The welding and construction processes of H-type thick-plate-bridge steel involve complex multi-pass welding processes, which is difficulty to ensure its welding performance. Accordingly, it is crucial to explore the inherent correlation among the welding processes parameters and welding quality, and applied it into the welding robots, eliminating the instability from manual welding. In order to improve the welding quality, the GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) welding process parameters are simulated using the Q345qD bridge steel flat joint model. Four welds with X-shaped grooves are designed to optimize the parameters of welding current, welding voltage, and welding speed. The optimal welding process parameters are investigated through thermal-elastic-plastic simulation analysis and experimental verification. The results indicate that when the welding current is set to 230A, the welding voltage to 32V, and the welding speed to 0.003m/s, the maximum deformation of the welded plate is 0.52mm, with a maximum welding residual stress of 345MPa. Both the simulation results of multi-pass welding and experimental tests meet the welding requirements, as they show no excessive stress or strain. These parameters can be applied into building large steel frame bridges with welding robots, improving the quality of welded joints.

The microstructure and hardness along the thickness direction of a water quenched, high-strength thick plate with a thickness of 40 mm were investigated with three specimens from the thick plate: surface, 1/4t, and 1/2t (center) thickness, and the phase transformation behavior of the thick plate according to the cooling rate was analyzed through dilatometric experiments. Finally, the cooling rate for each thickness of the thick plate was estimated by comparing the microstructure and hardness of the thick plate along the thickness with those of the dilatometric specimens. Martensite microstructure was observed on the surface of the water quenched thick plate due to the fast cooling rate. On the other hand, an inhomogeneous microstructure was transformed inside the thick plate due to the relatively slow cooling rate and central segregation of Mn. A small fraction of bainite was shown at 1/4t thickness. A banded microstructure with martensite and bainite resulting from Mn segregation was developed at 1/2t; that is, the full martensite microstructure was transformed in the Mn-enriched area even at a slow cooling rate due to high hardenability, but a bainite microstructure was formed in the Mn-depleted area owing to relatively low hardenability. A portion of martensite with fine cementite at the surface and 1/4t was identified as auto-tempered martensite with a Bagaryatskii orientation relationship between the ferrite matrix and cementite. The microstructure and hardness as well as dilatation were investigated at various cooling rates through a dilatometric experiment, and a continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram was finally presented for the thick plate. Comparing the microstructure and hardness at the surface, 1/4t, and 1/2t of the thick plate with those of dilatometric specimens cooled at various cooling rates, it was estimated that the surface of the thick plate was cooled at more than 20 oC/s, whereas the 1/4t region was cooled at approximately 5 ~ 10 oC/s during water quenching.

In this paper, thin plate theory and moderately thick plate theory are proposed for analyzing the bending problem of rectangular plates with stepped thickness resting on elastic half-space foundation. The ground reaction is considered as an unknown coefficient and the hypothesis of Winkler foundation model and two-parameter ground model is eliminated in this method, so as to obtain the law of internal force distribution of the plate and the distribution law of contact reaction force between the stepped rectangular plate and foundation. The stepped rectangular plate is divided into upper and lower plates, and thin plate theory and moderately thick plate theory are used to obtain the analytical solution. The obtained analytical solutions in this paper are compared with results reported in other publications to verify the accuracy of this method. The effects of the elastic modulus and dimensions of the plate, and theory of plate are also considered. The analytical solutions show that it is feasible to decompose the stepped rectangular plate into two plates for analyzing the bending properties of stepped rectangular plate, and this method provide a reference for the study of multilayer stepped rectangular plates.

In steel structures, oblique thin steel plates serve as panel zones in structures spanning large spaces (e.g., warehouses and gymnasiums). Considerable research has been conducted on the shear buckling of panels due to seismic loads acting on a structure. Conversely, under snow or wind loads, the panel zone may experience compressive and tensile stresses simultaneously from two directions. Considering the economic preference for thin steel plates, evaluating the elastic critical local buckling stresses in the panel zone under biaxial normal stress may provide essential information to structural engineers. In this study, an elastic buckling analysis based on the energy method is performed to clarify the impact of panel geometry and boundary conditions on the elastic local buckling stresses of oblique panel zones. As confirmed, the buckling stresses derived from the energy method could simulate the local buckling stresses with accuracy comparable to that of finite element analysis, and an engineer-friendly design formula was proposed. Finally, we determined the correlation of the buckling stresses under biaxial stresses and presented a method for evaluating this correlation. Engineers can utilize the provided design equations to more efficiently and accurately calculate buckling loads, facilitating safer and more economical design of structures with oblique plates.

This paper presents the results of an experimental and analytical study on the behavior of cold-formed thick-walled steel plates connected by a single bolt under double shear. Experimental studies were conducted on a total of 54 bolted connections fabricated from two thickness of cold-formed thick-walled steel plates with the nominal thickness of 6 mm and 10 mm. The effects of end distance, edge distance and steel plate thickness were investigated on the bolt bearing behavior. Codes of (modified) ANSI/AISC 360-16 and EN1993-1-8 were applied to predict failure modes and bearing resistance of connections and the predictions were compared with that of measurements. A method was proposed to calculate the elongation of bolt hole at ultimate load. The studies show that fractures occurred on shear planes of specimens failed by shear out due to reduced ductility caused by cold forming process. The modified ANSI/AISC gives the most accurate predictions of failure modes and bearing resistance. However, the bearing resistance will be overestimated if the reduction in area of shear planes caused by occurrence of fracture is ignored for specimens with end distance being higher than 2.0d0 and a reduction factor is needed for calculating bearing resistance of connections. The method proposed in our paper can predict the elongation of bolt hole very well.

This study investigated the mechanical properties and fatigue behavior of FH36 steel plate rolled in different directions. By adopting a sequential rolling process in the rolling direction (RD) and transverse direction (TD), the differences in properties between RD and TD were eliminated, resulting in nearly identical tensile properties. The steel plate exhibited a yield strength of approximately 420 MPa, a tensile strength of approximately 506 MPa, and an elongation of approximately 25%. Fatigue tests conducted at room temperature and -60℃ showed a fatigue limit of the maximum stress of 488 MPa at room temperature and 500 MPa at -60℃, indicating improved low-temperature fatigue performance. The fracture surfaces displayed distinct characteristics, such as oblique shearing fractures for high-cycle fatigue and cup-cone shape fractures for low-cycle fatigue. The fatigue source zone were both on the surface of the specimens. As the maximum stress increased, the area of the crack propagation zone for high-cycle fatigue decreased, while the area of the final fracture zone, the number of dimples and the proportion of the LAGBs increased.

Damage assessment is one of the most crucial issues for bridge engineers, especially for existing steel bridges. Among several methodologies, the vibration measurement test is a typical approach in which the natural frequency variation of the structure is monitored to detect the existence of damage. However, locating and quantifying the damage is still a big challenge. In this regard, the artificial intelligence (AI)-based approach seems a potential way to accomplish those obstacles. This study deploys a comprehensive campaign to determine all dynamic parameters of a pre-damage steel truss bridge structure. Based on the results of mode shape, natural frequency, and damping ratio, a finite element model (FEM) is created and keeps updating. The artificial intelligence network's input data will be analyzed and evaluation from damage cases. The trained artificial neural network model will be curated and evaluated to confirm the approach's feasibility. During the actual operational stage of the steel truss bridge, this damage assessment system is showing good performance in terms of monitoring the structural behavior of the bridge under some unexpected accidents.

This paper analyzed the main diseases of the friction high-strength bolt (FHSB) joints in order to study the characteristics of the corrosion products of the joints in steel bridge and the influence factors. Seven representative FHSB connection pairs and eight steel plate samples were selected from the Dongying Shengli Yellow River Bridge, which has been in operation for 33 years. Then Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the microscopic morphology and chemical composition of the corroded surface of the samples. Finally, this paper discussed the relationship between the corroded sample surface and the environmental corrosion. The research results showed that construction quality problems, such as non-standard hole expansion, segmental slab joint dislocation and contact surface pollution, accelerated corrosion of the contact surface. With the increase of corrosion degree of joints, the contact surface of aluminum spraying layer gradually changed from a rugged and dense state to a smooth and porous powder state. With the corrosion of the steel plate substrate, the contact surface gradually changed from a fluffy stratified state to a surface bonding state. It was inferred that the friction coefficient of the FHSB connection node on the corroded aluminum sprayed contact surface first decreased and then increased. The corroded node samples detected not only a large number of S and Cl elements, but also the oxides of Mn, Si and other elements as well as FeS. It was speculated that node corrosion was also related to atmospheric (acid rain) and industrial dust and other corrosive environments. Almost all samples detected the component SiO2 of the Yellow River soil, as well as Mg, Ca, K, Na and other elements at the same time, which is basically consistent with the component elements of the Yellow River soil. Therefore, it was inferred that it was related to the inclusion of the Yellow River soil.

The shield tunnels inevitably endure various damage with the service time increasing. Meanwhile, steel corrugated plate has been used extensively in multiple conditions and proved effective to strengthen the segmental joints by full-scale tests. A numerical model is proposed to probe the feasibility of using new Stainless Steel Corrugated Plate (SSCP) to reinforce the shield tunnel segments. A new method, called virtual tracking element technology, is employed to achieve the simulation of realistic stress state of the segmental joint. Moreover, the segmental joint component analysis and parametric study are conducted based on the numerical model. The results demonstrate that: (1) the virtual tracking element technology proves valid and efficient to simulate the secondary stress state of segmental joint; (2) SSCP reinforcement is not fully utilized when the grade of segmental concrete is C50 and it has abundant safety margin for potential overload; (3) SSCP reinforcement is well-performed regardless of the burial depth and reinforcement in advance is recommended.

The automation of welding processes requires the use of automated systems and equipment, in many cases industrial robotic systems, to carry out welding processes that previously required human intervention. Automation in the industry offers numerous advantages, such as increased efficiency and productivity, cost reduction, improved product quality, increased flexibility and safety, and greater adaptability of companies to market changes. The field of welding automation is currently undergoing a period of profound changes due to a combination of technological, regulatory, and economic factors worldwide. Nowadays, the most relevant aspect of the welding industry is to meet customer requirements by satisfying their needs. To achieve this, the automation of the welding process through sensors and control algorithms ensures the quality of the parts and prevents errors such as porosity, unfused areas, deformations, excessive heat, etc. This paper proposes an intelligent and adaptive system based on the measurement of welding joints using laser scanning and the subsequent analysis of the obtained point cloud to adapt the welding trajectories.

In the computational prediction of bridge vibrations due to high-speed train traffic, the most accurate results can be obtained by considering the interaction dynamics between the train, the superstructure, and the supporting structure. To achieve this, a detailed understanding of the coupling properties of all elements is crucial as they significantly influence the calculated vibrations. The studies in this article investigate the influence of different levels of modeling complexity on the computational acceleration results of single-span girder bridges with a ballasted superstructure. A numerical study on an extensive parameter field of single-span girder bridges is conducted to investigate the influence of modeling the bridge structures as coupling beams, i.e., by considering them as two vertically coupled beams representing the track (rails and sleepers) and the supporting structure. The connection between both beams reflects the stiffness and damping properties of the ballasted superstructure and can reproduce its load-distribution capacity. The excitation is applied as either a moving load or a multi-body model of the train, an Austrian Railjet, to evaluate interdependencies of interaction effects between the vehicle and track, and between track and bridge structure. The reference model is a simply-supported Bernoulli-Euler beam excited by moving axle loads. The comparison of acceleration results allows for identifying critical combinations of structural and train parameters for which the implementation of interaction dynamics has a particularly significant impact on the calculated vibrations and quantifying that impact. These findings provide the possibility of formulating structure-dependent recommendations concerning the targeted application of more complex modeling of the structure (coupling beam model) on the one hand and train (multi-body model) on the other.

