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TiO₂ thin films were deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) on glass substrates at 27°C and 100°C. The extraction efficiency of evanescent light from the deposited nanolayers and their thickness profiles in the range of (1-100) nm was evaluated using the Differential Evanescent Light Intensity (DELI) imaging method. This optical microscopy technique is based on capturing the evanescent light emitted by the material layer deposited on the substrate. The results were analyzed and discussed in terms of the effective penetration depth parameter. The effective scattering cross-section of the TiO₂ nanometer particles was estimated.

Metamaterials are artificially tailored complex media with extraordinary properties, not available in nature. Due to their unique performance, they are considered as a crucial component of modern radio-frequency technology, especially in the THz regime. However, their lack of wide spectral bandwidths introduce constraints for realistic applications. The purpose of this paper is to propose piezoelectric micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) actuators to modify the shape of electric field-driven LC (ELC) resonators. A THz modulation capability is revealed by connecting/disconnecting the associated metal parts.

Piezoelectric MEMS actuators are proposed to provide the desired bandwidth enhancement along with THz modulation. Two setups with different degrees of freedom in altering the behaviour of the novel modulator are investigated. A variety of numerical data, acquired via the finite element method, substantiate the advantageous characteristics of the proposed structures.

The novel devices enable the modification of the structural features of an ELC-based complex medium, unveiling in this manner a significant THz modulation capability along with improved bandwidth tunability. Two discrete cases are presented involving different degrees of freedom to shape the overall performance of the metamaterial modulator.

Development of a THz modulator, which utilises metamaterials as its fundamental component. Incorporation of tunable piezoelectric metamaterials into THz technology allowing increased reconfigurability. Bandwidth enhancement of metamaterial systems and alternative design via multiple controllable gaps enabling more degrees of freedom for design purposes.

The purpose of this paper is to facilitate the process of monitoring construction projects. Classic practice for construction progress tracking relies on paper reports, which entails a serious amount of manual data collection as well as the effort of imagining the actual progress from the paperwork.

This paper presents a new methodology for monitoring construction progress using smartphones. This is done by proposing a new system consisting of a newly-developed application named “BIM-U” and a mobile augmented reality (AR) channel named “BIM-Phase”. “BIM-U” is an Android application that allows the end-user to update the progress of activities onsite. These data are used to update the project’s 4D model enhanced with different cost parameters such as earned value, actual cost and planned value. The “BIM-Phase” application is a mobile AR channel that is used during construction phase through implementing a 4D “as-planned” phased model integrated with an augmented video showing real or planned progress.

The results from the project are then analysed and assessed to anticipate the potential of these and similar techniques for tracking time and cost on construction projects.

The proposed system through “BIM-U” and “BIM Phase” exploits the potential of mobile applications and AR in construction through the use of handheld mobile devices to offer new possibilities for measuring and monitoring work progress using building information modelling.

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is deemed as an emerging technology with exciting applications, like wireless charging devices, and electric vehicles, whereas metamaterials exhibit exceptional properties. For every WPT system that occupies coupled magnetic resonances, it is also mandatory to involve resonators. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new interdigitated split-ring resonator (I-SRR) as the basic part of a WPT system, pursuing advanced levels of efficiency.

A novel WPT system, which exploits I-SRRs as its elementary blocks, is comprehensively examined. The analysis investigates the distance between the modules, the distance between transmitting and receiving components as well as the geometrical features of the structure. Several numerical data derived via the finite element method unveil the merits of the featured configuration.

The proposed arrangement reveals a noteworthy enhancement of the power delivered to the load and a promising tuning of the operational frequency via the interdigitated topology. Several parametric studies clarify the principal characteristics of the proposed setup, facilitating the design of high-end systems. In particular, the distance between the resonators and the port loops affect the matching of the input and output ports, allowing optimisation of power efficiency, while the length of the I-SRR gap can determine the operational frequency.

Development of a WPT system, which utilises I-SRRs as its key elements. Incorporation of metamaterials into WPT technology. Efficiency enhancement of WPT systems and alternative design via geometrical modifications. The necessity of lumped elements to implement the WPT resonators is eliminated by utilising split-ring resonators components, enabling compactness in several implementations.

A simple procedure for accurate calculation of pore pressures in undrained elasto‐plastic materials is described. An 8‐node element is used, with ‘reduced’ integration during stress redistribution, and ‘full’ integration to form the global stiffness matrix for the modified Newton—Raphson procedure. An analysis of passive earth pressure in an undrained soil is used to demonstrate the algorithm and computed results are compared with a closed‐form solution.

