New detailed geological/structural mapping as well as field-based structural analysis were carried out to investigate the deformation pattern of well-preserved high-pressure rocks of the Blueschist Unit exposed on SE Syros (Cyclades, Greece). Our new geological mapping revealed the occurrence of a metasedimentary sequence underlain by a meta-igneous sequence. The contact between these two sequences displays typically interfingering patterns in map-scale due to folding. The earlier ductile deformation phase recognized in the mapped area, is associated with the development of a penetrative foliation, which was formed under eclogite/blueschist facies conditions at peak conditions. The subsequent main deformation phase occurred at blueschist facies conditions synchronous with the early stages of exhumation of the high-pressure rocks. This phase is mainly associated with the formation of map-scale WNW-trending folds and a pervasive axial planar foliation linked with ESE-directed shearing. The main deformation ceased within blueschist facies conditions and exhumation of the rocks to greenschist facies conditions took place under very weak deformation. Greenschist retrogression observed in the southwestern part of the mapped area seems to be controlled by fluids rather than by intense deformation. Our results indicate that the high-pressure rocks of the Blueschist Unit exposed on Syros Island represent a large-scale pod of low deformation under blueschist to greenschist facies conditions, likely occupying the core of an extrusion wedge.

The Digital Twin is one of the big technology trends of the last decade. In the course of its rapid expansion into the various fields of application, many different definitions emerged, tailored to the respective applications. Taxonomies can cluster the diversity and define application-specific archetypes. This paper presents a characterization of the Digital Twin in the context of structural mechanics and lightweight design. It begins by exploring various definitions of the Digital Twin concept and its application in different industries. The paper further analyzes the product life cycle of structures, dividing it into the design and operational phases and identifying the requirements for a Digital Twin in each phase. The structural design process is examined, including the definition of a structure and the stages of the product development process. Additionally, the paper discusses the operational phase of structures, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation through Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems. The paper proposes two archetypes of Digital Twins for structures: a structure-designing Digital Twin for the design phase and a structure-monitoring Digital Twin for the operational phase. The findings provide a framework for implementing Digital Twins in structural mechanics, enabling digital design and monitoring of structures for improved performance and maintenance strategies.

Silicon anodes have been considered one of the most promising anode candidates for the next generation of high-energy density lithium-ion batteries due to the high theoretical specific capacity (4200 mAh g-1) of Si. However, high lithiation capacity endows silicon anodes with severe volume expansion effects during the charge/discharge cycling. The repeated volume expansions not only lead to the pulverization of silicon particles and the separation of electrode materials from the current collector, but also brings rupture/formation of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) and also continuous electrolyte consumption, which seriously hinders the commercial application of silicon anodes. Structural design and optimization is the key to improving the electrochemical performances of silicon anodes, which has attracted wide attention and research in recent years. This paper mainly summarizes and compares the latest research progress for the structural design and optimization of silicon anodes.

Solid polymer electrolytes and composite polymer electrolytes serve as crucial components in all-solid-state energy storage devices. Structural batteries and supercapacitors present a promising alternative for electric vehicles, integrating structural functionality with energy storage capability. However, despite their potential, these applications are hampered by various challenges, particularly in the realm of developing new solid polymer electrolytes that require more investigations. In this study, novel solid polymer electrolytes and composite polymer electrolytes were synthesized using epoxy resin blends, ionic liquid, lithium salt, and alumina nanoparticles, and subsequently characterized. Among the formulations tested, the optimal system, designated as L70P30ILE40Li1MAl2 and containing 40 wt.% of ionic liquid and 5.7 wt.% of lithium salt, exhibited exceptional mechanical properties. It displayed a remarkable storage modulus of 1.2 GPa and reached ionic conductivities of 0.085 mS/cm at 60°C. Furthermore, a proof-of-concept supercapacitor was fabricated, demonstrating the practical application of the developed electrolyte system.

. Interconnected control systems (ICS) widely apply to various technical systems. ICS has a complex description. Therefore, simplified models use, which the specifics of an object do not always reflect. So, the problem of synthesizing mathematical models is topical. The work purpose is to develop an approach to obtaining models in conditions of incomplete a priori information. We use an adaptive approach. As examples, two-channel systems (TCS) with cross-links and identical channels consider, and a method for mathematical model design. We consider the system with asymmetric cross-links and evaluate their impact on properties of an adaptive identification system. Approach proposed to assessing the TCS identifiability with cross-links. The excitation constancy influence on TСS parameter estimates is studied. A generalization of the proposed approach is given for an interconnected system.

A new utilization of entropy in the context of buckling is presented. The novel concept connecting strain energy and entropy for a pin-ended strut is derived. This concept rationalizes the ranking of buckling modes based on strain energy under the assumption of given entropy. By assigning identical entropy to all buckling modes, they can be ranked according to their deformation energy. Conversely, with identical strain energy assigned to all modes, ranking according to entropy is possible. Decreasing entropy was found to represent the scaling factors of buckling modes that coincide with the measurement of initial out-of-straightness imperfections in IPE160 beams. Applied to steel plane frames, scaled buckling modes can be used to model initial imperfections. It is demonstrated that the entropy (scale factor) for given energy roughly decreases with the inverse square of the mode index. For practical engineering, the study presents the possibility of using scaled buckling modes of steel plane frames to model initial geometric imperfections. Entropy proves to be a valuable complement to strain energy in structural mechanics.

The structural identification (SI) problem of control objects has not been solved. The formalization and interpretation complexity of the structure concept is the main problem. In identification systems, the form of the model (its structure) choice is intuitive and bases on the experience and knowledge of the researcher in most cases. The task of parametric identification is often interpreted as SI. It introduces certain confusion in understanding of the task and decision-making. This is two different areas of research. The structural identification problem is multifaceted and includes many subtasks, and their solution gives the final result. Some tasks have been solved. The purpose of this work is to review existing approaches and methods to the structural identification problem of control objects from a system perspective. It is necessary to give the SI problem statement at the multiple-informational level to reflect the difficulties of formalizing SI. New directions to analyse that were not SI areas until now.

The development of numerical simulations is potentially useful in predicting the most suitable manufacturing process and ultimately improving product quality. Seamless pipes are manufactured by rotary piercing process in which round bars are fed between two rolls and pierced by a stationary plug. During this process, the material undergoes severe deformation which renders it impractical to be modelled and analysed with conventional finite element methods. In this paper, three dimensional numerical simulations of the piercing process are performed with Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) Formulation in LS DYNA software. Details about the material model as well as the elements formulations are elaborated here and mesh sensitivity analysis was performed. The results of the numerical simulations are in good agreement with experimental data found in the literature and the validity of the analysis method is confirmed. The effects of varying workpiece velocity, process temperature, and wall thickness on the maximum stress levels of the product material/pipes are investigated by performing simulations of sixty scenarios. Three dimensional surface plots are generated which can be utilized to predict the maximum stress value at any given combination of the three parameters.

Structural system design is the process of giving form to a set of interconnected components subjected to loads and design constraints while navigating a complex design space. While safe designs are relatively easy to develop, optimal designs are not. Modern computational optimization approaches employ population based metaheuristic algorithms to overcome challenges with the system design optimization landscape. However, the choice of the initial population, or ground structure, can have an outsized impact on the resulting optimization. This paper presents a new method of generating such ground structures, using a combination of topology optimization (TO) and a novel system extraction algorithm. Since TO generates monolithic structures, rather than systems, its use for structural system design and optimization has been limited. In this paper, truss systems are extracted from topologies through morphological analysis and artificial intelligence techniques. This algorithm, and its assessment, constitutes the key contributions of this paper. The structural systems obtained are compared with ground truth solutions to evaluate the performance of the algorithms. The generated structures are also compared against benchmark designs from the literature. The results indicate that the presented truss generation algorithm produces structures comparable to those generated through metaheuristic optimization, while mitigating the need for assumptions about initial ground structures.

A reliability-based criterion to estimate strength amplification factors for buildings with asymmetric yielding located within a seismic region presenting different soil conditions is proposed and applied. The approach involves the calculation of the mean annual rate of exceedance of structural demands of systems with different levels of asymmetric yielding. Two simplified mathematical expressions are developed considering different soil conditions of the valley of Mexico. The mathematical expressions depend on the ductility of the structural systems, their level of asymmetric yielding, their fundamental vibration period and the dominant period of the soil. In addition, the proposed expressions are compared with that recommended by the current Mexico City Building Code (MCBC). Since the expressions are developed with the help of simplified structural systems, the validity of such expressions is corroborated by comparing the expected ductility demand of multi-degree of freedom (MDOF) structural systems with respect to that of their equivalent simplified systems. Both structural representations are associated with a given annual rate of exceedance value of an engineering demand parameter. The expressions proposed in this study will be incorporated in the new version of the MCBC.

The use of acoustic and magnetic methods of non-destructive testing to detect zones of stable localization of deformation in order to assess and predict the performance of long-term equipment is of scientific and practical interest at present. A structural-mechanical criterion has been developed, that reflects the revealed relationships between the structural and substructural states, internal stress fields and stable localization of deformations with the characteristics of non-destructive tests in the metal of long-term equipment made of structural 0.2 С steel and heat-resistant 0,12C-1Cr-1Mo-1V steel. The values of the structural-mechanical criteria Ks.-m for structural 0.2 С steel and for heat-resistant 0,12C-1Cr-1Mo-1V steel, corresponding to the moment of stable localization of deformation, are established. At the same time, it is recommended to replace the checked equipment nodes due to the exhaustion of the resource. The proposed and justified approach to assessing and predicting the performance and residual life of long-term power equipment, based on the identified relationships between the structural and substructural states, internal stress fields and stable localization of deformations with the characteristics of non-destructive tests and the calculation of the structural-mechanical criterion, was applied at a number of power plants in the Kemerovo region – Kuzbass. A methodology has been developed for evaluating the residual life, based on the identification and use of relationships between structural and substructural states, internal stress fields and stable localization of deformations with the characteristics of non-destructive tests and the calculation of a structural-mechanical criterion.

Cordycepin has good antitumor activity, but its clinical application is limited due to the easy deamination of N6 in structure. In this study, a large lipopolysis group was introduced at the cordycepin N6 to improve the problem, Cordycepin derivatives(3a-4c) were synthesized, and biological evaluation of compounds were studied. In the study, the vitro antitumor activity of the compounds against MCF7 cells, HepG2 cells and SGC-7901 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. In the results, compound 4a showed the most obvious inhibitory effect on MCF7 cells with IC50 value of 27.566±0.52 μM, which was much lower than cordycepin. Compound 4a showed high selectivity between MCF7 and normal MCF-10A cells. Further biological evaluation showed that compound 4a promoted apoptosis and blocked the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase. Then, Western Blot was used to detect related apoptotic proteins. It was found that Compound 4a could down-regulate the expression of Bcl-2 protein and up-regulate the expression of p53, Bax, Caspase-3, and Caspase-9 proteins. The mitochondrial membrane potential decreased continuously and the positive expression rate decreased. It was speculated that compound 4a induced the apoptosis of MCF7 cells through the mitochondrial pathway.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects both the upper and lower motor neurons in the nervous system, causing muscle weakness and severe disability. The progressive course of the disease reduces the functional capacity in the affected patients, limits daily activities and leads to complete dependence on caregivers, ultimately resulting in a fatal outcome. Respiratory dysfunction mostly occurs later in the disease and is associated with a worse prognosis. 46 participans were included in our study, with 23 patients in ALS group and 23 individuals in the control group. The ultrasound examination of the phrenic nerve (PN) was performed by two authors using a high-resolution "Philips EPIQ 7" ultrasound machine with a linear 4-18 MHz transducer. Our study revealed that the phrenic nerve is significantly smaller on both sides in ALS patients compared to the control group arba controls (p < 0.001). Only one significant study on PN ultrasound in ALS, conducted in Japan, also showed significant results (p < 0.00001). These small studies are particularly promising, as they suggest that ultrasound findings could serve as a additinioal diagnostic tool for ALS

To activate gene expression, the initiation of transcription is a highly regulated process involving the interaction of proteins and DNA nucleotides at the promoter site, which consists of a small number of base pairs. As it involves interactions at the atomic scale, it is challenging to determine the mechanism of binding responsible for the great specificity between the amino acid residuals comprising the transcription binding protein and the DNA nucleotides comprising the promoter. Here, a new approach to characterize the transcription initiation process is developed and verified from analysis of comparative pharmacological efficacy data and elemental modeling. The newly developed description of a mechanism for transcription initiation involves the direct binding of small molecule ligands of approximately twenty carbon atoms, which are both structurally symmetric to DNA nucleotides, and also chemically complementary in its functional groups for interaction with the oxygen element at the carbon two position of thymine and with the phosphodiester chain. The results indicate that the activating ligands are transported to the DNA nucleotide promoter site by protein transcription factors, which serve as delivery vectors, for transfer of the ligand to the DNA nucleotide pairs. The ligands examined in this study include the steroid hormones, synthetic steroid molecules, derivatives of vitamin D, and prostaglandins, particularly PGJ2 and 15d-PGJ2. The transcription factors evaluated include glucocorticoid receptors, VDR, PPAR, and TBP. Through the developments, it is shown that because of the chemically complementary binding of the ligand to DNA nucleotide pairs, the resultant intermolecular complex produces three hydrogen bonds for the A-T and T-A configurations, which matches that of G-C and C-G. The orientation of the nucleotide base pairs is also seen to adjust as an inversion of the nominal position of the nucleobases to a dimer configuration presented via TBP transcription factor. The developments comprise a new approach to characterizing the initiation of the transcription process comprising the direct binding and interaction of ligands with DNA nucleotides as verified through comparative analysis of pharmacological activity and through perfect structural correspondence between the steroid hormone class as ligands with Watson-Crick DNA nucleotide pairings.

