Applying Machine Strength Grading System to Round Timber Used in Hydraulic Engineering Works

Round timber is often used for hydraulic engineering works, but the strength grading of round logs is not as well developed as that of sawn timber. The advantages of using defined strength classes, as well as the proper selection of the raw material, could be applicable to hydraulic works as well. In this study, the methods and rules developed for sawn timber were applied to the mechanical selection of oak round logs, paying particular attention to the issue of the simplicity of grading operations and the moisture content of the timber. Both the acoustic velocity and dynamic modulus of elasticity of oak logs were measured with different instruments before performing destructive bending tests; machine settings were derived for both properties and dry and wet grading operations were simulated to compare efficiency. The use of the dynamic modulus of elasticity makes machine grading more efficient. On the other hand, the use of acoustic velocity alone is feasible and makes the procedure much faster, even if wet grading resulted in very conservative estimations. The yields obtained were similar for lower grades, but to achieve higher strength classes, the dynamic modulus was preferable. For very fast and less expensive measurements, velocity could be considered an appropriate method, as an improvement over the use of unselected material.

Criterion-Based Metrics for Range Restriction Corrections

For decades, it has been suggested organizations utilize mechanical decisions. Unfortunately, organizations continue to rely on holistic judgments. Perhaps part of the reasons organizations continue to rely on judgment when mak- ing decisions is because the reported statistics associated with mechanical judgments (e.g., R2) are not intuitive to stakeholders. For example, it is unclear in terms of turnover whether an R2 change from 0.23 under the old (holistic) system to an R2 of 0.27 under the (mechanical) system is enough of an improvement to justify the cost of changing selection methods. In this paper, we argue that researchers instead report changes in criteria of interest (e.g., absenteeism rate before versus after utilizing a mechanical selection sys- tem). This can be accomplished by utilizing a multiple imputation algorithm that simulates optimal selection decisions. Additionally, we provide both an R-package, as well as a point-and-click Shiny app that allows researchers to easily estimate intuitive statistics (e.g., improvement in turnover, proportion of applicants for which an optimal and holistic system agree).

Credibility to the Police Institution as a Factor of the Tourist Branding Formation of the Volgograd Region

Branding of tourist territory is one of the most promising tools for effective management of the regions development of the Russian Federation. Strategic planning of the tourism industry development, having solved part of the tasks of forming positive tourist brands and creating tourist passports of the regions, faced with the need to identify specific components of the branding. One of the most important components of a positive branding of tourist destinations is the formation of a system of credibility and security to the territory. The study of the areas of security in tourism is one of the most important global megatrends in the development of the tourism industry, as recorded by the scientific community. Based on these premises, the authors describe a system of conceptual interconnection of sources of danger, the subjective position of users of tourist practices and branding of tourist destinations, where the influence of public opinion on the police institution activities on the perceived security in the region plays a special role.The study interpreted data from a survey conducted in 2018 by the Department of Philosophy of the Volgograd Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (the survey method was a formalized interview, the sample type was random, stratified, mechanical selection method, n = 321). According to the survey, it was concluded that a significant number of citizens who participated in the survey, give a negative assessment of the activities of the police, which is manifested in reducing the sense of personal security among respondents. Using the results of the assessment system of the internal affairs agencies based on departmental and non-departmental indicators, as well as regular sociological research data, the authors, using the example of the Volgograd region, substantiate the dependence of positive branding of a tourist territory on public opinion about police activities, which make up a sense of security in the region.

Logic of Interval Uncertainty

The scientific category of uncertainty refers to that group of terms, an interpretation of which is not unambiguous and exact. In non-eliminability of the category soft content barrier there is an objective transition to the interval uncertainty. This research is an attempt to solve the issue of estimating the interval uncertainty based on methods of a logical analysis and a comparison. The approach presented by the paper is opposed to known methods of a mechanical selection of values following a given function. In the course of the research, there has been introduced a concept of the “tenversion uncertainty” for scientific use. Overall results obtained from the research allow calculating values of the interval uncertainty and assess their quality. The scientific competency of methods is achieved in theoretically tested solutions.

The optical system in Borexino

Borexino detector is composed of 2214 photomultipliers (PMTs) collecting the scintillation light produced by the liquid scintillator. Phototubes are partially immersed in the scintillator and partially in high purity water. A proper electrical and mechanical selection of the devices as well as a custom-made encapsulation was mandatory for a long-term immersion in these two aggressive liquid. Underwater cables and connectors and optical fibers are also described in detail.