In the absence of random variables, random variables are generated by the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation method. There are some methods for generating fragility curves with fewer nonlinear analyses. However, the accuracy of these methods is not suitable for all performance levels and peak ground acceleration (PGA) range. This paper aims to present a method through the seismic improvement of the high-dimensional model representation method for generating fragility curves while taking advantage of fewer analyses by choosing the right border points.

In this method, the values of uncertain variables are selected based on the results of the initial analyses, the damage limit of each performance level or according to acceptable limits in the design code. In particular, PGAs are selected based on the general shape of the fragility curve for each performance limit. Also, polynomial response functions are estimated for each accelerogram. To evaluate the accuracy, fragility curves are estimated by different methods for a single degree of freedom system and a reinforced concrete frame.

The results indicated that the proposed method can not only reduce the computational cost but also has a higher accuracy than the other methods, compared with the MC baseline method.

The proposed response functions are more consistent with the actual values and are also congruent with each performance level to increase the accuracy of the fragility curves.

Offering unskilled people training in engineering and vocational skills helps to decrease unemployment rate. The purpose of this paper is to augment actual hands-on conventional vocational training methods with virtual haptic simulations as part of computer-based vocational education and training.

This paper discusses the design of a bi-manual virtual multi-modal training interface for learning basic skills in surface mount device hand soldering. This research aims to analyze human hand dexterity of novices and experts at micro level skill knowledge capture by simulating and tracking the users’ actions in the manual soldering process through a multi-modal user interface.

Haptic feedback can enhance the experience of a virtual training environment for the end user and can provide a supplementary modality for imparting tangible principles to increase effectiveness. This will improve the teaching and learning of engineering and vocational skills with touch-based haptics technology, targeted toward teachers and students of various disciplines in engineering. Compared with the traditional training methods for learning soldering skills, the proposed method shows more efficiency in faster skill acquisition and skill learning.

In this study, the authors proposed a novel bi-manual virtual training simulator model for teaching soldering skills for surface mount technology and inspection. This research aims to investigate the acquisition of soldering skills through virtual environment, with and without haptic feedback. This acts as a basic-level training simulator that provides introductory training in soldering skills and can help initially unskilled people find educational opportunities and job offers in the electronics industry.

The increase in automobile usage across the world has fortified the opportunities of maintenance service garages. However, there are significant numbers of challenges in front of maintenance service providers at all stages of the business. This paper identifies, analyzes and prioritizes various challenges associated with the establishment and survival of garages specific to Indian context.

In this paper, challenges for automotive service garage are identified through expert opinion, garage survey and literature. A structural hierarchical framework of the identified challenges is established through structural models, including interpretive structural modeling and analytic hierarchy process.

This paper has identified nine challenges, namely proliferation of new models and variants; technological advancements in automobile systems; demand of better service quality; space and ambience requirements; labor requirements; requirement of modern support equipments, tools and spares; safety requirements and prevention of occupational hazards; environmental norms and concerns; proper documentation requirements. The drivers and dependent variables have been identified. A hierarchical framework of challenges has been established.

This paper provides a comprehensive list of challenges and their priority in establishing an automobile maintenance garage business in Indian context. This will help the budding entrepreneurs and existing maintenance organizations to focus on the challenges that necessitate immediate attention and corrective actions.

This paper provides a significant contribution in the literature of garage maintenance services, which is established on the viewpoint of different collaborators associated with this business. This study will be a foundation to investigate further in this domain.

This paper aims to focus on the cavitating flow around the Clark-Y hydrofoil when the dissolved air is taken into account as the third phase. As the RNG k-epsilon model yields poor prediction due to overestimation of viscosity, the modification approaches including density corrected method, filter-based model and filter-based density correction model are used, and the turbulence model is modified. Also, the numerical results are compared with the experimental data.

The cavitating flow is known as a complex multi-phase flow and appeared in the regions where the local pressure drops under saturation vapor pressure. Many researches have been conducted to analyze this phenomenon because of its significant impact on the erosion, vibration, noise, efficiency of turbomachines, etc.

The experiments are conducted in a rectangular test section equipped with Clark-Y hydrofoil providing cavity visualization, instantaneous pressure and vibration fluctuations. The simulations are carried out for different cavitation numbers with and without dissolved air. The Fast Fourier Transform, continues wavelet transform and temporal-spatial distribution of gray level are implemented to extract and compare the shedding frequency of experiments and numerical predictions and cavitation evolution. It is concluded that the flow structure, shedding frequency and time-averaged characteristics are highly influenced by the dissolved air. Also, the numerical prediction will be more satisfactory when the modified turbulence models are applied.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the originality of this study is the modification of the turbulence model for better prediction of cavitating flow, and the validation of numerical results with corresponding experimental data.