In the context of Inverse Analysis in Civil Engineering, parameter identification and model calibration, of a structural system, relying on dynamic measurements, are subjects of a growing research interest. In the present contribution, the topic is tackled with reference both to simplified structural numerical examples and to a specific case study, namely a historical road three-span reinforced concrete arched bridge, with vibrational data previously acquired by standard wired accelerometers on the deck, under operational traffic conditions. In particular, the present work aims at focussing on the identification issues, concerning the definition of a maximum allowable threshold number of sought material parameters (e.g., Young’s moduli and mass densities of different structural components), with respect to the amount of available measurement data, and the investigation of the inverse analysis discrepancy function to be optimised, in order to set the intrinsic issue of multiple “realizations”, in case of a plain use of modal properties, and in view of forming a well–posed optimisation problem. Structural modelling, sensitivity analysis and numerical optimisation approaches are herein combined toward a robust and efficient identification strategy, to be effectively employed in structural assessment and diagnosis, also with respect to originally available or enriched sets of experimental data. The proposed methodology, and collected results, shall outline an efficient identification procedure, in view of automated inverse analysis, practically oriented to the dynamic assessment and structural diagnosis in the Civil Engineering context, as applied e.g. to strategic bridge infrastructures.

Correlated binary data in a 2x2 table has been analyzed from both the frequentist and Bayesian perspectives, but a fully Bayesian hierarchical model has not been proposed. This is a commonly used model for correlated proportions when considering, for example, a diagnostic test performance where negative subjects are tested a second time. We consider a new hierarchical Bayesian model for the parameters resulting from a 2x2 table with a structural zero. We investigate the performance of the hierarchical model via simulation. We then illustrate the usefulness of the model by showing how a set of historical studies can be used to build a predictive distribution for a new study that can be used as a prior distribution for both the rate ratio and marginal probability of a positive test. We then show how the prior based on historical 2x2 tables can be used to power a future study that accounts for pre-experimental uncertainty. High quality prior information can lead to better decision making by improving precision in estimation and by providing realistic numbers to power studies.

The integration of additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, has revolutionized aerospace engineering by enabling the creation of complex, lightweight, and high-performance components. This paper explores the transformative impact of AM technologies on the design, production, and maintenance of aerospace systems. The aerospace industry demands high precision, reduced weight, and enhanced performance, all of which are facilitated by AM's ability to produce intricate geometries and optimize material usage. Key applications of AM in aerospace include the fabrication of engine components, structural parts, and customized tooling. The technology's capability to produce parts with complex internal structures, such as lattice designs, leads to significant weight reductions without compromising strength and durability. Furthermore, AM allows for rapid prototyping, enabling faster iteration and development cycles, which is crucial in the highly competitive aerospace sector.

The enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays a crucial role in the termination of nerve impulses by hydrolyzing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). The inhibition of AChE has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for the management of neurological disorders such as Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The potential of various compounds as AChE inhibitors has been investigated. In this study, we evaluated the impact of natural compounds of interest on the intrinsic deformability of human AChE using computational biophysical analysis. Our approach incorporates classical dynamics, elastic networks, statistical potentials, energy frustration, and volumetric cavity analyses. The results revealed that cyanidin induced significant changes in the flexibility and rigidity of AChE, especially in the distribution and volume of internal cavities, compared to model inhibitors such as TZ2PA6, and through a distinct biophysical-molecular mechanism from the other inhibitors considered. These findings suggest that cyanidin could offer potential mechanistic pathways for future research and applications in the development of new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

In this work, the structural dynamics of a commercial quadrotor was investigated, which presents problems of lateral stability or sliding instead of remaining self-leveling through its autonomous control system. The possible existence of vibrations motivated the characterization of the frequency response of the arms and propellers by means of the frequency response function (FRF) using the impact hammer technique. The experimental results provided sufficient information for the future implementation of structural solutions or through reprogramming in the autonomous control algorithm that compensates or mitigates the negative effect of vibration levels due to resonance phenomenon and improves the stability in self-leveling condition of the quadrotor.

This paper is showing the results of a study focused on the occurrence of failures in heterogeneous structural materials, especially on the issue of modelling the formation and propagation of cracks. Attention is paid to the application of the finite element method to various types of materials in order to find critical parameters determining the behaviour of materials during the damage process. Application of damage mechanisms and approaches to modelling the origin of crack propagation by modifications in FEM systems are presented. Furthermore, some practical applications are tested. The main effort is devoted to composites and searching for procedures when using cohesion models for their more accurate modelling, especially near the stress concentrators, or before the crack tip. The use of the cohesive approach of elements that represent the physical nature of energy release in front of the crack front has proven to be promising not only in the direct use of cohesive elements, but also in combination with modified methods of standard finite elements. The authors of this article use their long-term experience in the given issue, which they consistently confront with developments in this area in recent years.

This article investigates the vibration analysis of the mast on the bridge top of a 28-meter tugboat, in the quasi-static regime. The study aims to determine the natural frequencies using an equivalent dynamic model of the mast and considers the accelerations of different degrees of freedom of the vessel. Practical design and reinforcement strategies for the local bridge top structure are proposed, utilizing numerical and analytical tools. The investigation explores various alternatives to optimize the structural arrangement. By analyzing the modal behavior, insights are provided for efficient design and reinforcement. The results contribute to understand the mast's vibration characteristics, offering guidance for similar structures. The study employs numerical and analytical methods, enhancing the optimization of the mast's behavior. It determines natural frequencies, proposes practical design strategies, and explores alternatives for structural optimization. The findings provide insights for shipbuilding and mast design applications in other vessels and industries such as radar mast, compass deck and guyed mast.

Quantitative analysis of human gait is critical for early discovery, progressive tracking, and rehabilitation of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders, such as Parkinson’s Disease, stroke, and Cerebral Palsy. Gait analysis typically involves estimating gait characteristics, such as spatio-temporal gait parameters and gait health indicators (e.g., step time, length, symmetry, and balance). Traditional methods of gait analysis involve the use of cameras, wearables, and force plates, but are limited in operational requirements when applied in daily life - such as direct line-of-sight, carrying devices, and dense deployment. This paper introduces a novel approach for gait analysis by passively sensing footstep-induced floor vibrations during walking using vibration sensors mounted on the floor surface. Our approach is non-intrusive, scalable, and perceived as more privacy-friendly, making it suitable for continuous gait health monitoring in daily life. We developed a floor vibration-based gait analysis framework to estimate various gait parameters that are used as standard metrics in medical practices, including temporal parameters (step, stride, stance, swing, double-support, single-support time) and spatial parameters (step length, width, angle, stride length), and extracts gait health indicators (cadence/walking speed, left-right symmetry, gait balance, initial contact types). The main challenge is that floor vibrations are distinct across different floor types. To address this challenge, our approach develops floor-adaptive algorithms to extract floor-specific features and is designed to be generalizable to various settings, including homes, hospitals, and eldercare facilities. We evaluate our approach through real-world walking experiments with 20 adults with 12,231 labeled gait cycles across concrete and wooden floors. Our results show 90.5% (RMSE 0.08s), 71.3% (RMSE 0.38m), and 92.3% (RMSPE 7.7%) accuracy in estimating temporal, spatial parameters, and gait health indicators, respectively.

In order to better plan new or update sewer pipe condition assessment protocols, this paper presents systematic comparisons of four most widely-used sewer condition assessment protocols, including the fourth edition of Sewer Rehabilitation Manual (SRM-4) in UK, Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PACP) in America, Sewer Physical Condition Grading Protocols (SPCCM) in Canada, and Technical Specification for Inspection and Evaluation of Urban Sewer (TSIEUR) in China. In qualitative comparison, the defects, deduct values and assessment methods of the four protocols were analyzed; in quantitative comparison, protocols were used to evaluate the same 182 sewer pipe segments based on field data and the assessment results were compared. It was found that SRM-4 are the most optimistic with 59% pipes being Grade 1 and Grade 2, while SPCCM gives the most pessimistic results with 62% pipes being Grade 3 and Grade 4. Assessment results by PACP and TSIEUR are in the middle. The main reasons for the different evaluation results were due to the different weight of defect and evaluation methods used.

Queretaro is currently one of the states with the highest growth rate in the automotive industry. In the last five years, the number of companies has increased, reaching more than 300 small and medium-sized companies in the sector. However, they show a high degree of ignorance and lack of strategic foresight, which translates into poor planning in the short, medium and long term and low competitiveness, leading many of them to failure. This paper presents the results of a study within a strategic foresight evaluation with the development of a Structural Equation Model that allows the analysis of foresight and strategic planning within the automotive SMEs in the state of Queretaro. The study analyzes the necessary indicators to be evaluated and establishes the relationship of dependence between the variables, which is necessary to create the constructs of the model. It is confirmed that the adjustment of the model used is adequate for the evaluation of SMEs. The contributions of the research were: A theoretical contribution related to strategic foresight within SMEs and the construction of the structural equation model to evaluate strategic foresight in automotive SMEs in the state of Queretaro.

Background: While greenness has been associated with lower depression, the generalizability of this association in arid landscapes remains undetermined. We assessed the association between depression and greenness among nursing students living in El Paso, Texas (the Chihuahuan desert). Methods: Depression was measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scale, and greenness with the normalized difference vegetation index (at buffer sizes =250m, 500m, 1000m). Using data from the National Land Cover Database two additional measures of land patterns were analyzed: grayness and brownness. Structural equation models were used to assess the relationships of these land patterns to depression and quantify the indirect effects of peer alienation. Results: After adjusting for individual characteristics, at buffers 250 m greenness was associated with a decrease in the Incidence Rate Ratios (IRR) of depression by 49% (IRR, 0.51; 95%CI, 0.12-2.10), greyness with increases by 64% (IRR, 1.64; 95%CI, 1.07-2.52) and brownness with decreases by 35% (IRR, 0.65; 95%CI, 0.42-0.99). At buffer 250 m peer alienation explained 17.43% (95% CI, -1.79-36.66) of the association between depression and brownness, suggesting a pathway to depression. Conclusions: We did not observe an association between depression and residential greenness in El Paso, Texas. However, we did observe a protective association between brownness and depression as well as an adverse association with grayness. These results have theoretical implications as based on commonly used frameworks in this literature and adverse association of brownness (and the lack of greenness) and depression was expected.