China is facing the development requirements of the dual carbon goal and the construction needs of resilient cities. Currently, high-strength composite structural systems are a feasible solution, but their research and application in the construction field are insufficient, especially for the combination forms of concrete above C100 and steel above Q550. In response to this issue, this paper proposes a new high-performance structural system, namely the composite frame - high-strength steel plate wall core tube resilient structure system, which includes high-strength steel plate (Q550) - ultra-high strength concrete (C100) shear walls, replaceable energy dissipation coupling beams, and composite frames. Taking a 200 meter building as an example, this paper designs and establishes calculation models for a conventional reinforced concrete frame-core tube structure and a high-performance structure based on PKPM software, and establishes elastoplastic analysis models for both based on SAUSAGE software, and then conducts dynamic elastoplastic time history analysis and seismic resilience assessment of structures under design basis earthquakes (DBEs), maximum considered earthquake (MCEs) and extremely rare earthquakes (EREs). Research has shown that compared to conventional structures, new high-performance structures can effectively reduce the size of shear walls, reduce the self-weight of the structure, and enhance the space for building use; The story drift ratio has higher redundancy than specification limits, lower plastic damage and overall stiffness degradation of the structure, and better seismic performance; The seismic resilience has significantly improved, especially in the case of casualties, which can better ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

Modular steel buildings (MSBs) interlocking inter-module connections (IMCs) have piqued researchers’ interest. However, the existing literature has not yet studied the optimisation of its plate thicknesses. This paper, therefore, focuses on optimising interlocking (IMCs) plate thickness in (MSBs), leveraging previous experimental and numerical simulation methodologies. Various numerical models for four MSBs interlocking (IMCs) with plate thicknesses (4 mm, 6 mm, 10 mm, and 12 mm) were developed under compression loading conditions. The study’s novelty lay in its comprehensive parametric analysis, which evaluated the slip phenomenon in (MSBs) connections and introduced a slip prediction model validated against empirical data. Further innovative machine learning approach was utilised to predict slip values based on applied force through a random forest regression model trained using the 'Treebagger' function. Sensitivity analysis and comparisons with alternative methods were utilised to underscore the reliability and applicability of the findings. The results showed that 11.03 mm was the optimal plate thickness for interlocking (IMCs) in modular steel buildings, with up to 8.08% reduced material costs. Increasing plate thickness boosts its deformation resistance by up to 50.75%. ‘TreeBagger’ random forest for anomaly detection and machine learning improves slip prediction up to 7% at higher force levels.

The first Network Arch Bridge (NAB) was opened to traffic 60 years ago and since then the idea spread around the world. It is a type of a tied arch bridge that combines the benefits of tied arch bridges and trusses in a single system, thus it has a very good stiffness even in the case of extremely slender structures. In a Network Arch the hangers are inclined and some of them intersect each other at least twice. The core of a NAB is the hanger arrangement that minimizes the bending moment in the arch to very small values, leading thus to compression in the arch. This paper reviews the Network Arch idea devised by prof. Tveit and extended by researchers and engineers worldwide. A comprehensive review of the literature about the Network Arch is provided and the situation of NABs around the world from the standpoint of location, span, structural system used for the cross-section, bridge type (road, railway, combined or pedestrian) and opening year is discussed.

Epoxy asphalt (EA) concrete is widely used in constructing long-span steel bridge pavements (SBDPs). This study aims to derive a fatigue damage evolution law, conducting an experimental investigation of SBDP. First, a general theoretical form of the fatigue damage evolution law of materials is established based on the thermal motion of atoms. Then, fatigue experiments demonstrate that this evolution law well represents the known damage–life relationships of SBDP. Taking into account the experimental relationships between damage and fatigue life under symmetrical cyclic loadings with different overload amplitudes and temperature variations, a detailed damage evolution law is deduced. Finally, the role of damage accumulation is discussed on the basis of the proposed damage evolution law for the extreme situation of heavy overload and severe environments. The results show that both heavy loading and falling temperatures increase the fatigue damage of SBDP considerably; therefore, SBDP should avoid heavy loading combined with winter temperatures. EA shows a fatigue life two to three times longer than that of modified matrix asphalt (SMA) or guss asphalt (GA). For the same thickness, EA pavement is demonstrated to be more suitable for an anti-fatigue design of large-span SBDP under high traffic flows and low temperatures.

Different approaches for digital workflows have already been presented for their use in palatal plates for newborns and infants. However, there is no evidence on the accuracy of CAD/CAM manufactured orthodontic appliances for this kind of application. This study evaluates trueness and precision provided by different CAM technologies and materials for these appliances. Samples of a standard palatal stimulation plate were manufactured using stereolithography (SLA), direct light processing (DLP) and subtractive manufacturing (SM). The effect of material (for SM) and layer thickness (for DLP) were also investigated. Specimens were digitized with a laboratory scanner (D2000, 3Shape) and analyzed with a 3D inspection software (Geomagic Control X, 3D systems). For quantitative analysis, differences between 3D datasets were measured using root mean square (RMS) error values for trueness and precision. For qualitative analysis, color maps were generated to detect locations of deviations within each sample. SM showed higher trueness and precision than AM technologies. Reducing layer thickness in DLP did not significantly increase accuracy, but prolonged manufacturing time. All materials and technologies met the clinically acceptable range and are appropriate for their use. DLP with 100µm layer thickness showed the highest efficiency, obtaining high trueness and precision within the lowest manufacturing time.

This paper presents an approach to the Kirchhoff-Love plate theory (KLPT) using the finite difference method (FDM). The KLPT covers the case of small deflections, and shear deformations are not considered. The FDM is an approximate method for solving problems described with differential equations. The FDM does not involve solving differential equations; equations are formulated with values at selected points of the structure. Generally in the case of KLPT, the finite difference approximations are derived based on the fourth-order polynomial hypothesis (FOPH) and second-order polynomial hypothesis (SOPH) for the deflection surface. The FOPH is made for the fourth and third derivative of the deflection surface while the SOPH is made for its second and first derivative; this leads to a 13-point stencil for the governing equation. In addition, the boundary conditions and not the governing equations are applied at the plate edges. In this paper, the FOPH was made for all of the derivatives of the deflection surface; this led to a 25-point stencil for the governing equation. Furthermore, additional nodes were introduced at plate edges and at positions of discontinuity (continuous supports/hinges, incorporated beams, stiffeners, brutal change of stiffness, etc.), the number of additional nodes corresponding to the number of boundary conditions at the node of interest. The introduction of additional nodes allowed us to apply the governing equations at the plate edges and to satisfy the boundary and continuity conditions. First-order analysis, second-order analysis, buckling analysis, and vibration analysis of plates were conducted with this model. Moreover, plates of varying thickness and plates with stiffeners were analyzed. Finally, a direct time integration method (DTIM) was presented. The FDM-based DTIM enabled the analysis of forced vibration of structures, with damping taken into account. In first-order, second-order, buckling, and vibration analyses of rectangular plates, the results obtained in this paper were in good agreement with those of well-established methods, and the accuracy was increased through a grid refinement.

The need for effective bridge asset management in Indonesia has become crucial. Currently, the number of bridge assets in Indonesia is continuously increasing, parallel to the rising budget allocations for infrastructure development in the road and bridge sectors to enhance regional connectivity more efficiently. This situation places demands on asset managers to work harder and possess expertise in bridge asset management. However, the reality reveals persistent issues related to the incapacity of bridge asset managers in various regions to manage their assets effectively. This raises the question of whether asset managers have the intention to implement asset management or what factors might drive their appeal to have an intention towards effective asset management. To address these questions, a survey was conducted involving asset managers and experts to evaluate the current state of bridge asset management in Indonesia. The research findings provide insights into the relationships among factors such as budget, data, policy, resources, and system that associated with bridge asset management and the intention of an asset manager. The model's solutions show that data and system are anticipated to achieve effective and efficient implementation of bridge asset management. It is hoped that this research will assist asset managers in Indonesia in enhancing their intention towards better bridge asset management.

In recent decades, widespread damage to structures due to destructive earthquakes has encouraged researchers to use seismic control systems. One of the most important structures is bridges, which should maintain their service after severe earthquakes. One of the ways to control the bridge is to isolation the deck from the substructure, which results in high displacements at different points in the bridge and the residual displacements within the separator itself, thus requiring repair and replacement of these systems after severe earthquakes. Therefore, the use of new seismic separation systems on bridges has always been important. The purpose of this project is to utilize a new memory-shaped seismic separator system to investigate the seismic performance of v-shaped column bridges , in which case the effect of earthquake orientation and its effects on responses the earthquake will also be assessed. Due to the ever-increasing advances in various intelligent materials, such as shape memory alloys, and their unique capacities, such as back-centering, and high fatigue and corrosion resistance, in this study, these materials have been used as a complementary component along with lead core separators. The shape memory alloy has been used as 4 vertical rods that connect two separating parts to each other and in this research the diameter and location of these rods will be calculated using optimization algorithm in Matlab software.

The experimental verification for the computational method sometimes varies due to numerous factors such as the manufacturing process and the materials' property change due to environmental aspects. In this work, we performed verification of experimental and computational evaluation of a hybrid composite moderate thick plate. The experiment was performed with simplistic approaches and without the advanced tools of preparing composite materials. This is due to the fact that most of the students in many developing countries around the world cannot have access to such equipment. As such, in this research, we are presenting cheap and easy preparation methods, with some details, for even equipment calibration and some tricks to attain a reliable composite structure for educational purposes. Moreover, the software and solvers used in this study are freely provided by the supplier for educational purposes. This study examined two methods for producing carbon and glass/polyester composite plates and discussed which one was best based on mechanical properties for different volume fractions, random stacking sequences, and ply angles (using OCTAVE's random estimation program). It also determined the three natural frequencies experimentally and with the aid of ANSYS. Less than 6% separated the experimentally determined natural frequencies from the calculated results.

Welded structures are subjected to internal residual stress after manufacturing that may affect the structural strength and normally are associated with an increase on initial geometrical imperfections. This study presents a simplified method to generate an adequate representation of residual stresses on Finite Element models for structural analysis of thin-walled structures and other applications. The results obtained shown that the methodology proposed to introduce residual stresses is simple, accurate and efficient on the modulation of post-welding stresses and their pattern, thus it may be used for simulation of the thermal process.