This paper aims to elucidate how humorous prompts affect tourists’ heritage responsible behaviors (THRBs).

Three scenario-based experiments were conducted through Credamo (an online survey platform). Studies 1 and 2 used a single-factor (language style: humorous vs serious) between-subject design to test the direct and indirect effects of humorous prompts. Study 3 used a 2 (environmental quality: high vs low) × 2 (language style: humorous vs serious) between-subject design to further reveal the boundary condition (environmental quality) of the humor effect.

The results revealed that humorous (vs serious) prompts better persuade tourists to engage in heritage responsible behaviors (HRBs). Content liking mediates the relationship between humorous prompts and THRBs. Moreover, environmental quality significantly moderates the effect of humorous prompts on THRBs, whereby the persuasive effect of humorous prompts is greater in high environmental quality conditions than in low environmental quality conditions.

Destination management organizations can use humor to reduce tourists’ reactance against prompts for behavioral persuasion. Moreover, it is also important to adapt humorous prompts to changes in environmental quality in a timely manner.

Based on psychological reactance theory, the research confirmed the dominant effect of humorous prompts by using content liking as a mediating variable, providing a new research perspective for research on the regulation of THRBs. Moreover, the authors clarified a boundary condition for the persuasiveness of humorous prompts, which helps reinforce the comprehension of humor persuasion.

本研究旨在厘清幽默提示语如何影响游客遗产责任行为的差异效应与过程机制。

本研究利用见数平台开展了三个情景实验。实验1与实验2采用单因素（语言风格：幽默 vs. 严肃）组间实验设计, 验证了幽默提示语对遗产责任行为的直接与间接效应。实验3采用2（语言风格：幽默 vs. 严肃）×2（环境质量：高 vs. 低）组间实验设计进一步揭示环境质量对幽默提示语效果的调节效应。

相较于严肃提示语, 幽默提示语可更好地说服游客产生遗产责任行为。内容喜爱在幽默提示语与遗产责任行为过程中发挥完全中介作用。此外, 环境质量调节了幽默提示语对遗产责任行为的影响, 即幽默提示语（较严肃提示语）仅在环境质量较高的遗产地中具备优势。

遗产地管理组织可使用幽默来降低游客对提示语的心理逆反程度, 从而达到行为说服的目的。与此同时, 管理者也要根据目的地环境质量及时调整幽默提示语的使用策略。

基于心理逆反理论, 本研究以内容喜爱为中介变量, 证实了幽默提示语的优势说服作用, 为游客遗产责任行为管理的相关研究提供了一个新的理论视角。同时, 本研究厘清了幽默提示语在遗产旅游地中的应用边界, 并强化了对幽默说服的理解。

Esta investigación pretende aclarar cómo afecta el humor al efecto persuasivo de la señalización sobre el comportamiento responsable de los turistas respecto al patrimonio.

Se realizaron tres experimentos basados en escenarios a través de Credamo (una plataforma de encuestas en línea). En los estudios 1 y 2 se utilizó un diseño entre sujetos de un solo factor (estilo de lenguaje: humorístico frente a serio) para comprobar los efectos directos e indirectos de los señalización humorísticos. El estudio 3 utilizó un diseño entre sujetos de 2 (calidad del entorno: alta frente a baja) × 2 (estilo lingüístico: humorístico frente a serio) para revelar con más detalle la condición límite (calidad del entorno) del efecto del humor.

Los resultados revelaron que las señalización humorísticas (frente a las serias) persuaden mejor a los turistas a participar en las HRB. El gusto por el contenido influye en la relación entre los señalización humorísticos y las HRB. Además, la calidad del entorno modera de forma significativa el efecto de los señalización humorísticos sobre los THRB, de modo que el efecto persuasivo de los señalización humorísticos es mayor en condiciones de alta calidad del entorno que en condiciones de baja calidad del entorno.

Las organizaciones de gestión de destinos pueden utilizar el humor para reducir la reacción de los turistas ante las señalización a la persuasión conductual. Además, también es importante adaptar oportunamente las señalización humorísticas a los cambios en la calidad del entorno.

Basándonos en la teoría de la reactancia psicológica, nuestra investigación confirmó el efecto dominante de las señalización humorísticas empleando el gusto por el contenido como variable mediadora, proporcionando una nueva perspectiva para la investigación sobre la regulación de las THRB. Además, aclaramos una condición límite para la persuasión de los señalización humorísticos, lo que ayuda a reforzar la comprensión de la persuasión humorística.