COVID-19 is an infectious disease, growth of which depends upon the linked stages of the epidemic, the average number of people one person can infect and the time it takes for those people to become infectious themselves. We have studied the COVID-19 time series to understand the growth behaviour of COVID-19 cases series. A structural break occurs in the COVID-19 series at the change time form one stage to another. We have performed the structural break analysis of data available for 207 countries till April 20, 2020. There are 42 countries which have recorded five breaks in COVID cases series. This means that these countries are in the sixth stage of growth transmission and show a downward pattern in reporting in the daily cases, whereas countries with two and three breaks, record the rapid growth pattern in the daily cases. From this study, we conclude that the more the breaks in the series, there is more possibility to determine the constant or decreasing rate of daily cases. It is well fitted using lognormal distribution as this distribution is archived at its highest peak after some period and then suddenly it decreases at a longer time period. This can be seen in various countries like China, Australia, New Zealand and so on.

Questions: Elevation, biodiversity, and forest structure are commonly correlated, but their relationships near the positive extremes of biodiversity and elevation are unclear. We asked 1) How does forest structure vary with elevation in a high biodiversity, high topographic complexity region? 2) Does forest structure predict vascular plant biodiversity? 3) Is plant biodiversity more strongly related to elevation or to forest structure? Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USAMethods: We used terrestrial LiDAR scanning (TLS) to characterize vegetation structure in 12 forest plots. We combined two new canopy structural complexity metrics with traditional TLS-derived forest structural metrics and vascular plant biodiversity data to investigate correlations among forest structure metrics, biodiversity, and elevation. Results: Forest structure varied widely across plots spanning the elevational range of GRSM. Our new measures of canopy density (Depth) and structural complexity (σDepth) were sensitive to structural variations and effectively summarized horizontal and vertical dimensions of structural complexity. Vascular plant biodiversity was negatively correlated with elevation, and more strongly positively correlated with vegetation structure variables. Conclusions: The strong correlations we observed between canopy structural complexity and biodiversity suggest that structural complexity metrics could be used to assay plant biodiversity over large areas in concert with airborne and spaceborne platforms.

Leading and lagging Key performance indicators (KPIs) provide a means for assurance that risk control systems, to prevent or limit major hazards. The relative importance degree of KPIs provides a theorical guidance for monitoring, inspection and maintenance of structural integrity. In this paper, structural integrity KPIs are classified into leading and lagging KPIs based on Bowtie methodology and the importance degree of the KPIs are evaluated by weight calculation on the basis of Fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP).

Hepatotoxic microcystins (MCs) are the most widespread class of cyanotoxins and the one that has most often been implicated in cyanobacterial toxicosis. One of the main challenges in studying and monitoring MCs is the great structural diversity within the class. The full chemical structure of the first MC was elucidated in the early 1980s and since then the number of reported structural analogues has grown steadily and continues to do so, thanks largely to advances in analytical methodology. The structures of some of these analogues have been definitively elucidated after chemical isolation using a combination of techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance, amino acid analysis and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Others have only been tentatively identified using liquid chromatography-MS/MS without chemical isolation. An understanding of the structural diversity of MCs, the genetic and environmental controls for this diversity and the impact of structure on toxicity are all essential to the ongoing study of MCs across several scientific disciplines. However, because of the diversity of MCs and the range of approaches that have been taken for characterizing them, comprehensive information on the state of knowledge in each of these areas can be challenging to gather. We have conducted an in-depth review of the literature surrounding the identification and toxicity of known MCs and present here a concise review of these topics. At present, at least 269 MCs have been reported. Among these, about 20% (54 of 269) appear to be the result of chemical or biochemical transformations of MCs that can occur in the environment or during sample handling and extraction of cyanobacterial, including oxidation products, methyl esters, or post-biosynthetic metabolites. The toxicity of many MCs has also been studied using a range of different approaches and a great deal of variability can be observed between reported toxicities, even for the same congener. This review will help clarify the current state of knowledge on the structural diversity of MCs as a class and the impacts of structure on toxicity, as well as to identify gaps in knowledge that should be addressed in future research.

Corporate identity has played a vital role in the Halal industry to create a strong foundation for its reputation in the long run. This paper used two modeling analyses for two different data. The first analysis aims to predict the relationship between Corporate Identity Management between Internal Brand and Employee Brand Support (consequence) mediated by CIM using partial-least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). A total of 206 employees from Malaysia’s Halal food SMEs took part in the survey. The second analysis to identify topic proportions patterns using the topic modeling approach on Halal brand identity Machine learning approach of knowledge mining was applied for this analysis. Metadata of 1,091 articles were mined from the Scopus database on Halal studies across all social sciences fields. The result revealed that there was a partial relationship between Internal Brand (antecedent) and Employee Brand Support (consequence) mediated by CIM. This finding was supported by the identified topic proportions patterns from the topic modeling approach that pointed out a weak topic proportion on the Halal brand identity discussion globally, interestingly the result also found that the Halal brand identity discussion involving the Halal food industry is almost non-existed in Malaysia’s Halal food SMEs. The contributions of this paper were apparent in three major areas which are methodology, theoretical and future suggestions. The utilization of two different model analyses was able to confirm the consistency of the major findings with the literature review which opens up more possibilities for future researchers.

Rail transit tunnels span long distances, are large-scale structures and pass through complicated geological conditions; thus, the risk of uneven settlement cannot be ignored. To address this issue, a method for diagnosing the uneven settlement of regional railway tunnels based on the spatial correlation of high-density strain measurement points is proposed in this study. First, distributed optical fiber sensing technology is implemented to obtain a massive amount of strain data from densely distributed measurement points along regional railway tunnels, and a method for determining the intervals of strain measurement points with strong spatial correlations is proposed based on a support vector machine. Second, combined with the statistical analysis of the influence range of the uneven settlement of a tunnel, an algorithm for diagnosing the uneven settlement of regional railway tunnels based on the spatial correlation of high-density strain measurement points is proposed; this approach realizes the accurate identification of the uneven settlement area of long-distance urban railway tunnels. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by numerical simulation and actual tunnel data.

During its first month, the recently emerged 2019 Wuhan novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has already infected many thousands of people in mainland China and worldwide and took hundreds of lives. However, the swiftly spreading virus also caused an unprecedentedly rapid response from the research community facing the unknown health challenge of potentially enormous proportions. Unfortunately, the experimental research to understand the molecular mechanisms behind the viral infection and to design a vaccine or antivirals is costly and takes months to develop. To expedite the advancement of our knowledge we leverage the data about the related coronaviruses that is readily available in public databases, and integrate these data into a single computational pipeline. As a result, we provide a comprehensive structural genomics and interactomics road-maps of SARS-CoV-2 and use these information to infer the possible functional differences and similarities with the related SARS coronavirus. All data are made publicly available to the research community at http://korkinlab.org/wuhan .

A game problem of structural design is defined as a problem of playing against external circumstances. The scalar criterion serves the function of the payoff function. There are two classes of players, the “ordinal” and “cardinal” players. The ordinal players, designated as the "operator" and "nature," endeavor to respectively minimize or maximize the payoff function, operating within the constraints of limited resources. The fundamental premise of this study is that the probability distribution governing nature's "choice" of states remains unknown. Statistical decision theory addresses decision-making scenarios where these probabilities, whether or not they are known, must be considered. The solution to the substratum game is expressed as a value of the game. The value of the game is contingent upon the design parameters. The cardinal players, "designers", oversee the design parameters. For the se single cardinal player, the pursuit of the maximum and minimum values of the game reduces to the problem of optimal design. In the event that there are multiple cardinal players with conflicting objectives, a superstratum game emerges, which addresses the interests of the superstratum players. The optimal design problems for games with closed forms are presented. The game formulations could be applied for optimal design with uncertain loading.

In recent years, the problem of ecosystem degradation caused by human activities has become increasingly serious. Vegetation restoration is a key means to solve this problem, which has increased. To address the suitability and structural optimization of vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau, the MaxEnt model was used to quantify the impacts of environmental and human activities on the planting suitability of vegetation restoration species at the raster scale. Three layers of trees, shrubs, and herbs with 12 common vegetation restoration species were selected. The factor index system was constructed by combining climatic, ecological, and socio-economic data, and the MaxEnt model predicted land suitability. It was found that human activities significantly increased the unsuitable planting area. This especially affected Robinia pseudoacacia in the tree layer and Amorpha fruticosa in the shrub layer. Highly suitable and moderately suitable areas were mainly located in sparsely populated areas with close water sources. Through maximum suitability optimization, it was identified that the overall spatial distribution of the three layers in the study area was relatively consistent, and the structural dominance of trees + shrubs + herbs and single herbs in the vertical structure was obvious, which were concentrated in the southwestern and northeastern parts of the study area, respectively. In addition, organic content (OC) and distance from the road to woodland (RW) were the dominant factors affecting land suitability, with a contribution rate of more than 50% and up to 80%. These results provide a scientific basis for optimizing planting structures. They are of significant theoretical and practical significance in guiding vegetation restoration work.

The current study compared the goodness of fit and estimation precision of Bayes and maximum likelihood (ML) structural equation modeling across sample sizes. Data consisted of Markov Chain Monte Carlo generated samples of 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250, 500, 750, 1000, and 1500 observations. The Bayes and ML methods were used to estimate a structural equation model with 40 parameters, including 12 continuous observed indicators, four latent variables, and three structural paths. Analyses were conducted with the Mplus 8.0 statistical software and were replicated 500 times with each of the 22 conditions (11 sample sizes x 2 estimation methods). Indices of model fit were the Bayes information criterion, the Tucker-Lewis index, the comparative fit index, the root mean square error of approximation, the posterior predictive p-value (for Bayes models), and the ꭓ2 test (for ML models). Results showed that as the sample size increased, both estimation methods exhibited improved model fit and enhanced estimation precision, and both methods performed well with samples of 200 or larger; however, ML demonstrated a marginally superior fit with smaller samples. These findings were not consistent with previous research and suggest that ML remains a better choice with continuous data and small samples.

Reactions of Co(OAc)24H2O, N‚N'-bis(3-pyridylmethyl)oxalamide (L) and 4,4’-sulfonyldibenzoic acid (H2SDA) afforded four coordination polymers with the same mixed ligands, {[Co(L)(SDA)(H2O)2]·H2O·CH3OH}n, 1, {[Co(L)0.5(SDA)]·2H2O·0.5L}n, 2, {[Co(L)1.5(SDA)(H2O)]·H2O}n, 3, and {[Co2(L)1.5(SDA)2(H2O)2]·4H2O}n, 4, which have been structurally characterized by using single crystal X-ray crystallography. Complexes 1 – 4 are 2D layers, revealing the topologies of sql, 2,6L1, (4,4)Ia and 6L12, respectively, and demonstrating that the metal to ligand ratio, solvent system and reaction temperature are important in determining the structural diversity. Immersion of these complexes into various solvents show that the structural types govern the chemical stabilities of 1 – 4. Reversible structural transformation can be shown for complexes 1 and 2 upon solvent removal and adsorption, while those of 3 and 4 are irreversible.

The article presents a method for obtaining new composites using a well-known mineral, expanded perlite (EP), and an industrial polymer, butadiene rubber (BR). For the design of composites, a joint oxidative chlorophosphorylation reaction of BR and EP (as well as BR and modified EP) was carried out, and the modifications obtained from this reaction were further hydrolyzed. The structure and morphology of the obtained samples were characterized in detail using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, as well as scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. EP and BR were separately modified with a similar reaction and characterized for data interpretation.

In order to sustain the marine environment relationship between the environmental factors and marine biota must be investigated. This study aims to study such a correlation in the adjacent waters of Nan Wan Bay, Kenting, Taiwan, and to explore the covariance of environmental factors on marine life (whether they enhance or diminish it). To achieve these objectives, factor analysis was used to identify potential latent variables that could affect the water quality of the adjacent waters, including phytoplankton (quantity), zooplankton (quantity), and fish (quantity and species). These potential variables were named based on the results of past studies and related literature. Finally, a structural equation model (SEM) was constructed to establish a marine ecological model among the potential variables. The factor analysis results revealed that nutrients, upwelling, and primary productivity are the primary factors affecting the environmental changes in the adjacent waters of Nan Wan Bay. The comprehensive SEM showed that nutrients and primary productivity significantly impact plankton. Path analysis indicated that primary productivity has the highest direct effect on the phytoplankton cluster. However, the upwelling has a low significance in its effect on phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish clusters. Compared to the results of past related studies, the SEM proposed in this study can reflect a considerable degree of change in the waters.