This paper proposes a method for determining the bridge condition index (BCI) in concrete bridges, which is based on the views of bridge experts. First, eight indices were defined for a concrete bridge including structure, hydrology, safety, load impact, geotechnical and seismicity, strategic importance, facilities, and finally traffic and pavement. Each index consists of several sub-indices. Next, a series of questionnaires about the relative importance of indices and their sub-indices were prepared and distributed among bridge experts. Experts’ views were analyzed by Expert Choice software and the relative importance (weight) of each index and each sub-index was determined using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Then, based on experts’ views, an average score was assigned to each sub-index for any condition. Now the bridge inspectors can examine the bridge and determine the scores of sub-indices. Each index’s score is the sum of the weighted score assigned to its’ sub-indices and BCI is the sum of weighted scores assigned to indices. Higher values of BCI indicate a better condition. Therefore, bridges with lower BCI take priority in maintenance activities. To apply the proposed method, five bridges were selected in Semnan province, Iran, and BCI calculation of these bridges were conducted.

In this paper we give the new formulas for calculating the self-inductance for the circular coils of the rectangular cross sections with the radial and the azimuthal current densities. These formulas are given by the single integration of the elementary functions which are integrable on the interval of the integration. From these new expressions we can obtain the special cases for the self-inductance of the thin disk pancake and the thin wall solenoid that confirm the validity of this approach. For the asymptotic cases, the new formula for the self-inductance of the thin wall solenoid is obtained for the first time in the literature. In this paper we do not use special functions such as the elliptical integrals of the first, second and third kind, Struve, and Bessel functions because that is very tedious work. The results of this work are compared with already different known methods and all results are in the excellent agreement. This is way we consider this approach as the novelty because of its simplicity in the self -inductance calculation of the previously mentioned configurations.

Low temperature cofired ceramics (LTCC) have conquered a niche segment in biological microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) during the last two decades. Since 3-dimensional assembly and rapid prototyping capability are outstanding features of the technology, bioreactors with complex geometry can easily be produced. Particularly needed functions are working electrodes, e.g. for impedance measurements and reference electrodes consisting in platinum or silver-silver chloride. Although the distinct grainy surface of thick film materials influences the double layer properties, data describing the bioelectronic interface and biocompatibility of common thick film materials are rarely published up to now. This works aims to fill this gap by studying the surface properties, composition, electrochemical properties and biocompatibility of commercially available thick film materials. It was found that thick film gold is suitable as electrode material in direct cell contact since an appropriate proliferation of the cell culture was observed. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) coating decreases the absolute value of the zeta potential of thick film gold from 16.55 V to 11.78 mV without any change in vitality of the cells. Thick film platinum layers have a porous structure entailing an enlargement of the effective surface by a factor of 21.6 and can be used as reference instead of silver/silver chloride, which was identified to be incompatible with cell culture. The investigations show that some commercially available cost-effective thick film materials are compatible with cell culture and the here presented data give an orientation for the use of the same in LTCC bioreactors.

Ameloblastoma is an aggressive slow growing benign epithelial odontogenic tumor usually associated with an unerupted third molar. In this report, we present the case of a 71-year-old male with a large swelling on the left mandibular region causing a remarkable facial asymmetry. After clinical, radiological, and histopathological examinations the diagnosis of conventional ameloblastoma was made. To avoid probable recurrence our treatment choice was a segmental mandibular resection with the placement of a reconstructive titanium plate to maintain the space for subsequent bone graft.

The motion of a circular elastic plate floating on the surface is investigated in the time–domain. The solution is found from the single frequency solutions and the method to solve for the circular plate is given using the eigenfunction matching method. Simple plane incident waves with a Gaussian profile in wavenumber space are considered and a more complex focused wave group is considered. Results are given for a range of plate and incident wave parameters are investigated. Code is provided to show how to simulate the complex motion.

The image performance of acoustic and ultrasound sensors depends on several fundamental parameters such as depth of focus or spatial resolution. There are currently two different type of acoustic diffractive lenses: those which form a diffraction-limited spot with a shallow depth of focus (zone plates) and lenses which form an extended focus (quasi-Bessel beams). In this paper, we investigate a pupil-masked Soret zone plate which allows the tunability of a normalized angular spectrum. It is shown that the depth of focus and the spatial resolution can be modified, without changing the lens structure, by choosing the size of the amplitude pupil mask. This effect is based on the transformation of spherically converging waves into quasi-conical waves, due to the apodization of the central part of the zone plate. The theoretical analysis is verified with both numerical simulations and experimental measurements. A Soret zone plate immersed in water with D/2F=2.5 and F=4.5$\lambda$, changes its depth of focus from 2.84$\lambda$ to 5.9$\lambda$ and the spatial resolution increases from 0.81$\lambda$ to 0.64$\lambda$ at a frequency of 250 kHz, by modifying the pupil mask dimensions of the Soret zone plate.

New York State Department of Transportation designates potentially hazardous conditions on bridges as flags. From 1982 until 2006 the flags issued for the bridges owned by New York City underwent all phases typical of crises, including a gradual increase, an exponential expansion, an extended peak, a gradual decline, and a convergence to a higher but manageable level. The attempts to forecast the flag pattern as it was developing are reviewed for possible relevance to management of the transportation infrastructure and in general.

The object of this paper is the bending analysis of isotropic rectangular Kirchhoff plates subjected to non-uniform heating (NUH) using the Fourier transform method. The bottom and top surfaces of the plate are assumed to have different changes in temperature, whereas the change in temperature of the mid-surface is zero. According to classical plate theory, the governing equation of the plate contains second derivatives of the NUH; these derivatives are zero by constant value of the NUH, which leads to its absence in the governing equation. This paper presented an approach by which Fourier sine transform was utilized to describe the NUH, while the double trigonometric series of Navier and the simple trigonometric series of Lévy were utilized to describe the deflection curve. Thus, the NUH appeared in the governing equation, which simplified the analysis. Rectangular plates simply supported along all edges were analyzed, bending moments, twisting moments, and deflections being determined. In addition, rectangular plates simply supported along two opposite edges were analyzed; the other edges having various support conditions (free, simply supported, and fixed).

In past years, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) can be found in every aspect of life, and batteries, as energy storage systems (ESSs), need to offer electric vehicles (EVs) more competition to be accepted in markets for automobiles. Thick electrode design could reduce the use of non-active materials in batteries that its energy density would be improved and its cost would be cut. However, thick electrodes are limited by their weak mechanical stability and poor electrochemical performance, these limitations could be classified as the critical cracking thickness (CCT) and the limited penetration depth (LPD). The understanding of the CCT and the LPD have been proposed and the recent works on breaking the CCT and improving the LPD are listed in this article. By comprising these attempts, some thick electrodes could not offer higher mass loading or higher accessible areal capacity that would defeat the purpose.

Fire behavior of natural rubber latex foam under different thickness conditions(d=1,2and 5cm)were explored though a little of experiments by using the self-built small scale experimental platform. It can be shown that the flame spread law of thermally thin and thermally thickness are different. Natural rubber latex foam with thickness of 2cm show higher fire risk, which value of flame spread rate, maximum flame height, maximum mass loss rate and maximum temperature is 0.00293m/s, 851.875mm, 1.83g/s, 948K,repectively.That may because the thickness of residue formed of thermally thick materials is larger than the thin one, obstructing the contact of the natural rubber latex foam with fresh air .In addition, a special phenomenon is noticed that during the second stage, the bottom unburned zone located in the four edges(thermally thin material) and middle player(thermally thick material).

In this paper the possibility of harvesting energy from the vibrations of a plate is analyzed. The harvester takes the form of a cantilever dynamic vibration absorber equipped with a piezoelectric layer and tuned by means of a tip mass to the first mode of vibration of the plate. A mathematical model of the coupled system composed of the plate and the harvester is presented. The validity of the proposed harvester is proved by means of simulations carried out with the modal expansions approach. Simulation results highlighting the effect of harvester tuning and location are presented as well. Then the validity of the harvester is confirmed by experimental tests carried out both with a concentrated impulsive load and with a distributed pressure load. Simulations and experimental tests show that the cantilever piezoelectric dynamic vibration absorber generates open circuit voltage an order of magnitude larger than the one generated by the same piezoelectric layer when directly bonded to the plate surface.

We proposed a novel concept of flight time matrix (FTM). In this work, the proposed FTM was verified first numerically. The numerical simulation revealed perfect results which showed that FTM can be used to assist the nondestructive evaluation of ballistic armor plates using acousto-ultrasonics. Two donated commercial ballistic armor plates were sought for a case study where artificial defects were prepared. The results of FTM were reasonably well. The artificial defects were clearly identifiable in one directional location array and FTM contour graphs. More comprehensive superimpositions of flight time vs location and FTM contour plots can be advanced to a better visualization of the defect presence. The resolution of FTM method is in the range of submillimeter or less. This study demonstrated that AU (acousto-ultrasonics) technique is a field applicable and yet reliable tool for inspection of the hidden defects in body armors. A broader merit of the proposed FTM algorithm is that it may promote the development of specific tools/device for nondestructive evaluations field.

Non-destructive testing is an emerging need in manufacturing processes and in service of ballis-tic armor plates. It has been shown that acoustic emission and ultrasonics are among the most applicable techniques. However, these techniques often require relative sophisticated processing and strong tech background for the evaluators. The purpose of the present work is to develop a flight time based algorithm and to demonstrate this algorithm using commercial multilayered armor plates. We proposed a novel concept of flight time matrix (FTM). In this work, the proposed FTM was verified first numerically. The numerical simulation revealed perfect results which showed that FTM can be used to assist the nondestructive evaluation of ballistic armor plates using acous-to-ultrasonics. Two donated commercial ballistic armor plates were sought for a case study where artificial defects were prepared. The results of FTM were reasonably well. The artificial defects were clearly identifiable in one directional location array and FTM contour graphs. More com-prehensive superimpositions of flight time vs location and FTM contour plots can be advanced to a better visualization of the defect presence. The resolution of FTM method is in the range of submillimeter or less. This study demonstrated that AU (acousto-ultrasonics) technique is a field applicable and yet reliable tool for inspection of the hidden defects in body armors. A broader merit of the proposed FTM algorithm is that it may promote the development of specific tools/device for nondestructive evaluations field.

The rate of accidents in Morocco is experiencing a significant increase. Automatic license plate detection and recognition (ALPR) is an essential road safety technology. It facilitates applications such as traffic control, law enforcement, and toll collection by allowing for the automated recognition of vehicles on the road. In this study, we incorporated ShuffleNet V2 into the end-to-end YOLOV5 object detection system. The objective was to develop a model capable of identifying Moroccan license plates with an accuracy of 87%. The proposed model is intended to attain a high processing performance of 60 frames per second (FPS) while maintaining a low weight of 1.3 megabytes (MB) and a parameter count of 0.44 million floating point operations (MGFLOP). Our model maintains superior performance and is highly compatible with embedded systems compared to other models utilized in the same context.

In this paper, a further mathematical analysis of some previous results of the author’s ongoing investigation regarding Prandtl’s equations is accomplished. In particular, the objective of the present work is the performance of an approximate explicit solution to Prandtl’s system of equations for a laminar, isothermal, incompressible and steady boundary layer flow of a Newtonian fluid, over an infinite horizontal flat plate.

