The effect of disbond on the efficiency and durability of a composite patch repair in mode I and mixed mode considering different patch materials

In this paper, considering different parameters and various patch materials, the effect of disbond on the efficiency and durability of a composite patch repair is investigated in mode I and mixed-mode. One of the most important aspects of the composite patch repair is the bond strength. Repair patch disbond may occur at the patch edges or the crack site. At first, the effect of different parameters such as repair patch material and Young’s modulus and thickness of the adhesive on the efficiency and durability of the patch is investigated. Then, the effect of the disbond site on the stress intensity factor (patch efficiency) and adhesive stress (patch durability) is analyzed in both modes I and II. The results show that disbond at the crack site leads to a further reduction in patch efficiency compared to the patch edge disbond, but when separation occurs at the patch edge, the adhesive stress and the disbond growth rate are higher. Also, when 15% of the patch is separated in the crack site, for the longitudinal and transverse disbond modes, the mean KI is increased by 8 and 4%, respectively, compared to the state without disbond. Thus, the longitudinal disbond mode is more critical.

Moisture and vegetation cover limit ponderosa pine regeneration in high-severity burn patches in the southwestern US

Background Fire regimes are shifting in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson)-dominated forests, raising concern regarding future vegetation patterns and forest resilience, particularly within high-severity burn patches. The southwestern US has recently experienced a marked increase in large fires that produce large, high-severity patch interiors, with few surviving trees. These areas could be more susceptible for forest loss and conversions to alternative vegetation types than areas closer to the forest edge with more available seed sources. To better understand forest recovery, we surveyed ponderosa pine regeneration within edge and core areas (>200 m from edge) of high-severity patches in ten fires that burned between 1996 to 2008 across Arizona and New Mexico, USA. Specifically, we compared regeneration density, height, and canopy cover in patch edge and core areas and used generalized linear models to investigate the abiotic and biotic factors that contribute to ponderosa pine seedling establishment and density. Results High-severity burn-patch edge and core plots were not significantly different in seedling density, height, or canopy cover across fires. Seedling establishment was more likely at higher-elevation mesic sites and less likely when Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii Nutt.) was more abundant. Seedling density was negatively impacted by shrub, grass, and Gambel oak cover. Conclusions Regeneration density varied among fires but analysis of regeneration in aggregated edge and core plots showed that abundance of seed availability was not the sole factor that limited ponderosa pine regeneration, probably because of surviving tree refugia within high-severity burn patches. Furthermore, our findings emphasize that ponderosa pine regeneration in our study area was significantly impacted by xeric topographic environments and vegetation competition. Continued warm and dry conditions and increased wildfire activity may delay the natural recovery of ponderosa pine forests, underscoring the importance of restoration efforts in large, high-severity burn patches.

Bandwidth enhancement of compact patch antennas by loading inverted “L” and “T” strips

We propose simple designs of compact patch antennas with bandwidth enhancement. Firstly, an inverted “L” strip is loaded onto the corner of one radiating patch edge to create an additional resonant mode which can be combined with that one of the conventional patch to enhance the operating bandwidth. Secondly, the “L” strip is replaced by inverted “T” strip to improve further the bandwidth by creating two adjustable resonant modes. The two proposed patch antennas have the particularity of enhancing the bandwidth significantly without increasing their profile and their overall sizes. Two antenna prototypes are fabricated and tested. Measurements reveal that the patch antenna loaded with “L” strip has stable radiation characteristics with 5.2 times enhancement in the relative bandwidth compared with a conventional patch antenna. The antenna loaded with inverted “T” strip has wider bandwidth (6.25 times wider than the conventional patch) and covers the operating band 5.07–5.89 GHz (15%) with measured peak gain and peak efficiency of 6.25 dBi and 78%, respectively. The proposed antennas are easy to fabricate, have a low-profile, and exhibit good performances which make them good candidates to use in real wireless applications.

Band notched self complementaryultra wideband antenna for wireless applications

This paper presents a band notched WLAN self complementaryultra wide band antenna for wireless applications. The proposed antenna encounters a return loss (RL) less than -10dB for entire ultra wideband frequency range except band notched frequency. This paper proposes a hexagon shape patch, edge feeding, self complementary technique and defective ground structure. The antenna has an overall dimensionof 28.3mm × 40mm × 2mm, builton substrate FR4 with a relative dielectric permittivity 4.4. And framework is simulated finite element method with help of high frequency structured simulator HFSSv17.2.the proposed antenna achieves a impedance bandwidth of 8.6GHz, band rejected WLAN frequency range 5.6-6.5 GHz with vswr is less than 2.

The Coupling Network Ｍodeling of Forest Landscape Plaques Based on Patch Edge Effects

Defined the parameters of forest landscape according to the characteristic of forest landscape pattern combined with complex networks theory. By using landscape blocks as nodes, the affect between plaques as lines, a coupling network modeling of forest landscape plaques is established. Taking the west Tongting Lake in Hunan province as the study area, divided the landscape pattern into 13 types, established a plaques coupling network by using the patch edge effects between two different type of blocks as power of lines. It shows that the degree of node, the indexes of landscape classification has positive relationship with the power of node, the degree of node has positive relationship with the importance of node, the area of landscape has complicated competition with the landscape fragmentation when contributes to the concentration degree.

Domestic dogs in a fragmented landscape in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: abundance, habitat use and caring by owners

This study aimed at estimating the population size and attitudes of residents towards caring for domestic dogs, through questionnaire surveys, as well as the frequency of these animals in different habitats (anthropic and forest patch), using scent stations. The study was conducted in a severely fragmented area of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. A large number of unrestricted dogs was recorded, averaging 6.2 ind/km². These dogs have owners and are regularly fed. Dog records decreased from the anthropogenic matrix to the forest patch edge, which suggests that dogs act as an edge effect on forest patches. Encounters between domestic dog and wild animals can still be frequent in severely fragmented landscapes, mainly at the forest edges. However the fact that most dogs have an owner and are more frequent in the anthropic habitat suggests that their putative effects are less severe than expected for a carnivore of such abundance, but the reinforcement of responsible ownership is needed to further ameliorate such effects.

Breeding habitat selection by the endangered Regent Honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia (Meliphagidae) at the local and landscape scale

This is the first Australian study to apply logistical modelling techniques to describe the breeding habitat selection of a widely dispersed, highly mobile, threatened bird species. Landscape and microhabitat structural attributes of breeding habitat occupied by the endangered Regent Honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia in the Bundarra-Barraba region of northern NSW were compared to those of unoccupied habitat using logistic regression modelling. Models containing landscape scale variables were best at explaining Regent Honeyeater presence. Regent Honeyeater occupation was negatively associated with the amount of woodland cover surrounding a site (1 km and 2 km radius) and distance to patch edge, and was positively associated with site connectivity and linear remnants. Linear, well-connected woodland patches surrounded by cleared grazing land are typical of the remnant native vegetation occupied by Regent Honeyeaters in the Bundarra-Barraba region. The landscape models developed here can be used to identify potential new sites for protection and rehabilitation, and to assess the suitability of unsurveyed or unoccupied sites for the release of captively bred Regent Honeyeaters, which is identified as one of the priority recovery action for the species.