The Effect of Wood Type on the Reflection of a Table Tennis Ball

The table tennis game table can be made of any material with certain bounce height requirements according to ITTF regulations. Wood as the main material for the table is found in Indonesia. Various types of wood have the potential to be a dining table material. This study was conducted to determine the effect of the type of wood on the bounce of a table tennis ball. Experiments were carried out on 9 types of wood, namely hardwoods (teak, sono, coconut), medium hardwoods (meranti, plywood and jackfruit) and soft woods (waru, randu and sengon). The height of the falling ball is determined to be 30 cm for the ball's bounce recorded by the camera. The ball used is a ball with a weight of 24 grams and 30 grams. Camera recording data is processed with Kinovea 08.15 to get the reflection height. The bounce height is used as a reference for ITTF standard compliance. The initial height and reflection height were then used to calculate the coefficient of restitution (COR). Data collection was carried out 5 times and the average value was calculated. The level of wood hardness is influenced by its specific gravity. Hard wood has a relatively high specific gravity. Teak wood which is relatively hard has a specific gravity value of 0.59 – 0.82 gr/cm3

Numerical modeling of open pit ventilation when varying the location of the dust and gas cloud

Research objective is to estimate the effect of bulk explosion location and the initial height of the dust and gas cloud on open-pit natural ventilation time and the level of air contamination of the upper edge of the open pit down the wind. Methods of research. Computer modeling of aerodynamics and gaseous component transfer in the 2D geometry is carried out with the COMSOL software. To calculate the aerodynamic characteristics, the approximation of the incompressible fluid with the standard k–ε turbulence model was carried out. Gaseous component distribution was modeled using the numerical solution to the convection-diffusion equation of contaminant transfer. Numerical experiments under the fixed initial concentration of the gaseous component and the speed of the incoming wind flow have been carried out for three locations of bulk explosions and six values of the initial height (from 70 to 420 m with a step of 70 m) of the dust and gas cloud. Research results and analysis. Spatial distributions of the model’s aerodynamic characteristics and contaminants gaseous component when reaching the maximum permissible concentration in the modeled area have been obtained. The estimated time of the open-pit natural ventilation and the dynamics of the open-pit upper edge air contamination dynamics down the wind have been analyzed. The complex and diversified nature of open pit ventilation for various locations of bulk explosions has been recorded. The undulating character of contaminant loss has been predicted (with different heights of peaks) conditioned by the presence of vortex formation in the open pit. Conclusion and scope of results. For the recirculation scheme of ventilation, the situations with the bulk explosion locations shifted to the windward edge of the open pit are the longest. It has been shown that the reduction in the dust and gas cloud lift does not always ensure the reduction in the contamination level at the upper edge of the open pit down the wind.

Cylindabot: Transformable Wheg Robot Traversing Stepped and Sloped Environments

The ability of an autonomous robot to adapt to different terrain affords the flexibility to move successfully in a range of environments. This paper proposes the Cylindabot, a transformable Wheg robot that can move with two large wheels, each of which can rotate out, producing three legs. This ability to change its mode of locomotion allows for specialised performance. The Cylindabot has been tested in simulation and on a physical robot on steps and slopes as an indication of its efficacy in different environments. These experiments show that such robots are capable of climbing up to a 32 degree slope and a step 1.43 times their initial height. Theoretical limits are devised that match the results, and a comparison with existing Wheg platforms is made.

An improved hazard assessment chart for rock falls in near vertical blocky rock environments

The purpose of the study was to perform rockfall stability analysis and develop an improved rockfall hazard matrix chart using the R518 road in Limpopo as the case study. The study entailed structural mapping, wedge simulation using stereonet plots. The RocFall software was then used to identify the parameters that influence the occurrence of rockfall. The software was also used to monitor the variations in the kinetic energy of rolling, bouncing or falling rocks. The effects of the initial height and velocity of falling rocks on the final destination of fragments were also explored. Results showed that the selected area along the R518 road consists of joints and bedding planes. These features weaken the rock mass and create wedges that can potentially fall. Simulations with RocFall, on the other hand, indicated that slope height, vegetation density, slope angle, the velocity of the falling rock largely contribute to the extent that the broken rock could reach. From the empirical and numerical findings, an improved rockfall hazard rating chart was proposed. The chart was found to be suitable for the rating of level of rockfall hazard along highways and roads.

The Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Gastroenterology Training

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about a radical change in our working patterns. These changes can affect the training that gastroenterology trainees undergo, especially endoscopy since these are aerosol-generating procedures. The aim of this survey was to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on gastroenterology training across the European countries. <b><i>Methodology:</i></b> A questionnaire was set up whereby the different elements of training were analysed. The questionnaire (online) was distributed among trainees through the National Representatives of the European Board of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In total, 86 trainees (females: 55%; mean age: 32.5 years [SD ±4.57 years]; mean training duration of 2.68 years [SD ±1.63]) from 22 different countries were recruited. From the cohort, 10.5% were considered as vulnerable for acquiring COVID-19. During their job, 4.7% acquired the infection and 26.7% were placed in quarantine. Most trainees noted that their various aspects of gastroenterology training were moderately or severely affected during the initial height of the pandemic: clinical gastroenterology training (67.4%), outpatients (75.5%), didactic teaching (88.3%), multidisciplinary team meetings (65.2%) and endoscopy training (75.6%). Later, when the number of COVID-19-related infections decreased across Europe, the above modalities returned to normal for &#x3c;50% of the trainees. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This European-wide survey has demonstrated that gastroenterology training has been severely impacted during both the initial height of the pandemic and afterwards. Furthermore, the psychological impact on trainees, in terms of training quality, duration and exposure to COVID-19, is unknown. A re-assessment of each centre training programme should be done as to ensure that a high standard of training is still being delivered.

Tracking the rates and mechanisms of canopy damage and recovery following Hurricane Maria using multitemporal lidar data

ABSTRACTHurricane Maria (Category 4) snapped and uprooted canopy trees, removed large branches, and defoliated vegetation across Puerto Rico. The magnitude of forest damages and the rates and mechanisms of forest recovery following Maria provide important benchmarks for understanding the ecology of extreme events. We used airborne lidar data acquired before (2017) and after Maria (2018, 2020) to quantify landscape-scale changes in forest structure along a 439-ha elevational gradient (100 to 800 m) in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. Damages from Maria were widespread, with 73% of the study area losing ≥1 m in canopy height (mean = −7.1 m). Taller forests at lower elevations suffered more damage than shorter forests above 600 m. Yet only 13% of the study area had canopy heights ≤2 m in 2018, a typical threshold for forest gaps, highlighting the importance of damaged trees and advanced regeneration on post-storm forest structure. Heterogeneous patterns of regrowth and recruitment yielded shorter and more open forests by 2020. Nearly 45% of forests experienced initial height loss (<-1 m, 2017-2018) followed by rapid height gain (>1 m, 2018-2020), whereas 21.6% of forests with initial height losses showed little or no height gain, and 17.8% of forests exhibited no structural changes >|1| m in either period. Canopy layers <10 m accounted for most increases in canopy height and fractional cover between 2018-2020, with gains split evenly between height growth and lateral crown expansion by surviving individuals. These findings benchmark rates of gap formation, crown expansion, and canopy closure following hurricane damage.MANUSCRIPT HIGHLIGHTSHurricane Maria gave forests a haircut by toppling trees and shearing branches.Regrowth after Maria was patchy, with equal areas of height gain and no change.3-D measures of forest recovery after hurricanes can improve ecosystem models.

Defoliation Dynamics in Kikuyugrass Pastures Subjected to Intensities of Defoliation

Some recent papers have recommended moderate intensities of defoliation in order to maximize herbage intake at different time-scales. Most of them, however, did not assess the grazing dynamics of individual tillers during the stocking period. Therefore, the objective of this work was to describe the defoliation dynamics of kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst ex. Chiov) pastures subjected to different intensities of defoliation (40, 50, 60, and 70% of the initial height). Twelve 1500 m2 plots were strip-grazed over 24 h, and the frequency and severity of defoliation of individual tillers were assessed in 40 tagged tillers per experimental unit. From these data (n = 1920), we calculated the grazed area in the upper, second, and third horizon, and the total grazed area. We found that the frequency of defoliation by leaf category (expanding, mature, and senescent) increased linearly with the intensity of defoliation, and that reductions in extended tillers could not be used as a proxy to estimate the frequency of defoliation. Moreover, 22% of the second and third horizons were already exploited with intensities of defoliation of 40%, raising the possibility that the exploitation of lower grazing horizons could be more related to stocking density and relatively independent of the grazed area.