The paper explores the potential of a low-cost advanced video-based technique for the assessment of structural damage induced to buildings by seismic loading. A low-cost high-speed video camera was utilized for motion magnification (MM) processing of footages of a two-story reinforced concrete frame building subjected to shaking table tests. The damage after seismic loading was estimated by analyzing the dynamic behavior (i.e. in terms of modal parameters) and the structural deformations of the building in the MM videos. The results by MM were compared for method validation to damage assessment obtained by the analyses of conventional accelerometers and high-precision optical markers tracked by a passive 3D motion capture system. Also, 3D laser scanning to obtain an accurate survey of the building geometry before and after the seismic tests was carried out. In particular, accelerometers were also processed and analyzed by using several stationary and non-stationary techniques with the aim to analyze the linear behavior of the undamaged structure and the nonlinear structural behavior during damaging shaking table tests. The proposed MM-based procedure provided accurate estimate of the main modal frequency and the damage location through the analysis of modal shapes, which were confirmed by advanced analyses of accelerometric data.

Compared with the traditional robots on earth, space robotics present additional difficulties including complicated, multi–body dynamics (including anti–resonances absent with earthly robotic systems), space environmental forces and torques, communication delays, and high expense. Pointing accuracy requirements necessitate control algorithms that can accommodate flexible, multi–body dynamics particularly. The high cost of placing systems in space drives necessarily lightweight systems lacking structural stiffness. Natural frequencies of space robot vibration are often so low, the act of implementing control torques causes structural resonance. Seeking improved performance, this manuscript introduces and compares a dozen options, revealing seventy–percent reduction in tracking error may be achieved with only ten percent increase in control effort. Prequel work recommended tracking sinusoidal shaped trajectories while structurally filtering the first mode’s resonance and anti–resonance. The future research recommended in that prequel is manifest in this present work which recommends a simpler system of lower order, eliminating the notch compensation of the first resonance while no longer compensating the first anti–resonance.

Advanced Nano structural hard coatings are thin materials films that range in thickness from a few nanometers to a few micrometers and are applied to different surfaces to increase their hardness and wear resistance. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods are frequently used to deposit these coatings. These coating’s distinctive characteristics result from their microstructure, which is made up of material columns or grains with a diameter of only a few nanometers. Increased hardness, higher wear resistance, and improved tribological properties result from these short dimensions. In applications with significant wear and/or high contact pressures, such as cutting tools, bearings, and engine parts, the usage of sophisticated Nano structural hard coatings is crucial. Advanced Nano structural hard coatings include, 1. Amorphous carbon coatings with high hardness, low friction, and exceptional wear resistance are known as diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings. DLC coatings are frequently used in a variety of industries, including the automotive, aerospace, and biomedical ones. 2. Coatings made of titanium nitride (TiN): These metallic coatings have high hardness and wear resistance. Cutting tool, machining, and aerospace industries frequently use TiN coatings. 3. Chromium nitride (CrN) coatings: These coatings have great corrosion resistance, good wear resistance, and high hardness. Cutting tools, gears, and bearings are just a few of the objects that use CrN coatings. 4. Tungsten carbide (WC) coatings: These coatings, which have a high degree of hardness and wear resistance, are frequently employed in cutting tools and other applications that require wear resistance. Advanced Nano structural hard coatings provide many advantages over conventional coatings, including better hardness, increased wear resistance, and improved tribological qualities. The automotive, aerospace, and biomedical industries are just a few that could use these coatings. In this paper the author will explain about the design synthesis and applications of advanced Nano structural hard coating in aerospace and automotive applications.

This concept paper gives a narrative about intelligence from insects to the human brain, showing where evolution may have been influenced by the structures in these simpler organisms. The ideas also come from the author's own cognitive model, where a number of algorithms have been developed over time and the precursor structures should be codable to some level. Through developing and trying to implement the design, ideas like separating the data from the function have become architecturally appropriate and there have been several opportunities to make the system more orthogonal. Similarly for the human brain, neural structures may work in-sync with the neural functions, or may be slightly separate from them. Each section discusses one of the neural assemblies with a potential functional result, that cover ideas such as timing or scheduling, structural intelligence and neural binding. Another aspect of self-representation or expression is interesting and may help the brain to realise higher-level functionality based on these lower-level processes.

One in four adults in the US suffer from cartilage degeneration of the Intervertebral Disc (DDD) or load bearing joints (DJD). Combined DDD and DJD leads to billions of dollars in surgical health care costs annually. Since cartilage is avascular, it has a limited regenerative capacity. Conventional non-surgical treatment modalities provide brief symptomatic relief, have sided effects, and do not address the actual structural tissue defect in the cartilage itself. As such, new alternatives are needed. Perinatal tissue allografts have emerged as a novel frontier for bio-mechanical cartilage engineering research. Birth product-specific therapeutic roles and clinical outcomes are actively being investigated. The tissues of interest include umbilical cord-derived Wharton’s Jelly (WJ). This study assessed WJ tissue samples via ZEISS Supra 55VP Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) at 100 and 300nm resolution scales. The captured images of pre and post-processed structural tissue matrices in WJ allografts were analyzed against themselves and peer-reviewed SEM images of articular cartilage, intervertebral disc cartilage, and muscle fascia. SEM images of post-processed WJ structural tissue matrices were analogous to structural tissue matrices in human articular cartilage, intervertebral disc cartilage, and muscle fascia. Relevant characteristics of pre- and post-processed structural tissue matrices in WJ allografts were comparable. This is the first study, that we are aware of, to utilize SEM to compare the pre-and post-processing relevant structural characteristics of WJ allografts and additionally demonstrate that structural collagen matrices in post-processed WJ allografts are analogous in structure to the cartilage in articular joints, intervertebral discs, and muscle fascia.

This paper deals with the structural decomposition input-output for the economic analysis of agriculture, forestry and fishing in six EU-28 countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) in the 2010-2015 period. The objective is to determine the causes of changes in production in these sectors with a particular focus on disaggregation technological change by distribution factors associated with a specific normalisation of the Leontief inverse. In calculating the net multipliers, an attempt was made to exclude sectors' own consumption appropriately. However, the treatment of own consumption upon introducing a time factor requires further investigation to avoid questionable quantifications. In general, typical characteristics of primary sectors include the accumulation of a significant amount of their own consumption, facilitated by symmetric accounting. Therefore, attention is drawn to these sectors so as to reveal possible analysis techniques that will provide nuance or validate existing techniques.

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are natural occurring mineral clay nanotubes that have excellent application potential in different fields. However, HNTs are heterogeneous in size, surface charge and formation of surfacial hydrogen bond, which lead to weak affinity and aggregation at a certain extent. It is very important to modify the HNTs’ surface to expand its applications. In this review, the structural characteristics, performance and the related applications of surface-modified HNTs are reviewed. We focus on the surface-modified variation of HNTs, the effects of surface modification on the materials and related applications in various regions. In addition, future prospects and the meaning of surface modification were also discussed in HNTs studies. This review provides a reference for the application of HNTs modifications in the field of new nanomaterials.

The stock beta coefficient literature extensively discusses the proper methods for the estimation of beta as well as its use in asset valuation. However, there are relatively few references with respect to the appropriate time horizon that investors should utilize when evaluating the risk-return relationship of a stock. We examine the appropriate time horizon for beta estimation differentiating our results by sector according to the Industry Classification Benchmark. We employ data from the NYSE and we estimate varying lengths of beta employing data from 30 to 250 trading days. The constructed beta series is then examined for the presence of breaks using the endogenous structural break literature. Results show evidence against the use of betas that employ more than 90 trading days of data provisional to the sector under study.

Structural design optimization (SDO) plays a pivotal role in enhancing various aspects of construction projects, including design quality, cost-efficiency, safety, and structural reliability. Recent endeavors in academia and industry have sought to harness the potential of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and optimization algorithms to optimize SDO and improve design outcomes. This review paper aims to synthesize these efforts, shedding light on how SDO contributes to project coordination. Furthermore, the integration of sustainability considerations and the application of innovative technologies and optimization algorithms in SDO necessitate more interactive early-stage collaboration among project stakeholders. This study offers a comprehensive exploration of contemporary research in integrated SDO employing BIM and optimization algorithms. It commences with an exploratory investigation, employing both qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques following the PRISMA systematic review methodology. Subsequently, an open-ended opinion survey was conducted among construction industry professionals in Europe. This survey yields valuable insights into the coordination challenges and potential solutions arising from technological shifts and interoperability concerns associated with widespread SDO implementation. These preliminary steps of systematic review and industry survey furnish a robust knowledge foundation, enabling the proposal of an intelligent framework for automating early-stage sustainable structural design optimization (ESSDO) within the construction sector. The framework ESSDO addresses the challenges of fragmented collaboration between architects and structural engineers. This proposed framework seamlessly integrates with the BIM platform, i.e., Autodesk Revit for architects. It extracts crucial architectural data and transfers it to the structural design and analysis platform, i.e., Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis (RSA), for structural engineers via the visual programming tool Dynamo. Once the optimization occurs, optimal outcomes are visualized within BIM environments. This visualization elevates interactive collaborations between architects and engineers, facilitating automation throughout the workflow and smoother information exchange.

Candida boidinii NAD+-dependent formate dehydrogenase (CbFDH) has gained significant attention for its potential applications in the production of biofuels and various industrial chemicals from inorganic carbon dioxide. In this study, we present an atomic X-ray crystal structure of the apo CbFDH to 1.4 Å resolution determined at cryogenic temperature at the Turkish Light Source, “Turkish DeLight”. This structure offers a comprehensive view of the apo enzyme's dynamics, filling the gaps in our understanding from previous studies. Also, comparison of our high-resolution apo and previously available holo enzyme structures reveals major conformational changes of this dynamic enzyme in the absence and presence of the coenzyme and substrate/inhibitor complexes. Collectively all these information may provide invaluable insights into future protein engineering efforts that could enhance enzymatic activity and stability, potentially increasing its efficiency and effectiveness of CbFDH in industrial processes.

We present an integrable, sensor inlay for monitoring crack initiation and growth inside bondlines of structural carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) components. The sensing structures are sandwiched between crack stopping polyvinyliden fluoride (PVDF) and a thin reinforcing polyetherimide (PEI) layer. Good adhesion at all interfaces of the sensor system and to the CFRP material is crucial as weak bonds can counteract the desired crack stopping functionality. At the same time, the chosen reinforcing layer must withstand high strains, safely support the metallic measuring grids and possess outstanding fatigue strength. We show that this robust sensor system, which measures the strain at two successive fronts inside the bondline, allows to recognize cracks in the proximity of the inlay regardless of the mechanical loads. Feasibility is demonstrated by static load tests as well as cyclic long-term fatigue testing with up to 1,000,000 cycles. In addition to pure crack detection, crack distance estimation based on sensor signals is illustrated. The inlay integration process is developed with respect to industrial applicability. Thus, implementation of the proposed system will allow the potential of lightweight CFRP constructions to be better exploited by expanding the possibilities of structural adhesive bonding.

This work describes a new transducer prototype for continuous monitoring both in the structural and geotechnical fields. The transducer is synthetically constituted by a wire of optical fiber embedded between two fiber tapes (fiberglass or carbon fiber) and glued by a matrix of polyester resin. The fiber optical wire ends have been connected to a control unit whose detection system is based on Brillouin optical time-domain frequency analysis. Three laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate the sensor's reliability and accuracy. In each experiment, the transducer was applied to a sample of inclinometer casing sets in different configurations and with different constraint conditions. The experimental data collected were compared with theoretical models and with data obtained from the use of different measuring instruments to perform validation and calibration of the transducer at the same time. Several diagrams allow comparing the transducer and highlighting its suitability for monitoring and maintenance of structures. The characteristic of the transducer suggests its use as a mixed system for reinforcing and monitoring, especially in lifetime maintenance of critical infrastructures such as transportation and service networks, and historical heritage.