In this research, the photocatalytic degradation of cypermethrin using Fe-TiO2 nanoparticles supported in a biomaterial was evaluated. The nanoparticles of TiO2 were synthesized by the green chemistry method assisted by ultrasound and doped by chemical impregnation using molar ratios Fe:Ti of 0, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1, to make efficient use of direct sunlight (λ>310 nm). All nanoparticles were immobilized on the surface of spathe of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). The degradation was carried out at room temperature and natural pH in a flat plate solar reactor, on which the composite material was subjected. The concentration of cypermethrin was determined after 12000 J/m2 of accumulated radiation from GC-MS and the resulting material was characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis spectrophotometry of diffuse reflectance and BET surface area BET surface area. The best results were achieved with the use of Degussa TiO2 P-25, Fe:Ti=0 and Fe:Ti=0.05 in suspension, with percentages of degradation of cypermethrin of 99.84, 99.62, and 100%, respectively. However, the materials supported on the biomaterial of coconut, they allowed to reach degradation percentages higher than 80% with the advantage that it minimizes operating costs, since they are not necessary filtering or centrifuging processes to separate the catalyst.

This paper presents results from numerical simulations validated by experimental results related to the effects of DSSI on the dynamic response of bridges. An in-service overpass was shaken using the T-Rex, a large-amplitude mobile shaker from the National Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) facilities. Studies implementing Finite Element Modeling to develop time histories, response spectra, and eigenmodes were conducted in a forward-modeling problem setup. Two models were created to assess the DSSI effects on the dynamic response of the bridge. One model included elements that incorporate DSSI effects, while the other had fixed-base boundary conditions. The response from the DSSI FEM model matched the field results better than the fixed-base model, in terms of the peak response amplitudes and identified natural frequencies and modes. The influence of a series of factors, such as the soil shear wave velocity, bridge height, bridge foundation embedment depth and the corresponding rigidity, slenderness, and embedment ratios, on the bridge response is presented.

Molecular motors play a vital role in the transport of material within the cell. A family of motors of growing interest are burnt bridge ratchets (BBRs). BBRs rectify spatial fluctuations into directed motion by creating and destroying motor-substrate bonds. It has been shown that the motility of a BBR can be optimized as a function of the system parameters. However, the amount of energy input required to generate such motion and the resulting efficiency has been less well characterized. Here, using a deterministic model, we calculate the efficiency of a particular type of BBR, namely a polyvalent hub interacting with a surface of substrate. We find that there is an optimal burn rate and substrate concentration that leads to optimal efficiency. Additionally, the substrate turnover rate has important implications on motor efficiency. We also consider the effects of force-dependent unbinding on the efficiency and find that under certain conditions the motor works more efficiently when bond breaking is included. Our results provide guidance for how to optimize the efficiency of BBRs.

The economic development and infrastructure of a nation are closely interrelated. In addition, public trust in national infrastructure facilities is closely linked to the preservation of the advantages provided by these facilities to the public. Since the 1970s, Korea has achieved exponential economic growth over a short period of time and the number of infrastructure facilities has increased correspondingly. This compressed economic development has been underpinned by the national infrastructure, whose safety and usability have been excluded from the scope of the development. However, after around 30 years, structural deterioration coupled with general insensitivity to safety in today’s society has considerably reduced public trust in using the infrastructure. Realistically, policies that mainly focus on developing new technologies related to infrastructure construction have led to practical limitations that discourage the development of technologies for maintenance or inspection. Furthermore, current maintenance works face certain limitations caused by various reasons: insufficient budget, increasing number of infrastructure facilities requiring maintenance, shortage of manpower, and rapidly increasing number of aging infrastructure facilities. To overcome these limitations, a new approach is required that is different from general inspection methods under the existing rules and regulations. In this context, this study aimed to explore the efficiency of bridge inspection and maintenance by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that could observe inaccessible areas, could be conveniently and easily controlled, and could offer high economic benefits. To this end, various tests were performed on elevated bridges, and suitable UAV images were obtained. The obtained UAV images were inspected by using machine vision technology, thereby excluding subjective evaluations by humans. Methods for enhancing the objectivity of the inspection were also discussed. The test results showed that both the efficiency and objectivity of the proposed method were better than those of the existing bridge maintenance and inspection methods.

Recent researches proved that the underbridge geometry can be reconstructed by mounting a 3D laser scanner on a motorized cart travelling on a walkway located under the bridge. The walkway is moved by a truck and the accuracy of the bridge model depends on the accuracy of the trajectory of the scanning head with respect to a fixed reference system. In this paper, we describe the metrological characterization of a method that uses non-contact systems to identify the relative motion of the cart with respect to the walkway; the orientation of the walkway with respect to the bridge is determined using inclinometers and optical rails, while the position of the truck with respect to the bridge is measured using a conventional odometer. The measurement uncertainty of the proposed system was initially evaluated by numerical simulations and successively verified by experiments in laboratory conditions. The complete system has then been tested in operative conditions; the validity of the proposed approach has been demonstrated by comparing the geometry of buildings reconstructed with the proposed system with the geometry obtained with a static scan. Results evidenced that the errors are approximately 6 mm.

Запропонована методика спрямована на визначення та прогнозування технічного стану елементів мосту, що може слугувати прогресивним інженерним інструментом для оцінки надійності та довговічності. Розроблено на основі фундаментальних досліджень, які узагальнюють досвід вивчення фізико-механічних і фізико-хімічних властивостей матеріалів мостових конструкцій, що експлуатуються в реальних умовах. Теоретичною основою методики є модель надійності та прогнозування залишкового ресурсу елементів мосту на основі теорії Маркова. Розроблена методика призначена для оцінки технічного стану окремих елементів мосту з подальшою комплексною оцінкою всієї конструкції. За показник технічного стану прийнята надійність при експлуатації. Цей кількісний показник надійності в моделі є критерієм для: оцінки рівня безпеки елементів мосту; ранжування елементів мосту за необхідністю для конкретних видів ремонту, реконструкції або заміни; стратегічне планування витрат на ремонт або реконструкцію в умовах обмеженого фінансування; прогнозування залишкового ресурсу елементів. Для застосування розробленої методики запропоновано алгоритм оцінки та прогнозування технічного стану мостів. Було проведено математичний експеримент розробленої методики, який підтвердив адекватність висунутої гіпотези, тобто використання моделі надійності та прогнозування залишкового ресурсу елементів мосту. По-перше, запропоновано триступеневий механізм уточнення технічного стану мосту, суттєво підвищення точності розрахунків. Тому розроблена методика має практичне значення і може слугувати основою для інформаційно-аналітичних систем управління станом мостів.

Carbon nanomaterial is widely used in structural health monitoring due to the advantage of sensitivity and good mechanical properties. This study presents a novel approach employing carbon nanocomposite materials (CNM) to characterize deformation and damage evolution in physical modelling. As the primary measurement method, the CNM is used to investigate the deformation characteristics of a 200-400 m thick sandstone bed at a 1 km deep longwall mine. The sandstone unit is identified as an ultra-thick key stratum (UTKS), with its thicknesses varying across different mining panels of the UTKS. The results of CNM monitoring show that the UTKS remains stable even after a consecutive excavation of 900 m in width. This stability impedes the upward propagation of overlying strata failure, leading to minimal surface subsidence. The study demonstrates the huge potential of CNM in the mining area, which can be useful for investigating material damage in physical modelling studies. The findings suggest that the cumulative extraction width in individual mining areas of the mine should be controlled to avoid a sudden collapse of the UTKS, and that special attention should be paid to where the UTKS's thickness changes substantially. The substantial variation in UTKS thickness significantly impacts the pattern of overburden subsidence.

Broad-spectrum antifungal drug deployed for topical therapy, specific for onychomycosis, Itraconazole was used as the active pharmaceutical ingredient in a nail lacquer formulation¹. The objective of the study was to optimize an antifungal nail lacquer, which when applied topically onto the dorsal surface of the nail plate would facilitate the transungual penetration of the drug. Itraconazole hydrochloride was synthesized to aid the formulation of the lacquers. The optimization involved comparing four different formulations of 1%w/w Itraconazole nail lacquers containing combinations of penetration enhancers (Papain, Salicylic acid, Urea) based on their ability to facilitate diffusion of the drug through the nail plate over five days. The drug uptake was quantified by extracting the drug from the nail clippings and analyzing it. The tests conducted to account for the quality of the optimized formulation were drug content, spread ability, check for precipitation, and accelerated stability. The results demonstrated that the optimized 1%w/w Itraconazole nail lacquer contained 5%w/w Papain, 5 %w/w Salicylic Acid, and 2.8% w/w Urea. The drug uptake from nail clippings was higher than the literature derived reference MIC90 value for T. Rubrum strain, and the quality of the optimized lacquer was not compromised throughout three weeks [2]. The hypothesis stated that the inclusion of Salicylic acid, Papain, and Urea in an Itraconazole (1%w/w) nail lacquer would have the highest transungual penetration on application to the nail plate. In conclusion, the hypothesis was accepted, and the optimized lacquer passed the drug uptake evaluation and all quality control tests.

Given the existing movable rotating plate type grading device for potatoes with a high safety factor and heavy mass, the body frame of the grading device and movable rotating plate were optimized and a lightweight design was carried out. Based on ANSYS Workbench 2022, the static analysis of the body frame before and after improvement was compared, and it was verified that the strength and deformation of the optimized body frame met the design requirements, and the weight of the optimized body frame was reduced by 32.3%. Based on the direct optimization module of ANSYS Workbench 2022, the plate length, width, and height were used as design variables for the lightweight design of the movable rotating plate. The MOGA algorithm was used to generate sixty design solutions, and the optimal combination of size parameters for the plate was 610 mm, 95mm, and1.2 mm. Compared with the whole grading device before optimization, the total mass was reduced by 22.86% after optimization. The research of this article provides a reference for the structural design and optimization analysis of potato grading devices.

New innovative green concepts in electrified vertical take-off and landing vehicles currently emerge as a revolution to urban mobility going into the third dimension (vertically). The high population density of cities makes the market share highly attractive while posing an extraordinary challenge for community acceptance due to the increasing and possibly noisier commuter traffic. In addition to passenger transport, package deliveries to customers by drones may enter the market. The new challenges associated with this increasing transportation need in urban, rural and populated areas pose challenges for established companies and startups to deliver low-noise emission products. The article's objective is to revisit the benefits and drawbacks of an affordable acoustic measurement campaign focused on early prototyping. In the very early phase of product development, often considerably limited resources are available. With this in mind, the article discusses the sound power results using the enveloping surface method in a typically available low-reflection room with a reflecting floor according to DIN EN ISO 3744:2011-02. The method is applied to a subsonic electric ducted fan (EDF) unit of a 1:2 scaled electrified vertical take-off and landing vehicle. The results show that considerable information at low costs can be gained for the early prototyping stage, despite this easy-to-use, easy-to-realize, and not fine-tuned measurement setup. Furthermore, the limitations and improvements to a possible experimental setup are presented to discuss a potentially more ideal measurement environment. Measurements at discrete operating points and transient measurements across the total operating range were conducted to provide complete information on the EDF's acoustic behavior. The rotor-self noise and the rotor-stator interaction were identified as primary tonal sound sources, along with the highest broadband noise sources located on the rotor. Based on engineering experience, a first acoustic improvement treatment is also quantified with a sound power level reduction of 4dB(A). In conclusion, the presented method is a beneficial first measurement campaign to quantify the acoustic properties of an electric ducted fan unit at minimal resources in a reasonable time of several weeks when starting from scratch.

