were observed. SEM images indicated that clean grooves could be achieved by HPMJ pad conditioning, suggesting that HPMJ may have the potential to reduce micro scratches and defects caused by slurry abrasive particle residues inside grooves. Regardless of different pad conditioning methods, a linear correlation was observed between temperature, COF and removal rate, while an inverse relationship was seen between COF and PFR.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 2008

Human NeuNAc-9-P synthase is a two-domain protein with ability to synthesize both NeuNAc-9-P and KDN-9-P. Its mouse counterpart differs by only 20 out of 359 amino acids but does not produce KDN-9-P. By replacing the AFL domain of the human NeuNAc-9-P synthase which accommodates 12 of these differences, with the mouse AFL domain we examined its importance for the secondary KDN-9-P synthetic activity. The chimeric protein retained almost half of the ability of the human enzyme for KDN-9-P synthesis while the NeuNAc-9-P production was reduced to less than 10%. Data from the homology modeling and the effect of divalent ions and temperature on the enzyme activities suggest conformational differences between the human and mouse AFL domains that alter the shape of the cavity accommodating the substrates. Therefore, although the AFL domain itself does not define the ability of the human enzyme for KDN-9-P synthesis, it is important for both activities by aiding optimal positioning of the substrates.

• Digital Contents Society Review
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2005

• Water for future
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.38-43
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• 2007