Abstract: In this study, we present an analytical tool that can be used to predict the nonlinear structural response of seaplanes advancing through sinusoidal head-sea waves. Seaplanes exhibit a unique instability phenomenon known as porpoising, which is an oscillatory motion along the heave and pitch axes that can cause serious structural damage. The heaving and pitching equations of motion are presented in the form of coupled, forced, and nonlinear Duffing-type equations with cubic nonlinearity. The analytical model developed in this study leverages the Poincaré–Lindstedt perturbation method to express the amplitude and frequency of motion in terms of all physical parameters. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed model were validated through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations based on incompressible unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations. The results show a strong agreement between the analytical tool and the CFD simulations, with minor discrepancies due to assumptions inherent in the 2D simulations, particularly the assumption that seawater only passes beneath the hull, resulting in increased buoyancy forces and reduced damping. This study offers a novel and practical method for predicting the dynamic stability of seaplanes under realistic sea conditions, potentially enhancing safety and operational efficiency by mitigating the risks associated with porpoising.

This research investigates the relationship between the long-term orientation of top managers and their strategic decision-making processes, emphasising the comprehensiveness, speed, and inventiveness of decisions. The study employed structural equation modelling to look into the suggested connections using a sample of CEOs. The findings demonstrated a high and positive correlation between long-term orientation and decision comprehensiveness and speed, but not for decision creativity. The study contributes to the growing body of research on how human variations, such as temporal orientation, affect business outcomes and strategic decision-making. Moreover, the fact that a number of the results differed from those of other studies carried out in other contexts highlights how important it is to consider the industry and cultural environment when assessing these connections.

As a new type of high-performance material, gradient structural steel is widely used in engineering fields due to its unique microstructure and excellent mechanical properties. For the prevalent fatigue failure problem, the rate of change of the local grain size gradients along the structure (referred to as the gradient rate) is a key parameter in the design of gradient structures, which significantly affects the fatigue performance of gradient structural steel. In this work, a method of ‘Voronoi primary + secondary modeling’ is adopted to successfully establish three typical high-strength steel models corresponding to the convex, linear, and concave type gradient rates for gradient structures, focusing on the stress-strain response and crack propagation in structural steel with different gradient rates under cyclic loading. It is found that the concave gradient rate structural model is dominated by finer grains with larger volume fraction, which is conducive to hindering fatigue crack propagation and has the longest fatigue life; the linear structure is the second one, and the convex structure is the shortest one. The simulation results in this work are consistent with the relevant experimental phenomena. Therefore, when regulating the gradient rate, priority should be given to increasing the volume fraction of fine grains and designing a gradient rate structure dominated by fine grains to improve the fatigue life of the material.

New dimers of selected dipyridothiazines with an m-xylene linker have been designed, synthesized and characterized. Their structure was identified using 1H and 13C NMR as well as 2D NMR techniques (COSY, ROESY, HSQC and HMBC experiments) and HR MS spectrometry. The compounds were subjected to preliminary in silico biological profile tests using the Way2Drug server and analysis of the probable cytotoxic effect on various cancer cell lines. Preliminary in vitro cytotoxicity tests were performed against normal cell lines (HaCaT) and five cancer cell lines (SW480, SW620, MDA-MB-231, A-549, LN-229) showing moderate activity. An analysis of the structure-activity relationship was performed.

Structural variations (SVs) play a key role in the pathogenicity of hematological malignancies. Optical genome mapping (OGM) is an emerging technology that enables genome-wide detection of all classes of SVs at a high resolution and sensitivity. Identification of cryptic SVs leading to gene disruption or predicted novel gene fusions could be important drivers for cancer development and/or portend a prognostic relevance, which could be used to modify the treatment plan. A cohort of 106 consented cases that had a successful OGM analysis performed were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and treatment data were collected. Routine diagnostic and prognostic testing were done on the peripheral blood and bone marrow aspirate as indicated. Additional samples of peripheral blood and/or bone marrow were sent for OGM testing. OGM led to a change in risk stratification in 17/66 (25.75%) of patients with hematological malignancies, the majority of these patients (15/66, 22.72%), having their risk stratification upgraded with a resulting change in treatment of 14 patients. This study highlights the ability of OGM to detect rare, cryptic and clinically relevant variants that potentially impact disease diagnosis, risk stratification and actionable treatment targets.

In this work, we report a series of undoped and 1% Ga or Y doped lanthanum manganite compounds which have been synthesized via sol-gel technique. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX). The XRD results confirmed a good crystallinity for all the studied samples and a change in the crystal structure of Ga or Y doped lanthanum manganite (Pm-3m space group) is observed compared to pristine sample (R-3c space group). Thermal analysis highlighted a different behavior of the doped samples compared to the undoped sample observed by the different mass loss in the analyzed temperature range. For these materials, it is shown for the first time that the static electrical conductivity, σDC of Ga or Y doped LaMnO3 compounds increases compared to the σDC pristine sample, and the thermal activation energy of the conduction EA,cond increases linearly with the temperature, for all three studied sample.

A temporary monitoring system was installed on the 175-years-old historical Széchenyi chain bridge under its reconstruction process. The bridge is in the downtown area of the capital city of Hungary and plays a significant role in city life of Budapest. Six-month-long measurements were conducted during the reconstruction process of the bridge, yielding crucial insights into the structural behaviour of the historical structure. Measurement results were evaluated; the findings encompass the rotation capacity of pins between chain elements, and structural response to temperature changes. This information helped the decision-making of designers and construction company during the reconstruction made between 2021 and 2023. For instance, daily temperature fluctuations result in increased bending moments in the chain elements, rising up to 158% compared to the values observed during a proof load test in 2018. Furthermore, the measurements reveal an approximate 42% increase in normal forces compared to the proof load test, which highlights the high sensitivity of chain bridges to temperature fluctuations, where geometric stiffness plays a crucial role. Reconstruction, reducing self-weight, notably intensifies the impact on normal forces and bending moments. These outcomes strongly emphasize the dominance of dead load and self-weight in the case of chain bridges.

Five new cembrane-type diterpenes, lobocalines A–E (1–5), and four new steroids, lobocalines F–I (9–12), along with six known related compounds (6–8 and 13–15) were isolated from the Yalong Bay soft coral Lobophytum catalai. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, NMR calculation with DP4+ analysis, time-dependent density functional theory-electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT-ECD) calculations, X-ray diffraction analyses, and the comparison with the reported spectroscopic data of known compounds. Further, with the aid of X-ray diffraction analysis, the structure of lobocrasol B (15) was firmly revised as 15a. In in vitro bioassays, compound 2 showed moderate antibacterial activities against fish pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus parauberis KSP28 and Phoyobacterium damselae FP2244 with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 8.7 and 17.3 µg/mL, respectively. All the steroids exhibited antibacterial activities against the S. parauberis KSP28 with MIC values ranging from 12.3 to 53.6 µg/mL. Compounds 2, 7 and 14 have remarkable inhibitory effects on the hemolysin production of Staphylococcus aureus, while compounds 8–12 have medium inhibitory effects on the pyocyanin production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

With nearly 1,700 species, Microsporidia represent a group of obligate intracellular eukaryotes with veterinary, economic and medical impacts. To help in understanding the biological functions of these microorganisms, complete genome sequencing is used routinely. Nevertheless, the proper prediction of their gene catalogue is challenging due to taxon-specific evolutionary features. As innovative genome annotation strategies are needed to obtain a representative snapshot of the overall lifestyle of these parasites, the MicroAnnot tool, a dedicated workflow for microsporidian sequence annotation using data from curated databases of accurately annotated microsporidian genes, has been developed. Furthermore, specific modules have been implemented to perform small genes (&lt; 300bp) and transposable element identification. Finally, functional annotation was performed using the signature-based InterProScan software. MicroAnnot’s accuracy has been verified by the re-annotation of four microsporidian genomes for which structural annotation had previously been validated. With its comparative approach and transcriptional signal identification method, MicroAnnot provides accurate prediction of translation initiation sites, efficient identification of transposable elements, as well as high specificity and sensitivity for microsporidian genes including those under 300 bp. Thanks to its web interface (https://microannot.org), MicroAnnot is available to the community to ensure high quality annotation of microsporidian genomes.

The design of water Vessel fender system can minimize impact energy, which could result in severe vessel or offshore structure damage during collision. In order to protect Offshore structures and vessels from damage after impact, a Fender design approach is proposed which uses Soft materials like rubber, sand, inflated rubber tube, etc. to reduce damage on impacted vessels as well as offshore structures like wind turbines, bridges, oil drilling platforms in water etc. The fender is designed in such a way that it can handle vessels made of different material, sizes, and weights.The proposed solution is a fender consisting of a number of layers of soft sandwich materials, each layer getting softer as it moves away from the structure i.e. Hard-Soft fender design which can absorb impact energy upon collision. To handle lighter vessels made of soft or brittle materials, the outer layer is made of inflatable or Very soft foam rubber; however, the inner layer covering the offshore structure is made of hard material to handle heavy vessels made of hard material such as steel. Furthermore, the use of sand as a natural fender along waterways such as narrow channels is also proposed to reduce the cost of fender installation and catastrophic vessel impact damage on rocky ground since it produces less deformation just like rubber fender as demonstrated in the simulation. Finite Element Analysis using ANSYS software, Explicit Dynamic Autodyn, was performed. The results showed a considerable decrease in the total deformation and internal energy of the vessel and fended structure when collision occurs. Furthermore, the result showed that Hard-Soft fender layer performs much better than Soft-Hard-Soft followed by Soft-Hard Fender layer design.

CagY is the largest and most complex protein from Helicobacter pylori's type IV secretion system (T4SS) and may participate in the modulation of gastric tissue inflammation. A three-dimensional structure has been reported for only two segments of the protein. To build a more complete model, particularly the region that spans between the outer membrane (OM) and the inner membrane (IM), we employed different approaches, including homology modeling, ab initio, and deep learning techniques. For the long-middle repeat region (MRR), modeling was performed using deep learning techniques and Molecular Dynamics. The modeled segments were assembled into a chain of 1595 aa, and a 14-chain CagY multimer structure was composed by structural alignment. The final multimer structure correlated with previously published struc-tures and allows to show how the multimer may form the T4SS channel through which CagA and other molecules are translocated to gastric epithelial cells. The model further confirmed that MRR, the most polymorphic and complex region of CagY, presents numerous cysteine residues forming disulfide bonds that stabilize the protein and suggest this domain probably functions as a contractile region that may play an essential role in the modulatory activity of CagY on tissue inflammation.

The main aim of this study is to examine the effects of Total Quality Management (TQM) practices (leadership of management, decision making, continuous improvement, customer focus, employee involvement, process management and relations with suppliers) on the financial and operational performance of hospitals in service industry. The data of the study were collected by the questionnaire prepared in the light of published studies and the suggestions of medical and administrative staff. Medical and administrative staff were chosen as target participants that reflect perspectives of hospitals. 1069 questionnaires were answered in 6 private and 26 public hospitals in the Marmara region in Turkey. The results claim that “customer focus” affects both operational performance as well as the financial performance of hospitals more than other TQM practices. While “process management” and “customer focus” explain the variance of financial performance significantly. “Process management” does not explain variance of operational performance.

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) is widely used in the clinical diagnosis of diseases due to its advantages: high definition and noninvasive. Therefore, computer-aided diagnosis based on sMRI images is broadly applied in classifying Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Due to the excellent performance of Transformer in computer vision, Vision Transformer (ViT) has been employed for AD classification in recent years. ViT relies on access to large datasets, while the sample size of brain imaging datasets is relatively insufficient. Moreover, the pre-processing procedures of brain sMRI images are complex and labor-intensive. To overcome the limitations mentioned above, we propose Resizer Swin Transformer (RST), a deep learning model that can extract information from brain sMRI images that are only briefly processed to achieve multi-scale and cross-channel features. In addition, we pre-trained our RST on a natural image dataset and obtained better performance. The experimental results of ADNI and AIBL datasets prove that RST can achieve better classification performance in AD prediction compared with CNN-based and Transformer models.