Optical switches are a key element in modern network communications. We present the results of experimental verification of a new theoretical concept proposed earlier for a full-optical wavelength-selective dual-channel switch based on the photonic hook effect, which is free from using any micro-mechanical devices or nonlinear materials. A large-scale laboratory prototype of such a device based on an off-axis Wood zone plate is considered and its main parameters in the millimeter wavelength range are investigated On the basis of the experiments, we show that the optical isolation of switched channels for a switch based on an off-axis zone plate can achieve 15 dB at a frequency difference of 25 GHz in frequency range from 93 to 136 GHz. Given the scaling, these results can be transferred to another range, including the optical one.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition is a computer vision technology that provides a way to recognize the vehicles number plates without direct human intervention. Developing Automatic Number Plate Recognition methodologies is a widely studied topic among the computer vision community to increase the accuracy rates. Although there are many studies, the research in character segmentation and improving the recognition accuracy remains limited. In this study, a new methodology is proposed to reduce the character recognition errors of Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems. To achieve this, it will be determined whether the characters are letters or numbers, and the number plates will be expressed in the form of letters - digit. The method suggested for segmenting blobs correctly worked with an accuracy of 96.12% on the test dataset. The method suggested for generating letter-digit expression for the number plates correctly worked with an accuracy of 99.28% on the test dataset. The proposed methodology can work only on Turkish number plates. In the future studies, the proposed methodology can be expanded by using the number plate dataset of a different country.

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.

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.

It is challenging to apply heat flow through a thermal bridge, which requires the analysis of 2D or 3D heat transfer to building energy simulation(BES). Research on the dynamic analysis of thermal bridges has been underway for many years, but their utilization remains low in BESs. This paper proposes a thermal bridge modeling and a dynamic analysis method that can be easily applied to BESs. The main idea begins with an analogy of the steady-state analysis of thermal bridges. As with steady-state analysis, the proposed method first divides the thermal bridge into a clear wall, where the heat flow is uniform, and the sections that are not the clear wall (the thermal bridge part). For the clear wall part, the method used in existing BESs is applied and analyzed. The thermal bridge part (TB part) is modeled with the linear time-invariant system (LTI system) and the system identification process is performed to find the transfer function. Then, the heat flow is obtained via a linear combination of the two parts. This method is validated by comparing the step, sinusoidal and annual outdoor temperature response of the finite differential method(FDM) simulation. When the thermal bridge was modeled as a third-order model, the root mean square error(RMSE) of annual heat flow with the FDM solution of heat flow through the entire wall was about 0.1W.

Scouring is the most common cause of bridge failure. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in determining scour depth around composite bridge piers. The experimental data, attained in different conditions and various pile cap locations, were used to obtain the ANN model and to compare the results of the model with most well-known empirical, HEC-18 and FDOT, methods. The data were divided into training and evaluation sets. The ANN models were trained using the experimental data, and their efficiency was evaluated using statistical test. The results showed that to estimate scour at the composite piers, feedforward propagation network with three neurons in the hidden layer and hyperbolic sigmoid tangent transfer function was with the highest accuracy. The results also indicated a better estimation of the scour depth by the proposed ANN than the empirical methods.

One new cassane diterpene possessing an unusual N bridge between C-19 and C-20 named caesalsappanin R (1), as well as another new diterpene caesalsappanin S (2), were isolated from the seeds of Caesalpinia sappan with methanol extract. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and examined alongside existing data from prior studies. Their biological activities were profiled by their antiplasmodial activity.

The design of binders plays a pivotal role in achieving enduring high power in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and extending their overall lifespan. This review underscores the indispensable characteristics that a binder must possess when utilized in LIBs, considering factors such as electrochemical, thermal, and dispersion stability, compatibility with electrolytes, solubility in solvents, mechanical properties, and conductivity. In the case of anode materials, binders with robust mechanical properties and elasticity are imperative to uphold electrode integrity, par-ticularly in materials experiencing substantial volume changes. For cathode materials, the se-lection of a binder hinges on the crystal structure of the cathode material. Other vital consid-erations in binder design encompass cost-effectiveness, adhesion, processability, and envi-ronmental friendliness. Incorporating low-cost, eco-friendly, and biodegradable polymers can contribute significantly to sustainable battery development. This review serves as an invaluable resource for comprehending the prerequisites of binder design in high-performance LIBs and offers insights into binder selection for diverse electrode materials. The findings and principles articulated in this review can be extrapolated to other advanced battery systems, charting a course for the development of next-generation batteries characterized by enhanced perfor-mance and sustainability.

Fibreglass composite plates are used for applications ranging from aerospace and automotive industries to construction industry. Vibroacoustic properties of the fibreglass plate has been investigated for different boundary conditions. The theory of the plate vibration and sound radiation has been used to determine the deflection of the composite plate at different locations on its surface. 3-Dimentional (3D) deformations and their corresponding contour velocities of plate have been computed for a range of frequencies. It has been shown that clamping the plate at four edges delayed first resonance of the plate by 15 Hz and second resonance of the plate by 30 Hz. Vibroacoustic indicators and the radiation impedance matrix of the plate have also been calculated. The results of this study show that fibreglass plate could be used in building industry to dampen the vibration of machine and structural vibration of buildings, and to sandwich building structures to form panels in order to attenuate airborne sound and to lower noise transmission of structural borne sound

The problem of filling the bone cavity remains relevant in maxillofacial and oral surgery. There is a large selection of osteotropic materials of various natures for filling of bone defects of different etiology. The aim of our research was to improve the result of surgical treatment in a patient with a complicated mandibular fracture with the use of collagenic xenograft during osteosynthesis. In this article, we introduce our experience in the treatment of a patient with a complicated mandibular angle fracture in a combination with the follicular cyst. The obligate steps of treatment included stabilization of the bony fragments, a decrease of risk in fracture line malposition along with titan mini- plates, and shortening in the time of bone regeneration due to a filling of bone defect with the osteotropic material. This approach allowed us to reduce the rehabilitation period and further prosthetic treatment after 4-5 months without additional bone grafting manipulations. Though, the use of collagen osteotropic material, possessing osteoconductive properties, can improve the treatment of patients with mandibular fractures.

Plate fin-tube heat exchangers are widely used in air conditioning and refrigeration systems and other industry fields. Various errors made in the manufacturing process can result in the formation of an air gap between the tube and fin. Several numerical simulations were carried out for a symmetric section of plate fin-tube heat exchanger to study the influence of air gap on heat transfer under periodic flow conditions. Different locations and sizes of an air gap spanning 1/2 circumference of the tube were considered for the range of airflow velocities. Velocity and temperature fields for cases with air gap were compared with ideal thermal contact cases. Blocking of heat flow by the gap leads to the reduction of heat transfer rate. Fin discontinuity in the front of the tube causes the smallest reduction of the heat transfer rate in comparison to the ideal tube-fin contact, especially for thin slits. The rear gap position is the worst in the smallest gap range. Therefore, reversing the flow direction can lead to up to a 15% heat transfer increase, if mainly the rear gaps are present. The introduction of a thin slit in the front of the tube leads to convective heat transfer enhancement, which should be further investigated.

An equilibrium problem of the Kirchhoff-Love plate containing a nonhomogeneous inclusion is considered. It is assumed that elastic properties of the inclusion depend on a small parameter characterizing width of the inclusion $\varepsilon$ as $\varepsilon^N$ with $N<1$. The passage to the limit as the parameter $\varepsilon$ tends to zero is justified, and an asymptotic model of a plate containing a thin inhomogeneous hard inclusion is constructed. It is shown that there exists two types of thin inclusions: rigid inclusion ($N<-1$) and elastic inclusion ($N=-1$). The inhomogeneity disappears in the case of $N\in (-1,1)$.

MEMThe PdNi film hydrogen sensors with Wheatstone bridge structure were designed and fabricated by the micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology. The integrated sensors consisted of four PdNi alloy film resistors. The interval two of them were shielded with silicon nitride film and used as reference resistance, while the others were used for hydrogen sensing. The PdNi alloy films and SiN films were deposited by magnetron sputtering. The morphology and microstructure of the PdNi films were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD). The output resistance signal was converted to millivolt output voltage signal for easy data acquisition. Hydrogen (H2) sensing properties of PdNi film hydrogen sensor with Wheatstone bridge structure was investigated under different temperatures (30℃, 50℃ and 70℃) and H2 concentrations (from 10 ppm to 0.4%). The hydrogen sensor demonstrated good response at different hydrogen concentrations and high repeatability in cycle testing under 0.4% H2 concentration. Under 10ppm hydrogen, the PdNi film hydrogen sensor had evident and collectable output voltage of 600 μV.

Many various using of this new-born fuzzy model for solving real-world problems and urgent requirements involve introducing new concept for analyzing the situations which leads to solve them by proper, quick and ecient method based on statistical data. This gap between the model and its solution cause that we introduce nikfar domination in neutrosophic graphs as creative and eective tool for studying a few selective vertices of this model instead of all ones by using special edges. Being special selection of these edges aect to achieve quick and proper solution to these problems. Domination hasn't ever been introduced. So we don't have any comparison with another denitions. The most used graphs which have properties of being complete, empty, bipartite, tree and like stu and they also achieve the names for themselves, are studied as fuzzy models for getting nikfar dominating set or at least becoming so close to it. We also get the relations between this special edge which plays main role in doing dominating with other special types of edges of graph like bridges. Finally, the relation between this number with other special numbers and characteristic of graph like order are discussed.

The past two decades has seen a growing demand for high-power, high-voltage utility scale inverters mostly fueled by the integration of large solar PV and wind farms. Multilevel inverters have emerged as the industry choice for these megawatt range inverters because their reduced voltage stress, capable of generating an almost sinusoidal voltage, in-built redundancy, among others. This paper present a new Switched-Source Multilevel Inverter (SS MLI) architecture. The new inverter show superior over existing topologies. It has reduced voltage stress on the semiconductor, uses less number of switches –reduced size/weight/cost and increased efficiency. The new SSMLI is comprised of two voltage sources (V₁, V₂) and 6 switches. It is capable of generating 5-level output voltage in symmetric modes (i.e., V₁ = V₂), and 7-level output voltage in asymmetric modes (i.e., V₁ ≠ V₂). To demonstrate the validity of the proposed inverter, simulations results using MATLAB^® /Simulink^® for 5- and 7-level output voltages are presented . The simulations are also verified experimentally using a laboratory prototype.

The stiffness of the myosin cross-bridges is a key factor in analysing possible scenarios to explain myosin head changes during force generation in active muscles. The seminal study of Huxley and Simmons (1971: Nature 233: 533) suggested that most of the observed half-sarcomere instantaneous compliance (=1/stiffness) resides in the myosin heads. They showed with a so-called T₁ plot that, after a very fast release, the half-sarcomere tension reduced to zero after a step size of about 60Å (later with improved experiments reduced to 40Å). However, later X-ray diffraction studies showed that myosin and actin filaments themselves stretch slightly under tension, which means that most (at least two-thirds) of the half sarcomere compliance comes from the filaments and not from cross-bridges. Here we have used a different approach, namely to model the compliances in a virtual half sarcomere structure in silico. We confirm that the T₁ curve comes almost entirely from length changes in the myosin and actin filaments, because the calculated cross-bridge stiffness (probably greater than 0.4 pN/Å) is higher than previous studies have suggested. In the light of this, we present a plausible modified scenario to describe aspects of the myosin cross-bridge cycle in active muscle. In particular, we suggest that, apart from the filament compliances, most of the cross-bridge contribution to the instantaneous T₁ response comes from weakly-bound myosin heads, not myosin heads in strongly attached states. The strongly attached heads would still contribute to the T₁ curve, but only in a very minor way, with a stiffness that we postulate could be around 0.1 pN/Å, a value which would generate a working stroke close to 100 Å from the hydrolysis of one ATP molecule. The new program can serve as a tool to calculate sarcomere elastic properties for any vertebrate striated muscle once various parameters have been determined (e.g. tension, T₁ intercept, temperature, X-ray diffraction spacing results).

In the steeply inclined and extremely thick coal seams (SIETCS) mined using the horizontal sublevel top-coal caving (HSTCC) method, the uncertainty of gas emission is a safety threat to the mining operations. In order to reduce the occurrence of accidents, the determination of gas emission is crucial. In this paper, we first proposed a prediction model for workers at the floor coalbed to calculate gas emission on site. We then put forward a finite element numerical simulation for researchers to predict gas emission from the floor coalbed. At last, we measured gas emitted from the floor coalbed of SIETCS in Wudong Coal Mine in a specific mining period and used the data to verify the applicability and accuracy of these two gas-emission prediction methods. The results showed that the gas emission from Wudong Coal Mine was 1.08 m³/min calculated based on the prediction model and 1.07 m³/min obtained using the user-defined integration method. Both methods have their own advantages, disadvantages and applicable objects, and are important in predicting gas emission from SIETCS mined using HSTCC method.

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) are extensively employed in the aerospace industry due to their excellent properties. Delamination damage occurring at critical locations in CFRP can seriously reduce the safety of in-service components. The detection and localization of delamination damage using Lamb waves hold significant potential for widespread application in non-destructive testing. However, the choice of damage localization algorithm may produce different delamination damage localization results. This research presented an IRAPID (improved reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of defects) method derived from the ORAPID (original reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of defects) method, aiming to improve the accuracy and reliability of delamination damage localization. Three CFRP bending plates, including a healthy bending plate and two bending plates with delamination damage sizes of Φ20 mm and Φ40 mm, were prepared in the experiment, respectively. The detection experiment of the CFRP bending plate using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) as a transducer to excite and receive Lamb waves was conducted, and the influence of excitation signal frequency on the performance of the proposed method was discussed. Under the condition of excitation signal frequency of 220 ~ 320 kHz and step size of 10 kHz, the accuracy of the delamination damage localization method proposed in this paper was compared with that of the existing methods. The experimental results indicate that the IRAPID algorithm exhibits good stability in the localization of delamination damage across the frequency variations range considered. The localization error of the IRAPID algorithm for delamination damage is significantly lower than that of the DaS (delay-and-sum) algorithm and the ORAPID algorithm. As the size of the delamination damage increases, so does the localization error. The accuracy of delamination damage localization is lower in the X-axis direction than in the Y-axis direction. By averaging the localization results across various frequencies, we can mitigate the potential localization errors associated with single-frequency detection to a certain extent. For the localization of delamination damage, Lamb waves at multiple frequencies can be employed for detection, and the detection results at each frequency are averaged to enhance the reliability of localization.

Introduction: PP, also called plantar ligament, is a fibrocartilaginous structure found in the metatarsophalangeal (MP) and interphalangeal (IP) joints. The aim of our study is to evaluate the role of MRI, both in standard position and with joint hyperextension, “stress test” (ST), in the study of the plantar plate (PP) disease that involves metatarsophalangeal joints. Material and methods: 25 patients were recruited into our study over a two-year period, 15 positive for metatarsal pain and 10 controls. All symptomatic patients were evaluated before treatment (surgery). Hence, the imaging features were reflective of the natural and true state of the lesions. Results:25 patients were recruited into our study over a two-year period, 15 positive for metatarsal pain and 10 controls. In symptomatic patients: 11/15 demonstrated plantar plate tear/dysfunction on both standard position and stress test, 2/15 had plantar plate tear on stress test (tear not showed on standard position), and 2/12 had no plantar plate tear on both standard position and stress test. The latter two patients showed dorsal subluxation on stress test due to micro-instability for plantar plate failure. In asymptomatic patients, 9/10 were negative for plantar plate dysfunction, and 1/10 was positive for plantar plate dysfunction (dorsal subluxation demonstrated only on stress test), without plantar plate tear. Conclusion:Standard MRI reported, in asymptomatic patients, a specificity of 100% and high NPV (90%), incremented by the ST (NPV and specificity 100%). In symptomatic patients, PP evaluation on standard MRI reported sensitivity of 80%, while stress test increased sensitivity to 100%; in the evaluation of dorsal subluxation of the metatarsophalangeal joint, the sensitivity was 60% (standard MRI) but reached 100% with ST. "Stress test" is an easy task to perform and even affordable in terms of time-consuming (requiring only one additional T2-weighted MRI sequence) for both patients and operators.

This paper describes methods for evaluating the thermal properties of textile materials, clothing composites, and clothing using an integrated measurement system that includes a hot plate, a multi-purpose differential conductometer, a thermal manikin, a temperature gradient measurement device, and a device for measuring the physiological parameters of the human body during the exact evaluation of garment thermal comfort. In practice, measurements were taken on four types of materials widely used in the production of conventional and protective clothing. The measurements were carried out using a hot plate and a multi-purpose differential conductometer, determining the thermal resistances of the material in its uncompressed form and a force that was ten times greater than that needed to determine its thickness. Using a hot plate and a multi-purpose differential conductometer, thermal resistances of textile materials were assessed at different levels of material compression. On hot plates, both conduction and convection had an impact on thermal resistance, but in multi-purpose differential conductometer, only conduction did. Moreover, the reduction of thermal resistance was observed while compressing textile materials.

We propose a new approach of extending the laser filament plasma channel. By adding a circular aperture quartz plate before the focusing lens, the extension of the plasma channel is doubled. The effects of different diameters, thicknesses of the circular aperture quartz plate and different pulse energies on the length of the plasma channel were investigated. The experimental results show that the thickness of the quartz plate and the depth of the hole have little effects on the plasma channel of the filament, and the diameter of the hole in the center of the quartz plate has a significant effect on the length of the optical filament. The moving-focus model is used to explain the extension of the optical filament.

Culture systems for 3-dimensional tissues, such as multicellular spheroids, are indispensable for high-throughput screening of primary or patient-derived xenograft (PDX)-expanded cancer tissues. Oxygen supply to the center of such spheroids is particularly critical for maintaining cellular functions as well as avoiding the development of a necrotic core. In this study, we evaluated 2 methods to enhance oxygen supply: (1) using culture plate with gas-permeable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane at its bottom and (2) embedding hydrogel beads in the spheroids. Culturing spheroids on PDMS increased cell growth and affected glucose/lactate metabolism and CYP3A4 mRNA expression and subsequent enzyme activity. The spheroids comprised 5000 Hep G2 cells and 5000 20 µm-diameter hydrogel beads did not develop a necrotic core for 9 days when cultured on a gas-permeable sheet. In contrast, central necrosis in spheroids lacking hydrogel beads was observed after day 3 of culture, even when using PDMS. These results indicate that the combination of gas-permeable culture equipment and embedded hydrogel beads improves culture 3D spheroids produced from primary or PDX-expanded tumor cells.

Rapid diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction is critical for intervention and treatment to decrease morbidity and mortality. For this reasons, this study aimed to design a sensitive biosensor for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) for early prediction and intervention. The sensor was designed from golden plate immobilized with anti- cTnI antibody conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme. The rate of degradation of H2O2 is directly related to serum cTnI level. Serum cTnI level was quantified from 3 studied groups including; healthy subjects and patients with ischemic heart (IHD) diseases and myocardial infarction (MI) by ELISA and biosensor techniques to achieve the improved sensitivity of the biosensor. It was found that cTnI levels in healthy subjects ranged from 8-13 ng/dl and in patients with IHD ranged from 20 - 41 ng/dl and MI range from 57- 180 ng/dl. The sensitivity of biosensor was ranged from 85-95% compared with ELISA technique. The developed biosensor is promising in ICU hospitals for early diagnosis and prevent complications of the stroke. It is recommended to apply this biosensor in the large scale of patients with different stages of the cardiac disease.

The article presents the issues related to load sharing in direct current grid and a novel control method which has advantages over known solutions. Unlikely of many similar sounding papers this article shows attempt of creation fully controllable non-isolated system which allows load sharing between permanent magnet alternator equipped with machine side converter (MSC) and dual active bridge (DAB) tied to batteries or supercapacitor. The power sharing is essential feature of parallel connected direct current generators and all types of voltage sources in this way are contributing power to the system. Such system should have possibility of the rapid voltage build up in the case of sudden electrical load changes. To keep the optimal efficiency of the alternator the rotational speed changes according to proper mapping of driving combustion engine. When rotational speed is too low then sudden electrical load can cause significant voltage drop and time needed for voltage build up will vary according to RPM increase. In such situations the undervoltage system can trip the breaker and finally there may be a blackout. To avoid such problem the DC systems which consist of batteries and supercapacitor were introduced. System components include a self-excited synchronous generator (SESG) operating at variable shaft speed as well as batteries and supercapacitors that provide electricity for sudden electrical load changes on the distribution grid. The core of presented system is in power distribution method which consists of programmed controllers structure allowing precise currents distribution. A novelty in the proposed method is the use of a cascaded system of current and DC voltage regulators which allows power distribution precise control. In contrary to previously presented solutions, the proposed system allows fast and accurate control of currents loading parallel connected DC voltage sources for wide range generator speed changes. In presented solution both converters have been equipped with Schottky diodes preventing flow of equalizing currents between closed transistors in the parallel mode of operation. An experimental test-stand of the described system is presented with its theoretical basis and experimental results.

Amylin, also known as islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), is a metabolic homeostasis-related hormone that is produced and released by the β cells of the pancreas, the same cells that produce insulin. Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is a protease enzyme that plays an essential role in the breakdown and degradation of various peptides, including insulin and amylin. Direct binding & interaction between amylin and IDE is inextricably linked to the degradation of amylin, and research and development effort in this area is crucial to understand the potential therapeutic implications of disrupting the IDE-amylin interaction in the context of conditions where metabolic homeostasis needs to be regulated, such as diabetes and obesity. Here, this article incorporates currently available experimental complex structure of amylin and IDE, and delves deep into the interstructural biophysics underlying the binding interface of the two interacting partners. With a set of comprehensive structural biophysical analysis, this article identified an intriguing region of high electrostatic potential indicative of strong binding sites between the first N-terminal lysine (Lys1, K1) residue of amylin and Glu341 (E341) of IDE. This unique electrostatic hotspot presented herein paves the way for the rational design of drug-like small molecules that can selectively disrupt this interaction, offering a targeted therapeutic strategy for improved metabolic homeostasis, particularly for patients with diabetes and obesity.