ObjectivesThe present study is aimed at characterizing and identifying the important research trends of the application of structural equation modelling (SEM) in nursing research by bibliometric analysis, and further providing reference for nursing researchers to conduct SEM research.MethodsA descriptive bibliometric analysis of publications in the application of SEM in nursing research. Literatures were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) core collection database On April 30, 2022. CiteSpace 6.1.R1 and VOSviewer 16 software were used for visualization and bibliometric analysis.ResultsThe annual publication indicated an increasing trend in the future. The intellectual structures of the application of SEM in nursing researches included patient safety, cross-cultural comparison, compassion fatigue, benchmarking, patient discharge, China, psychometrics, and policy. The hotpots and development trends include job satisfaction, nursing home, and nursing student.ConclusionThe hotspots and development trends related to the application of SEM in nursing research mentioned in this study may be helpful for researchers to explore new directions in this field. The intellectual structures and development trends were found in the application of SEM in nursing researches in this study. The awareness of the clusters and bursts in this field can help nursing researchers avoid overlooking some important issues when conducting SEM, and provide nurse researchers with good practice guidelines for conducting SEM.

Background: Recent work has investigated significant force transmission between the compo-nents of myofascial chains. Misalignments in the body due to fascial thickening and shortening can therefore lead to complex compensatory patterns. For the treatment of such nonlinear cause-effect pathology, a comprehensive neuro-musculoskeletal therapy such as the Rolf Meth-od of Structural Integration (SI) could be targeted. Methods: A total of 727 subjects were retro-spectively screened from the medical records of an SI practice over a 23-year period. 383 subjects who had completed 10 basic SI sessions met eligibility criteria and were assessed for active range of motion (AROM) of the shoulder and hip before and after SI treatment. Results: Shoulder flex-ion, external and internal rotation, and hip flexion improved significantly (all p < 0.0001) after 10 SI sessions. Left shoulder flexion and external rotation of both shoulders increased more in men than in women (p < 0.0001), but were not affected by age. Conclusions: SI intervention produces multiple changes in the components of myofascial chains that could help maintain upright pos-ture in humans and reduce inadequate compensatory patterns. SI affects differently the outcome of some AROM parameters in women and men.

Serological human birth cohort studies have identified maternal infection during pregnancy as a risk factor for development of disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and schizophrenia in offspring. Similarly, in experiments using animal models, maternal immune activation (MIA) has been shown to alter neuroanatomical and behavioral development in offspring. This study employs magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in conjunction with behavioral assays to refine our understanding of the impact of MIA on neurobiological development in exposed animals. On gestational day nine, pregnant dams were injected with either polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (POL) to induce MIA or saline (SAL) as a control. Whole-brain MRI, localized proton MRS, and behavioral tests (open field, three chambered social approach, and prepulse inhibition) were acquired at two timepoints, during adolescence (postnatal day [PND] 35) and adulthood (PND 60). Whole-brain voxel-wise volumetric analyses revealed that MIA offspring exhibited altered volume in the hippocampus and caudate putamen (CPu) between adolescence and early adulthood. MRS data were assessed at each timepoint separately; MIA offspring during early adulthood but not adolescence exhibited trending reductions in γ-aminobutyrate (GABA) (p = 0.06) and myo-inositol (Ins) (p = 0.08) compared to saline controls. However, these metabolite differences did not reach levels of significance, even before multiple comparison corrections. Open field testing revealed that during adolescence, MIA offspring displayed a more anxious phenotype than controls wherein they spent less time in the anxiogenic center zone of the open field arena (p < 0.007), but this difference normalized by adulthood. There were no significant differences in sociability preference, novelty preference, or prepulse inhibition comparing the groups. Results suggest that early gestational exposure to MIA results in subtle neuroanatomical changes in the trajectories of development, trending behavioral changes in adolescent offspring, and slight neurochemical changes in young adult offspring. Maternal infection alone may not be enough; additional genetic or environmental risk factors may be required to elicit the more typical symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders.

A phosphate/molybdate and cerium-modified phosphate/molybdate conversion coatings were deposited on a carbon steel surface and their protective and self-healing abilities were evaluated. Surface morphology and inner structure of the coatings were examined using FE-SEM-FIB and TEM techniques, chemical composition and element distribution depth profiles in conversion layers were determined using EDX measurements, whereas XPS was applied for the analysis of Mo and Ce oxidation states. Voltammetric measurements and EIS were performed to assess the corrosion behavior of the samples. The higher protective and stronger self-healing abilities were found for phosphate/molybdate/cerium conversion coating deposited in a sulphate-containing solution. This was attributed to higher values of both: total cerium and Ce(IV) content in the conversion layer as well as to lower number of structural defects in the coating. It was demonstrated that the micro-structural characteristics of protective coatings are also important in determining self-healing abilities.

Mitochondria are classically termed as powerhouse of a mammalian cell. Most of the cellular chemical energy in the form of adenosine tri phosphate (ATP) is generated by mitochondria and dysregulation of mitochondrial functions thus can be potentially fatal of cellular homeostasis and health. Acute respiratory distress has been earlier linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. SARS-CoV-2 infection severity leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and can be fatal. We tried to investigate possible connection between SARS-CoV-2, ARDS and mitochondria. Here, we report identification of SARS-CoV-2 non-structural proteins (particularly Nsp12 and 13) that have recognition sequence with respect to mitochondrial entry. We also report that these proteins can potentially shuttle between cytoplasm and mitochondria based on the localization signals and help in downstream maintenance of the virus. Their properties to use ATP for enzymatic activities may cause ATP scavenging allowing viral RNA functions in lieu of host cell health.

The appearance of the novel betacoronavirus 2019-nCoV represents a major threat to human health, and its diffusion around the world is predicted to have dramatic economic consequences. The knowledge of the 3D structures of 2019-nCoV proteins can facilitate the development of diagnostic and therapeutic molecules. Herein, we apply our energy-based method for the prediction of potential epitopes on viral proteins to design peptide-based molecules that can subsequently be used in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. We discuss these aspects in the paper.The designs have not been tested. Our aim is to share information that can be useful in the development of novel biomolecules with potential interesting activities against 2019-nCoV.

A framework of similarity laws, termed oriented-density-length-velocity (ODLV) framework, is suggested for the geometric distorted structures subjected to impact loading. The distinct feature of this framework is that the newly proposed oriented dimensions, dimensionless numbers and scaling factors for physical quantity are explicitly expressed by the characteristic lengths of three spatial directions, which overcome the inherent defects that traditional scalar dimensional analysis could not express the effects of structural geometric characteristics and spatial directions for similarity. The non-scalabilities of geometrical distortion as well as other distortions such as different materials and gravity could be compensated by the reasonable correction for the impact velocity, the geometrical thickness and the density, when the proposed dimensionless number of equivalent stress is used between scaled model and prototype. Three analytical models of beam, plate and shell subjected to impact mass or impulsive velocity are verified by equation analysis. And a numerical model of circular plate subjected to dynamic pressure pulse is verified in more detail, form the view of point of space deformation, deformation history and the components of displacement, strain and stress. The results show that the proposed dimensionless numbers have attractively perfect ability to express the dimensionless response equations of displacement, angle, time, strain and strain rate. When the proposed dimensionless numbers are used to regularize impact models, the structural responses of the geometrically distorted scaled models can behave the completely identical behaviors with those of the prototype on space and time —not only for the direction-independent equivalent stress, strain and strain rate but also for the direction-dependent displacement, stress and strain components.

This paper provides estimates of the elasticity of substitution between operational and managerial jobs in the US economy covering a period of almost five decades, derived from an aggregate CES production function. Estimating the long-term relationship between (the log of) the aggregate employment/self-employment ratio and (the log of) the returns from paid-employment relative to self-employment and testing for structural breaks, we report different estimates of the elasticity of substitution in each of the two regimes identified. Our results help to understand and interpret one of the most intriguing aspects in the evolution of self-employment rates in developed countries: the reversal of the trend in self-employment rates. Our estimates show that a higher level of development is associated with a greater number of entrepreneurs and smaller firms. Some rationales for understanding the growth of the elasticity between paid-employment and self-employment, including the recent trends in the digital economy—are also suggested.

Some of the recent large-scale national projects in South Korea are delayed or suspended due to belated responses to risk occurring on site. Currently, the Far East District (FED) project is being implemented to relocate the US Army bases from Yongsan to Pyeongtaek. Because of lack of experience and understanding about the characteristics of such a project, the deadline of taking over to the US Army Korea has been missed. This study identifies problems of each participant in the Yongsan Relocation Plan (YRP) of the US Army Korea with respect to construction project management and establishes a risk management strategy reflecting characteristics of FED project. To derive significant risk factors influencing YRP, various field data like weekly and monthly reports and other reports on construction condition are analyzed, and experts’ advices are collected and a survey is conducted. Mediators and latent variables are ultimately obtained. Furthermore, a structural equation model is used to both analyze and evaluate complex causal relations among many variables of YRP. The impact of risk factors on the schedule, quality and cost of the project is analyzed. In particular, the case of Site A is examined to see how the project is affected by those risk factors.

The creation of computer models is often driven by the need to make predictions in regions where there is no data (i.e. extrapolations). This makes validation challenging as it is difficult to ensure that a model will be suitable when it is applied in a region where there are no observations of the system of interest. The current paper proposes a method that can reveal flaws in a model which may be difficult to identify using traditional approaches for model calibration and validation. The method specifically targets the situation where one is attempting to model a dynamical system that is believed to possess time-invariant calibration parameters. The proposed approach allows these parameters to vary with time, even though it is believed that they are time-invariant. The of such an analysis is to identify key discrepancies - indications that a model has inherent flaws and, as a result, should not be used to influence decisions in regions where there is no data. The proposed method isn't necessarily a predictor of extrapolation performance, rather, it is a stringent test that, the authors believe, should be applied before extrapolation is attempted. The approach could therefore form a useful part of wider validation frameworks in the future.

Background: Tourism is one of the prominent industry that has a capability to generate handsome income for developed as well as developing countries. However, the study to investigate specifically the perception of local residents towards tourism is still lacking. The perception of the locals is important since it could determine the extent of their support for tourism development. Plus, previous research found that male residents are more support better towards the tourism development. Thus, this factor is adapted as well in this study to examine whether this gender may influence to the tourism industry. 2) Methods: This study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique for determining the structural estimates between constructs. 3) Results: The respondents agree that positive perception, negative perception and tourism impact has a significant impact on support for tourism development in which has been recognized as Social Exchange Theory model. Moreover, the finding also revealed that gender has a potential to moderates the causal effect of tourism impact on tourism development. 4) Conclusion: The resident understand the tourism sector could strengthen economic nation but they also want the natural resources should be protected.

This paper addresses the analysis for the nonlinear vibration response of a rectangular tube with a flexible end and non-rigid acoustic boundaries. This is a further work of the linear structural acoustic problem in a well-known acoustic book. In fact, the acoustic boundaries of an enclosed space sometimes are non-rigid and the structural vibration responses are nonlinear. These two points are the focuses of this paper. The multi-level residue harmonic balance method is applied to this nonlinear structural acoustic problem. The results obtained from the multi-level residue harmonic balance method and numerical method are generally in good agreement. The effects of excitation magnitude, tube length, and phase shift parameter etc. are examined.

The lightweight and displacement-stable design of the mechanical support structure within the APTS (Acquisition, Pointing, and Tracking System) is crucial for enhancing the payload capacity of remote sensing, satellite communication, and laser systems, while still meeting specified functional requirements. This paper adopts the Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) method to investigate the structural topology optimization of the L-shaped bracket in the APTS, aiming to minimize structural compliance while using volume, key point displacement, and maximum stress as constraints. In the optimization model, differences in the topology of the L-shaped bracket structure are explored to minimize structural compliance, which is done under volume, key point displacement, and stress constraints, the results are compared with the initial reinforced structure. The innovative L-shaped bracket structure obtained through topology optimization uses significantly less material than the initial reinforced design, while still meeting the displacement and stress constraints. After smoothing, rounding, and finite element analysis, the displacement and stress performance of the optimized L-shaped bracket structure satisfies the set constraints. The method proposed in this paper offers an innovative solution for the lightweight design of mechanical support structures in APTS, with significant engineering application potential.

For the first time porous tungsten coatings were obtained by vacuum annealing of coatings consisting of both lead solution in β-W and a mixture of Pb solution in β-W and pure lead. Electron-microscopic studies of the obtained coatings before and after vacuum annealing at 800 оС for 1 hour and 6 hours were carried out. The formation of a new phase of tungsten with an octa-lattice and parameter a = 0.4878±0.0005 nm was recorded.

Reliable and precise damage localization in mechanical structures is of high importance in the context of structural health monitoring (SHM). The acoustic emission (AE) method has already shown its excellent suitability for damage localization. However, low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) are often prevalent in SHM, thus an increase in localization accuracy and robustness is still in demand. The present study faces this task through the integration of various model knowledge for AE source localization. The basis of the presented algorithm is the consideration of the dispersive behavior of elastic waves in thin-walled structures. The continuous wavelet transform (CWT) is used to obtain time-frequency representations of the signals, where frequency-dependent values for time-of-arrival (TOA) are extracted. Furthermore, the algorithm incorporates the knowledge that all sensors receive signals with the same time and location of origin, as well as the slightly different sensitivity of the theoretically equal sensors. The final localization results are achieved by a two-parameter grid search optimization. The algorithm is experimentally tested on a large aluminum plate with four piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWASs) arranged in an array of 100 mm × 100 mm. The mean localization error of pencil lead breaks at ten different positions within the sensor array is used as an accuracy measure. It is shown that as more of the described model knowledge is incorporated into the localization, the accuracy increases. With the final algorithm, the mean localization error is more than halved compared to AE localization based on classical TOA estimation. Although the experiment described is conducted under laboratory conditions, the remarkable increase in accuracy suggests that AE source localization may be successful even at low SNR as typical for operational conditions.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a pediatric disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and premature death, with no cure at the moment. The currently most promising therapeutic avenue is based on gene replacement mediated by adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) using a shortened, but still functional, version of Dystrophin, known as microdystrophin (µDys), to fit AAV capacity. The limited improvements observed in clinical trials suggest a sub-optimal performance of µDys in the human context, that could be due to the lack of key domains in the protein. Therefore, expressing larger dystrophin proteins may be necessary for a more complete correction of the disease phenotype. In this study, we developed three novel Midi-Dystrophin constructs using a dual-AAV approach, leveraging split intein-based protein trans-splicing. The midi-dystrophins include additional domains compared to µDys, such as the central cytoskeleton-binding domain, nNOS and Par1b interacting domains, and a complete C-terminal region. Given the limited capacity of each AAV vector, we strategically partially reduced hinge regions while ensuring that the structural stability of the protein remains intact. We predicted the interactions between the two halves of the split Midi-Dys proteins thanks to the deep-learning algorithm AphaFold3. We observed strong associations between the N- and C-termini in Midi-Dys 1 and 2, while a weaker interaction in Midi-Dys 3 was revealed. Our subsequent experiments confirmed the efficient protein trans-splicing both in vitro and in vivo in DBA2/mdx mice of the Midi-Dys 1 and 2 and not in Midi-Dy3 as expected from the structural prediction. Additionally, we demonstrated that Midi-Dys 1 and 2 exhibit significant therapeutic efficacy in DBA2/mdx mice, highlighting their potential as therapeutic agents for DMD. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of deep learning-based structural modeling for the generation of intein-based dystrophin versions and pose the basis for further investigation of these new midi-dystrophins versions for clinical studies.

The purpose of the study is to analyse and to identify specific structural characteristics of melanocytic nevi. Using the optical microscope, could be possible a proper describtion related melanocytic nevi, reffering to youth pacients. In this study direction play a significant role, different factors, such as genetic, epigenetic, microbiomic, and proteomic factors. Future directions refers to preventive and prophylactic methods. Disease diagnostic and management directions are also important.

The objective of the research was to examine the determinants that determine farmer participation and shallot farming development in search of effective farm management practices. The study used Structural Equation Modeling data analysis. The primary data was collected from direct-structural interviews with 150 randomly chosen shallot farmers in Bantaeng Regency, Indonesia. It was found that the physical attributes of the land, the economic framework of the community, and the political system of the agricultural community were fundamental factors that exerted a positive and significant influence on farmer participation. Therefore, improvements in the physical aspects of land, the economic framework, and the political structure of agricultural communities could promote farmer participation. Furthermore, the farmers’ participation and the political structure of agricultural communities have a positive and significant impact on the development of shallot farming. Thus, by increasing the influence of government officials and community leaders, shallot farming can be promoted. The farmers can then enhance their participation in the shallot farming plan's formulation and implementation, providing the continued development of shallot farming. The findings of this study contribute significantly to the body of knowledge by validating previous research and proposing different ways to improve effective farm management practices in shallot farming.

Recently, pharmaceutical research has been focused on the design of new antibacterial drugs with higher selectivity towards several strains. Major issues concern the possibility to obtain com-pounds with fewer side effects, at the same time effectively overcoming the problem of antimi-crobial resistance. Several solutions include the synthesis of new pharmacophores starting from piperazine or morpholine core units. Mass spectrometry-based techniques offer important sup-port for the structural characterization of newly synthesized compounds to design safer and more effective drugs for various medical conditions. Here, two new piperazine derivatives and four new morpholine derivatives were synthesized and structurally characterized through a combined approach of FT-ICR and LTQ mass spectrometry. The support of both high-resolution and low-resolution mass spectrometric data namely accurate mass measurements, isotopic distribu-tion and MSn spectra, was crucial to confirm the success of the synthesis. These compounds were further evaluated for inhibitory activity against a total of twenty-nine Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria to determine the action spectrum and the antimicrobial effectiveness. Results demonstrated compounds’ antimicrobial activity against many tested bacterial species, providing an inhibitory effect linked to different chemical structure and suggesting that the new-synthesized derivatives could be considered as promising antimicrobial agents.

Polysaccharide from Ficus carica L. (FCP) exert multiple biological activities, as a biological macromolecule, the available knowledge about the specific structures and mechanisms of biological activity of purified 'Brunswick' fig polysaccharide is currently limited. In the present study, by chemical purification and characteristics identified via specific instruments, and then the impact of FCP on the immunomodulation activity in vitro and in vivo was examined. Structural char-acteristics showed that the molecular weight of the FCP was determined to be 127.5 kDa, the primary monosaccharides present in the FCP were galacturonic acid (GalA), arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal), rhamnose (Rha), glucose (Glc), and xylose (Xyl) at a ratio of 0.321:0.287:0.269:0.091:0.013:0.011. Based on the investigation of in vitro immunomodulatory ac-tivity, FCP was found to stimulate the production of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 and increased the pi-nocytic activity of macrophages. Further analysis revealed that FCP activated macrophages by interacting with toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Moreover, the in vivo test results indicate that FCP showed significant increase serum pro-inflammatory factors in immunosuppressed mice. Overall, this study suggests that FCP has the potential to be utilized as a novel immunomodulator in the pharmaceutical and functional food industries.

With the deterioration of the bridge performance and ever-increasing amount of traffic, the bridge safety is becoming a concern for engineering community. A method that can assess the bridge's condition in real-time is urgently needed. The main factors that hinder the bridge condition assessment are the uncertain operational environments. A new moving principal component analysis (MPCA) based method is developed for structural damage detection of bridges in operational environments in this paper. Two main operational environmental factors: the environmental temperature and traffic loads, are studied in the assessment process to verify the robustness and practicality of the proposed method. The numerical and experimental results show that the proposed method is effective and accurate to assess the bridge condition in operational environments.

Insulin icodec of Novo Nordisk is a novel long-acting insulin analogue that exhibits an extended duration of action, providing a promising treatment option for individuals with diabetes. It has been reported that the incorporation of fatty acid moieties into insulin icodec plays a crucial role in its prolonged action, as these fatty acid chains facilitate the formation of stable hexameric structures, thereby delaying insulin absorption and promoting sustained release. Yet, the underlying biophysics still is elusive of the roles of the three site-specific mutations (Y14A\_E, Y37B\_H, F46B\_H) of insulin icodec in its prolonged activity. Thus, through a comprehensive structural and biophysical analysis of the insulin (both native and icodec) structures bound to its receptor, this article delves deep into the biophysics underlying the molecular design of insulin icodec, and identified a delicate biophysical mechanism through which two missense mutations of insulin icodec (Y37B\_H and F46B\_H) contribute to its prolonged duration of action. Overall, this structural and biophysical investigation provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the relationship between three site-specific mutations and prolonged duration of action of insulin icodec, while understanding these modifications at a structural and biophysical level can aid in the rational design of future long-acting insulin analogues, offering further enhanced therapeutic options for diabetic patients.

Wind energy is becoming increasingly important as a renewable energy source due to its environmental and economic benefits. Wind turbines are key components in wind energy systems, and their performance is critical for efficient power generation. Wind turbine blades are the most critical components as they interact with the wind, and their design has a significant impact on the overall system performance. Therefore, it is essential to optimize the design of wind turbine blades to enhance their efficiency and reduce their costs. This paper presents an aero-structural optimization approach for wind turbine blade design. The optimization aims to maximize the torque generated by the blade while minimizing its mass. The optimization is implemented using DAFoam software for CFD simulation, TACS for FEM simulation, and Mphys under the OpenMDAO framework for fluid-structure interaction between the CFD and FEM. The optimization results show a 6.78% increase in torque and a 4.22% decrease in mass, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Aerodynamic optimization focuses on maximizing the blade's torque by modifying the blade's shape. The optimization results show that the optimized blade generates more torque than the original blade design. Additionally, structural optimization aims to minimize the blade's mass while maintaining its structural integrity. This is achieved by adjusting the thickness of the blade's cross-section. The proposed aero-structural optimization approach presents an effective solution for the design optimization of wind turbine blades. The approach considers the interaction between the aerodynamic and structural aspects of the blade and optimizes them simultaneously. This leads to an optimized design that is efficient and cost-effective, which is crucial for the widespread adoption of wind energy systems. The results of this study highlight the importance of considering the interaction between the aerodynamic and structural aspects of wind turbine blades and the effectiveness of the proposed optimization approach in enhancing their performance.

Cabbage (B. oleracea var. capitata) contains three FLC homolog genes (BoFLC1, BoFLC2, and BoFLC3) and one pseudogene (BoFLC5) that responds to low temperatures necessary for flowering. We isolated three BoFLC-encoding genes from early-, mid-, and late-flowering cabbage plants. Leaf samples were collected for RNA extraction and expression analysis. Gene structure analysis and phylogenetic comparison were performed for intra- or interspecific relationships of the BoFLC homologs. Gene expression related to flowering regulators (BoGI, BoCOOLAIR, and BoVIN3) was analyzed. While BoFLC genes commonly have seven exons and six introns of 3,361–4.384 bp, variations in insertion or deletion were evident between the early- and late-flowering genotypes. Repressed expression of BoFLC 1, 2, and 3 genes under chilling temperatures appeared to occur from 8 weeks after vernalization. Higher expression levels of GI, COOLAIR, and VIN3 were initiated 7 weeks after chilling (WAT) treatment in the early flowering genotype. The vernalization trigger repressed the expression of BoFLC homologs. This study provides molecular insights into BoFLC homologs between early- and late-flowering cabbage genotypes, in which structural variations in BoFLC1 appeared to be important as a binding motif to flowering regulating factors such as BoGI, BoCOOLAIR, and BoVIN3 for which motif analysis is further implemented.

In the current study, a two-dimensional numerical study is carried out to investigate the performance of a novel Double-chamber Parallel Flexible Valves micropump, which utilized the electrowetting-on-dielectrics (EWOD) effect to drive the microfluid flow. By observing the flow fields, the internal circulations are seen on both the left and right side of the pump. The generation of the backflow is discussed by tracking the movement of the vortices. Only slight flow fluctuation is seen in the micropump. Based on the simulation outcomes, the structural parameters including the width of the inlet/outlet, the width of the pumping channel and the diverging angle in the micropump are analyzed, the influence of these parameters on the pumping volume and the maximum pressure have been discussed. Eventually, a group of optimal parameter combinations is given according to the results to extend the operating potential of the micropump.