To solve the problem of complex sensor installation and easy damage in contact displacement measurement, a non-contact measurement method of brace displacement in bridge swivel construction based on binocular vision is proposed in this study. Combined with monitoring data in a swivel construction interchange project, binocular vision system was compared and analyzed with the traditional displacement meter and total station. Results showed that force versus displacement variation plots were obtained by binocular visual measurement in the weighing test, the inflection point can be clearly distinguished, and the position of the inflection point was the same as that of the displacement meter; monitoring data of binocular vision measurement and total station were compared and analyzed in the bridge swivel process, the average error was no more than 0.18 mm, the maximum error was no more than 0.42 mm, and the standard deviation was no more than 0.12. The method proposed in this study can be used as an alternative to displacement meter and total station measurement methods in bridge swivel construction, the problem of complex sensor installation and easy damage is solved in brace displacement measurement, equipment and labor costs can be effectively saved.

This paper investigates the impact of sediment deposition and inflow conditions on horizontal impact pressure and frequency analysis of bridge deck vibrations during flooding. Flooding-induced pressure and vibrations contribute to bridge collapse, and sediment deposition influences water flow and impact pressure. The study explores the relationship between sediment deposition height and impact pressure, revealing a significant increase as sediment approaches 50% of bridge deck clearance. Sediment amplifies impact pressure response to flow velocity changes. The dimensionless sediment deposition height has a greater influence on impact pressure compared to the inflow Froude number. Two distinct frequencies, dominant and secondary, are identified for impact pressure and water level fluctuations. Dominant frequencies positively correlate with sediment deposition height and Froude number, indicating an increasing trend. Secondary frequencies remain stable (0.31-0.58 Hz). These findings enhance understanding of flow dynamics and bridge-flow interaction in sediment-deposited channels, providing theoretical support for evaluating and managing disasters related to bridges in such environments. Overall, this research contributes to the field of bridge engineering and supports improved design and maintenance practices for bridges exposed to sediment-deposited channels.

An informative probe of myosin crossbridge behaviour in active muscle is a mechanical transient experiment where, for example, a fully active muscle initially held at constant length is suddenly shortened to a new fixed length giving a force transient, or has its load suddenly reduced giving a length transient. We describe the simplest crossbridge mechanical cycle we could find to model these transients. We show using the statistical mechanics of 50,000 crossbridges that a simple cycle with two actin-attached cross-bridge states, one producing no force and the other producing force, will explain much of what has been observed experimentally and we discuss the implications of this modelling for our understanding of how muscle works. We show that this same simple model will explain reasonably well the isotonic mechanical and X-ray transients under different loads observed by Reconditi et al (2004, Nature 428, 578) and that there is no need to invoke different crossbridge step sizes under these different conditions; a step size of 100 Å works well for all loads. We do not claim that this model provides a total mechanical explanation of how muscle works. But we do suggest that only if there are other observations that cannot be explained by this simple model should something more complicated be considered.

The generation of vortices around bridge piers can lead to removal of riverbed materials from around piers, especially during flood events and heavy rainfalls, which can compromise the stability of the bridge and consequently its failure, if not properly detected and mitigated. Bridge failures pose serious threats to the local socio-economic and public safety and can cost lives. As such, real-time monitoring and early warning systems for scour-induced bridge failure can serve as a vital tool to protect the community and civil infrastructure against disastrous events. Vibration-base monitoring of bridge scour is an attractive option due to its low cost and relatively easy installation without the need to block the road and close the bridge to traffic. While limited number of previous studies have shown the capabilities of acceleration-based monitoring techniques in this area of research, they generally lack a rigorous framework for data analysis within and relating those to evaluate scour. This paper is an attempt to provide such framework that would enable a fast and low-cost analysis of vibration data within a physical modelling study on a simplified bridge pier. To achieve this, three experiments were conducted on an ideal single-pier scaled model bridge in a hydraulic flume, where water flows at a velocity near the critical velocity for the sand bed which in turn generates a scour hole around the pier. Then, the vibration data recorded using two mounted wireless accelerometers, were used to conduct an operational modal analysis through which the natural frequencies are extracted. The extracted natural frequencies and measured scour depths are then used to provide a chart that relates these two parameters. The results of this study showed the promising capability of the vibration-based data analysis in finding this relationship, indicating an up to around 30-50% reduction in natural frequencies as a result of around 50% scour ratio (ratio of maximum scour depth to buried depth), and beyond 50% scour ratio the natural frequencies remain constant. While the data presented in this paper are preliminary, they clearly show a promising potential for application in real-time monitoring of bridge stability under the effect of local scour and further works are underway to enrich the experimental data and empower the proposed methodologies at the laboratory scale.

The corrosion of prestressing steel in prestressed concrete bridges is a critical issue for bridge maintenance. To assess structures with corroded strands, it is necessary to define the mechanical properties of the strands and their influence on the structural behavior. In this study, corroded strands are taken from external tendons in existing bridges and tested to define the effects of corrosion on the tensile properties of the strand. Empirical equations for the tensile strength and ductility of the corroded strand are proposed using test results. The most corroded wire governs the mechanical properties of the strand. Experiments on prestressed concrete beams with a single corroded strand are conducted to investigate the structural behavior. A reduction in the flexural strength and maximum deformation is observed from the experiment. According to the section loss of a wire in a strand and its location in a beam, the flexural capacity can be evaluated using the proposed equation. The reduced ultimate strain of the corroded strand can be the governing factor of the flexural strength.

The aim of this expository article is to present recent developments in the centuries-old discussion on the interrelations between several types of domination in graphs. However, the novelty even more prominent in the newly discovered simplified presentations of several older results. Domination can be seen as arising from real-world application and extracting classical results as first described by this article.The main part of this article, concerning a new domination and older one, is presented in a narrative that answers two classical questions: (i) To what extend must closing set be dominating? (ii) How strong is the assumption of domination of a closing set? In a addition, we give an overview of the results concerning domination. The problem asks how small can a subset of vertices be and contain no edges or, more generally how can small a subset of vertices be and contain other ones. Our work was as elegant as it was unexpected being a departure from the tried and true methods of this theory that had dominated the field for one fifth a century. This expository article covers all previous definitions. The inability of previous definitions in solving even one case of real-world problems due to the lack of simultaneous attentions to the worthy both of vertices and edges causing us to make the new one. The concept of domination in a variety of graphs models such as crisp, weighted and fuzzy, has been in a spotlight. We turn our attention to sets of vertices in a fuzzy graph that are so close to all vertices, in a variety of ways, and study minimum such sets and their cardinality. A natural way to introduce and motivate our subject is to view it as a real-world problem. In its most elementary form, we consider the problem of reducing waste of time in transport planning. Our goal here is to first describe the previous definitions and the results, and then to provide an overview of the flows ideas in their articles. The final outcome of this article is twofold: (i) Solving the problem of reducing waste of time in transport planning at static state; (ii) Solving and having a gentle discussions on problem of reducing waste of time in transport planning at dynamic state. Finally, we discuss the results concerning holding domination that are independent of fuzzy graphs. We close with a list of currently open problems related to this subject. Most of our exposition assumes only familiarity with basic linear algebra, polynomials, fuzzy graph theory and graph theory.

The use of polyolefin fibre reinforced concrete (PFRC) as an alternative for reducing or even eliminating the reinforcing steel bars employed in reinforced concrete has become real in the past years. This contribution analyses the improvements in sustainability that a change in the aforementioned reinforcement configuration might provide in a flyover bridge. Economic, environmental and social parameters of both possibilities were studied by means of the integrated value model for sustainable assessment use (Modelo Integrado de Valor para una Evaluación Sostenible, MIVES) used in Spain, which is a multi-criteria decision-making method based on the value function concept and the seminars delivered by experts. The results of the MIVES method showed that the use of PFRC in combination with reinforced concrete (RC) has a sustainability index 22% higher. An analysis of the parameters that form this evaluation shows that there are no remarkable differences in the financial costs between the two possibilities studied. Nevertheless, social and environmental aspects provide with a better qualification the option of building a bridge by using PFRC combined with RC.

The thick functionally graded material (FGM) circular cylindrical shells with advanced varied shear correction coefficient and third-order shear deformation theory (TSDT) under advanced thermal vibration are studied by the method of generalized differential quadrature (GDQ). The coefficient of displacement model of TSDT is applied to derive the equations of motion for the thick FGM circular cylindrical shells. The stiffness in simpler forms of thick FGM circular cylindrical shells and temperature rise in linear expression of the heat conduction equation are used. The differential equations in dynamic equilibrium state of thick FGM circular cylindrical shells can be obtained and rewritten into displacements and shear rotations in partial derivative expressions under dynamic thermal loads in partial derivative expressions. Parametric effect studies including advanced nonlinear varied shear correction coefficient, nonlinear coefficient c1 value, power law index and thermal temperature difference of external heating loads on the displacements and stresses of thick FGM cylindrical shells under thermal dynamic vibration are investigated.

The main objective of the paper is to investigate the wave propagation behaviour in composites using numerical and experimental methods. Specifically, the study focuses on the actuation of waves by two PZT transducers placed on the surface and embedded at different positions within the composites, namely the quarter and middle positions. The numerical analysis provides simulated results, while the experimental analysis involves practical testing. The paper demonstrates that the numerical results are consistent with the experimental findings. It is observed that when the PZT transducers are placed at deeper positions within the composites, the peak amplitude of the first wave packet for the A0 mode decreases. Overall, the paper contributes to the understanding of wave propagation in composites by comparing the effects of different positions of PZT transducers, both on the surface and embedded within the material. The findings highlight the influence of transducer placement on wave characteristics, particularly the reduction in peak amplitude with deeper transducer positioning.

It is commonly recognized that a ship’s ability to maintain stability is dependent upon the way its loads are distributed. This means making sure the center of gravity is sufficiently low and evenly distributed. Yet when a ship encounters turbulent water with extremely large wave amplitudes, load distribution is a critical factor in determining how stressed the ship becomes. In particular, this article examines several methods for increasing the ship's longitudinal strength to prevent ship structural damage during hogging and sagging. This research presents a number of proposed techniques to enhance the longitudinal strength of cargo ships in order to guarantee minimal stress and deformation during sagging and hogging. The first method is the stern-to-bow use of curved support structures to increase the longitudinal strength of a cargo ship. And another way to stiffen the lateral plate is the proposed use of different designs of the side plate, such as wavy curves, stars, etc. To further boost the strength, the lateral plate upper part is suggested to curve upward. A numerical simulation using ANSYS of the stiffened plate when subjected to uniform load distribution and fixed support on either end shows that there is a decrease in deformation of the plate when we use wavy curved plates compared with those of the other plate stiffening methods used, and furthermore, curving the plate on top increases its strength during sagging as well as hogging. Finally, the use of a curved support structure further enhanced the overall longitudinal strength of the vessel.

This paper describes the design and implementation of an ultrasonic non-contact air-coupled technique (UNCACT) using antisymmetric Lamb waves (ALW) for NDT assessment in novel composite sandwich plates of the car body shell. This technique is complemented with a C-Scan image implementation using this kind of guided waves. The finite element method using Comsol 6.1 is developed for the interpretation of the several wave modes presented in the experiments, including the ALW mode. The phase velocity method (PVM) is applied for the verification of the ALW mode in the portion of the RF signal necessary in the C-Scan image.