The idealized rhombohedral unit cell of boron carbide is formed by a 12-atom icosahedron and a 3-atom linear chain. Phase transitions are second order and caused by the exchange of B and C sites or by vacancies in the structure. Nevertheless, the impact of such minimal structural changes on the properties can be significant. As the X-ray scattering cross sections of B and C atoms are very similar, the capability of X-ray fine structure investigation is restricted. Phonon spectroscopy helps closing this gap. Phase transitions known to date have been identified due to significant changes of properties: (1) The phase transition near the chemical composition B8C by clear change of the electronic structure; (2) The endothermic temperature-dependent phase transition at 712 K by the according change of specific heat; (3) The high-pressure phase transition at 33.2 GPa by the drastic change of optical appearance from opacity to transparency. These phase transitions affect IR- and Raman-active phonons and other solid-state properties. The phase transitions at B~8C and 712 K mean that a well-defined distorted structure is converted into another one each. In the high-pressure phase transition, an apparently well-defined distorted structure changes into a highly ordered one. In all these cases, the distribution of polar C atoms in the icosahedra plays a crucial role.

Manufacturing is a significant sector of the economy in many nations and is frequently regarded as an engine of economic expansion, particularly in developing nations. Despite its importance, the metal sector is seen as unsafe due to frequent and high accident rates as well as worker health issues. Therefore, the primary goal of this research is to create a safety model with the goal of development in occupational safety and health in order to reduce workplace injuries, diseases, and deaths in the Akaki Basic Metal Industry. The hypothesized model was developed and tested on a sample 215 respondents who worked for production businesses. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 was used to enter and analyze the acquired data, and the Analysis Moment of Structure (AMOS) version 21 software was used to build the model. Through the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), research models were examined and confirmed. A good-fit structural model (PCLOSE=0.001, Goodness of Fit Index=0.971, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation=0.121, Comparative Fit Index=0.986 and TLI =0.906) indicated that Safety culture, safety police and safety climate constructs direct influence on firm productivity. The new structural model can be used to provide better understanding of the links between firm productivity indicators and contributing components, and make stronger recommendations for effective intervention in construction projects

The disc brake rotors are designed to withstand both, Maximum possible deceleration (emergency braking) and a series of frequent braking cycles. A effective rotor design and superior heat dissipating material provide better performance during the braking mechanism. In this experiment, modified ventilated disk brake rotors are developed with holes and slots and the stress, deformation, heat flux and temperature distribution has been analysed. Designing of the Finite element models of the rotor are created with SolidWorks and simulated using ANSYS. Structural and thermal characteristics are compared with a reference disk brake rotor of the motorcycle (TVS Apache RTR180). It is found that the modified rotors outperform the conventional one in terms of stress generation, temperature distribution and deformation. Furthermore, this Analysis helps us to find out the best suited material for one of the proposed designs. This experiment provides us an insight of the structural and thermal characteristics of the geometrically modified rotor that can be used to upgrade and outperform the current disc brake rotor used in the motorcycle (TVS Apache RTR180).

The study aims to investigate Gen Z's intentions to utilize the Waze mobile application as a solution for sustainable traffic management in Meto Manila. The extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to define user behavior and technology usage to determine the factors influencing Filipino drivers' application acceptance of Waze. The study’s data results have revealed that the System Quality, Perceived Location Accuracy, Perceived Usefulness, and Perceived Ease of Use affect Filipinos' intentions to use traffic navigation applications, particularly Waze. The study utilized a survey and was given to 300 Filipino drivers traveling within the National Capital Region to accurately measure the factors and their connections to usage intention and actual use. The analytical approach used for this investigation was partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The study's results can be applied as a theoretical framework for future researchers of Waze mobile applications, Waze route accuracy, and Waze overall application performance, as well as the features of the Waze application, to evaluate how the use of the Waze mobile application could help in the effective management of traffic situations in Metro Manila. The study was able to assess the effectiveness of the Waze navigation app as a platform for efficiently managing traffic situations in Metro Manila. Moreover, this study also highlighted the application performance of Waze and its acceptance by Filipino drivers in Metro Manila. Furthermore, the study implores a critical review of Waze's application performance. The study recommends that similar future studies must consider samples from a more diverse geographic background to obtain a more accurate representation of Filipinos traveling. Future researchers are also advised to adopt a qualitative research design to gain more detailed insights of Filipinos regarding their experience with the Waze application.

The satisfaction of basic psychological needs leads students to engage in a sport modality on their own initiative. In the Spanish public educational system, mixed and heterogeneous, the gender and sport experience of students influence the teaching and motivation of invasion sports. This study investigated whether students' gender and sport experience, and method influence the psychological variables (basic psychological needs and sport adherence) when teaching school soccer and basketball. Furthermore, correlations were calculated between these psychological variables. The study involved 165 fifth and sixth grade students (age, 11.27 ± 0.68 years old) from several Spanish state schools in the same autonomous community. A non-random convenience sample was used. The needs for autonomy, perceived competence and social relationships were measured using the Basic Psychological Needs in Physical Exercise Scale. Sport adherence was measured using the Measure of Intentionality to be Physically Active. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Cronbach's alpha were used to analyze the psychometric properties of the scales. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed with the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. There were significant differences in the needs for autonomy and perceived competence according to the students’ gender (boys &gt; girls). Attending to sport adherence, there were also significant differences according to the students’ gender (boys &gt; girls) and sport experience (experienced students &gt; inexperienced students). Likewise, a regression analysis (structural equation model) revealed that the autonomy need showed low association with sport adherence. Higher perceived competence (β = 0.52) and social relationships (β = 0.36) were associated with greater adherence to sport (R2 = 0.65). Increased sport adherence will have health benefits.

Although the similarity laws were widely used in impact fields, the scaling relations of anisotropic elastic structures often were broken when the geometric distortion (not equal scaling in different spatial directions) and the material distortion (different materials used for scaled model and full-size prototype) were considered. To overcome the difficulty of geometric and material distortion, a directional framework of similarity laws, termed as oriented-density-length-velocity (ODLV) system, is proposed for the anisotropic elastic structure under impact loads. Different from previous similarity law systems using scalar dimensional analysis, the directional similarity law framework mainly considers spatial anisotropy for structural geometry and material parameters. Based on the oriented dimensional analysis and the orthotropic Hooke's law, directional dimensionless numbers and directional scaling relations with geometric power properties for the elastic modulus and the Poisson's ratio are presented systematically. By selecting the dominant material parameters controlling similarity, three important scaling techniques with correction of geometric width and thickness are proposed to compensate for the difficulty of distortion. A clamped square plate with different anisotropic and isotropic elastic materials subjected to dynamic pressure pulse is verified numerically and discussed in detail. The results show that the thin square plate prototype must be scaled to be the thinner/thicker rectangular plate, and the components of displacement, stress and strain between scaled model and full-scale prototype behave good consistency in both spatial and temporal fields.

The presence of a non-structural protein 1 (NS1) in tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccines and the possible induction of an NS1-specific immune response in vaccinated individuals remains a somewhat controversial topic. Previously, we detected the presence of NS1 in Encepur TBE vaccine by mass spectrometry and found the induction of NS1-specific IgG antibodies in mice vaccinated with FSME-Immun TBE vaccine. Here, in this follow-up study, we examined the dynamics and extent of the NS1-specific IgG response in mice vaccinated with these two vaccines in more detail and compared it with the IgG response to the whole virus (WV). Mice were vaccinated at two-week intervals with a total of six doses of each vaccine, and levels of IgG antibodies to TBE virus WV and NS1 were measured by ELISA after each dose. Both vaccines elicited a robust anti-WV IgG response after two doses. The Encepur vaccine did not elicit NS1-specific IgG even after all six doses. In contrast, FSME-Immun vaccine triggered production of NS1-specific IgG after four doses. The results indicate that FSME-Immun is the only vaccine that elicits an NS1-specific antibody response in mice. However, compared to WV-specific IgG, the NS1-specific response is weaker, and a higher number of doses is required to induce detectable levels of NS1-specific IgG antibodies.

Chilean geography is highly variable, not only from a climatic and hydrological point of view, but also a morphological one, showing unpredictable natural patterns with marked contrasts throughout the country, for which sometimes it is considered as a "crazy" geography. In this paper we have investigated this apparent disorganized character by exploring the fractal properties of fluvial networks extracted from basins distributed across the continental territory. Analytical and semi-empirical methods were applied, finding striking patterns of organization in the distributions of Horton parameters and the fractal dimension of the drainage networks. Fractal dimension reveals to be quite dependent on the drainage area of each unit, showing clear groupings by tectonic and climatological factors. Such dimension reveals to be an important geomorphic parameter, if not the only one able to capture the real morphology of a fluvial network. From our results and despite the diversity of landforms, hydrological, climatic and tectonic conditions, Chilean’s geography is perhaps not as crazy and disorganized as believed.

As Christopher Alexander discovered, all space or matter – either organic or inorganic – has some degree of order in it according to its structure and arrangement. The order refers to a kind of structural character, called living structure, which is defined as a mathematical structure that consists of numerous substructures with an inherent hierarchy. Across the hierarchy, there are far more small substructures than large ones, while on each level of the hierarchy the substructures are more or less similar in size. In this paper we develop a new approach to representing geographic space as a hierarchy of recursively defined subspaces for computing the degree of order. A geographic space is first represented as a hierarchy of recursively defined subspaces, and all the subspaces are then topologically represented as a network for computing the degree of order of the geographic space, as well as that of its subspaces. Unlike conventional geographic representations, which are mechanical in nature, this new geographic representation is organic, conceived, and developed under the third view of space; that is, space is neither lifeless nor neutral, but a living structure capable of being more living or less living. Thus, the order can also be referred to as life, beauty, coherence, or harmony. We applied the new representation to three urban environments, 253 patterns, and 35 black-white strips to verify it and to demonstrate advantages of the new approach and the new kind of order. We further discuss the implications of the approach and the order on geographic information science and sustainable urban planning.

This article deals primarily with the problem of determining the cutting force when machining hardened steels. Secondary issues are focused on the evaluation of surface quality on machined samples and the recommendation of cutting conditions. A wide variety of components are used in engineering, the final heat treatment of which is hardening. These components are usually critical in a particular product. The quality of these components determines the correct functioning of the entire technical equipment and ultimately its service life. In our case, these are the core parts of thrust bearings, specifically the rolling elements. The subject of the experiment is machining these components in the hardened state with cubic boron nitride tools and continuous measurement of the cutting force using a dynamometer. The following evaluation assesses the surface quality by both touch and non-touch methods. A structural equation with appropriate constant and exponents was then constructed from the data obtained using the dynamometer.

The main obstacle affecting the natural and herbal products industry is the infringement of trade patents. This resulted in losing the opportunity to compete with others in this business. Creating additional value to this business is, therefore, a way of leading to patenting for trade protection for entrepreneurs. This study was conducted to develop the structural equation modeling of guidelines for creating additional value for Thai herbs to support trade patent. The study comprises a mixed method with three parts. In the first part, data comes from interviews with selected 9 specialists. The second part was supported by interviews to create the questionnaire and distributed it to 500 entrepreneurs, the next step was the data analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM). The third part used data from the SEM model to discussion focused on developing the conceptual model by 7 experts. The analysis of the developed model passed the criteria for evaluating consistency and empirical data. All hypotheses proposed in this study were supported, the findings revealed that all factors had a direct effect at a statistically significant level of 0.001. Furthermore, this investigation allows knowing the Brand Identity factor were practically important for creating value of Thai herbs leading to patent protection.

This study addressed a Fluid-Structure Interaction of an open Water test for vp1304 propeller to predict pressure and stress distributions with a low cost and high precision method. The most striking aspect of such a method(one-way coupling) is to use one hydrodynamic solution for the number of different structural sets involved in other materials or different layup methods and combinations of layers. An open-access software(OpenFOAM) with an open-source code solver is used to simulate the fluid domain. Abaqus is used To evaluate and predict the deformation and strength of the blade with the Finite Element Method(FEM). The coupling approach is based on dry condition, which means the added mass effects due to propeller blades vibration is neglected. The pressures imposed on the blades are extracted from the fluid solver for each time step. Then, These pressures role as a load condition for the structure solver. This approach was verified in the last paper(wedge impact); a key factor for the present solution is the rotational rate interrelated between two solution domains, which is explained in this paper. Finally, the blades' stress and strain are calculated and compared in each advance coefficient.