This paper investigates the improvement in solar energy collection and conversion using Al₂O₃-Water nanofluids in a solar flat plate collector (SFPC). The efficiency of a solar flat plate collector using water as the fluid medium is analyzed experimentally and theoretically. For theoretical analysis, a mathematical model in MATLAB is used to simulate and is validated by the experimental results. To enhance the solar energy collection and conversion efficiency of the SFPC, Al₂O₃-Water nanofluid was selected as the fluid medium. The nanofluid properties like density, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity and viscosity are analyzed and compared for several models of Al₂O₃-Water nanofluids and the best model was selected to modify the simulation. Effect of particle diameter in the nanofluid was found to be marginal on the nanofluid properties. The optimum volume concentration of the nanofluid was found to be 4% giving an efficiency increase of 7.78% in the SFPC over the use of water. This reduces the area of the SFPC by 10.5%.

Free vibration analysis of the porous functionally graded circular plates has been presented on the basis of classical plate theory. The three defined coupled equations of motion of the porous functionally graded circular/annular plate were decoupled to one differential equation of free transverse vibrations of plate. The one universal general solution was obtained as linear combination of the multiparametric special functions for the functionally graded circular and annular plates with even and uneven porosity distributions. The multiparametric frequency equations of functionally graded porous circular plate with diverse boundary conditions were obtained in the exact closed-form. The influences of the even and uneven distributions of porosity, power-law index, diverse boundary conditions and the negligibled effect of the coupling in-plane and transverse displacements on the dimensionless frequencies of the circular plate were comprehensively studied for the first time. The formulated boundary value problem, the exact method of solution and the numerical results for the perfect and imperfect functionally graded circular plates have not yet been reported.

Spin valves with a synthetic antiferromagnet were fabricated by magnetron sputtering. It was shown that the fabricated spin valves had perfect microstructure of layers and smooth interfaces, therefore RKKY interaction dominates in coupling of ferromagnetic layers separated by a copper spacer. Rhombus-shaped microobjects were fabricated from a single spin valve film. The thermomagnetic treatment procedure was found, to form unidirectional anisotropy in the microobject so, that the values of the exchange bias fields in the rhombus’ nonparallel sides were opposite in sign. For the synthetic antiferromagnet CoFeNi/Ru/CoFeNi the difference between ferromagnetic layers thicknesses was found, at which the thermomagnetic treatment forms the same exchange bias all over the rhombus’ side. The sensor element was fabricated in which each side of the rhombus was a shoulder of a Wheatstone bridge. After the thermomagnetic treatment procedure each shoulder worked as an active magnetosensitive element, thus the device operated as the full Wheatstone bridge. The sensor output has the shape of a step, high sensitivity to field change and significant magnetic hysteresis. Such characteristics are suitable for switching devices.

The soil-structure interaction represents an important parameter when analyzing the dynamic behavior of bridges, taking into account the integration between soil, foundation, and structure to ensure an adequate structural representation. In this paper, a computational modeling strategy using soil-structure interaction (SSI) methodology was applied to represent the dynamic behavior of a pedestrian bridge (LOP). The computational models were validated using monitoring results from an extensive structural health monitoring campaign. The bridge monitoring program was characterized using embedded sensors and cutting-edge technology for remote monitoring: ground-based radar interferometry and video motion amplification. The instrumentation results were compared to establish the capabilities and advantages of this novel remote monitoring technique. The experimental results obtained from free and forced vibrations in the asset served as a basis for validating the developed computational model and allowed evaluating the asset be-havior in service for different loading conditions. This paper emphasizes the SSI approach to represent the pedestrian bridge dynamic behavior more accurately, allowing computational models to represent the LOP structural responses over the course of its life-cycle.

Liver transplantation is currently the only curative therapy for patients with liver cirrhosis. Not all patients in the natural course of the disease will undergo transplantation, but the majority of them will experience portal hypertension and its complications. In addition to medical and endoscopic therapy, a key role in managing these complications is played by the placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). Some indications for TIPS placement are well-established and they are expanding and broadening over time. This review aims to describe the role of TIPS in managing patients with liver cirrhosis, considering them as potential candidates for liver transplantation. As far as is known TIPS placement seems not to affect the surgical aspects of liver transplantation, in terms of intra operative bleeding rates, postoperative complications or length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit. However, the placement of a TIPS “towards transplant" can offer advantages in terms of enhancing the patient's clinical condition at the time of transplantation and improving patient survival. Additionally, the TIPS procedure can help preserve the technical feasibility of the transplant itself. In this context, indications for TIPS placement may be expanded and considered at an earlier stage. TIPS insertion can also lead to serious adverse events and there are no evidence-based recommendations on this topic to date. For these reasons further studies are needed to make reliable recommendations for TIPS in the pre-transplant setting.

The purpose of the study was to provide support in the decision-making process for architects and engineers regarding large-spans structures for the presentation of archaeological sites in situ - construction of roofs, shelters, and bridges. We examined existing practice and analyzed their engineering classifications looking for a pattern in their application regarding sustainability and relation between type of cultural heritage site and type of applied large span structure. Contemporary engineering structures at built heritage sites create a sharp contrast between old and new. A presentation of cultural heritage in situ requires an understanding of heritage theory and internationally accepted doctrine which exceeds common engineering education. Nevertheless, application of large-span structures, which often take advantages of state-of-art construction-technologies nowadays, is also an aesthetical statement that affects the appearance of the site. Therefore, we gave an overview of the theoretical background of aesthetical issues and the overall ethics of the decision-making process in such sensitive cases. Within the framework of heritage-presentation, engineering and architectural issues, and selected case studies, we concluded in favor of the application of large-span structures under certain conditions.

This paper deals with analyzing the structural responses of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) tubes filled with recycled and concrete material for developing composite piles, as an alternative to traditional steel reinforced piles in bridge foundations. The Full-scale GFRP composite piles included three inner and outer layers, using a fiber-oriented material that was inclined longitudinally, almost 40 degrees from the horizontal axis of the pile. The segment between these two layers was inclined 80 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the tube. The behavior of the filled GFRP tubes was semi-linear, and resulted in increasing the total ductility and strength of the piles. Adjusting the material’s properties, such as the EAxial, EHoop, and Poisson ratios optimized the results. The lateral strength of the GFRP composite pile and pre-stressed piles are comparable in both axial and lateral loading conditions.

We introduce a new variation on the domination theme which we call vertex domination as reducing waste of time in transportation planning and optimization of transport routes. We determine the vertex domination number $\gamma_v$ for several classes of fuzzy graphs. The bounds is obtained for it. In fuzzy graphs, monotone decreasing property and monotone increasing property are introduced. We prove both of the vizing's conjecture and the Grarier-Khelladi's conjecture are monotone decreasing fuzzy graph property for vertex domination. We obtain Nordhaus-Gaddum (NG) type results for these parameters. The relationship between several classes of operations on fuzzy graphs with the vertex domination number of them is studied. Finally, we discuss about vertex dominating set of a fuzzy tree by using the bridges and $\alpha$-strong edges equivalence.

The determination of the non-loading condition of the rail cable shifting (RCS) system, which consists of main cables, hangers and rail cables, is the premise of the girder erection for the long-span suspension bridges. An analytical form-finding analysis model of shifting system is established according to the basic assumptions of flexible cable structures. Herein, the rail cable is discretized into segmental linear cable elements and the main cable is discretized into segmental catenary elements. Moreover, the calculation and analysis equation of each member and their iterative solutions are derived by taking the elastic elongation of the sling into account. In addition, by taking the girder construction of Aizhai suspension bridge as engineering background, a global scale model of the RCS system is designed and manufactured; also the test system and working conditions are established. The comparison between the test results and analytical results shows the presented analytical method is correct and effective. The process is simplified in the analytical method, and the computational results and precision can satisfy the practical engineering requirements. In addition, the proposed method is suitable to apply to the computation analysis of similar structures.

Unlike electron microscopy, which can achieve very high resolutions, but to date can only be used to study static structures, time-resolved X-ray diffraction from contracting muscles can, in principle, be used to follow the molecular movements involved in force generation on a millisecond timescale albeit at moderate resolution. However, previous X-ray diffraction studies of resting muscles have come up with structures for the head arrangements in resting myosin filaments that are different from the apparently ubiquitous interacting heads motif (IHM) found by single particle analysis of electron micrographs of isolated myosin filaments from a variety of muscle types. This head organization is supposed to represent the super-relaxed state of the myosin filaments where ATP usage is minimized. Here we have tested whether the interacting heads motif structures will satisfactorily explain the observed low-angle X-ray diffraction patterns from resting vertebrate (bony fish) and invertebrate (insect flight) muscles. We find that the interacting heads motif does not, in fact, explain what is observed. Previous X-ray models fit the observations much better. We conclude that the X-ray diffraction evidence has been well interpreted in the past and that there is more than one ordered myosin head state in resting muscle. There is, therefore, no reason to question some of the previous X-ray diffraction results on myosin filaments; time-resolved X-ray diffraction should be a reliable way to follow crossbridge action in active muscle and may be one of the few ways to follow molecular changes in myosin heads on a millisecond timescale as force is actually produced.

Vibrations of plate structures placed in a supersonic flow is considered. The undisturbed fluid flow is parallel to the plate. Two specific problems are treated: in the first one the plate is in the form of an infinite strip and the flow is in the direction of its finite length. Rigid walls extend from the sides of the plate indefinitely. In the second problem, the plate is a finite rectangle and the flow is parallel to one of its sides. The first problem is a limiting case of the second problem. The flow is modeled by piston theory which assumes that the fluid pressure on the plate is proportional to local slope. This approximation is widely used at high speeds, and reduces the interaction between the fluid flow and the vibrations of the plate to an additional term in the vibration equation. The resulting problem can be solved by assumed mode methods. In this study, the solution is also carried out by using the collocation method. The main result is the flutter velocity of the free fluid flow under which the plate vibrations become unstable. Finally, simple expressions are proposed between the various non-dimensional parameters that allows quick estimation of flutter velocity.

With demand for the long-term continued use of existing building facilities, structural health monitoring and damage detection are attracting interest from society. Sensors of various types have been practically applied in the industry to satisfy this need. Among the sensors, piezoelectric sensors are an extremely promising technology by virtue of their cost advantages and durability. Although they have been used in aerospace and civil engineering, their application for building engineering remains limited. Remarkably, recent catastrophic seismic events have further rein-forced the necessity of rapid damage detection and quick judgment about the safe use of facilities. Faced with these circumstances, this study was conducted to assess the applicability of piezoelectric sensors to evaluate building components. Specifically, this study emphasizes structural damage caused by earthquakes. After first applying to cyclic loading tests to composite beam component specimens and steel frame subassemblies with a folded roof plate, the prospective damage posi-tions were also found using finite element analysis. Crack propagation and buckling locations were predicted adequately. The piezoelectric sensors provided output when the concrete slab showed tensile cracks, or when the folded roof plate experienced local buckling. Furthermore, damage expansion and progression were detected multiple times during loading tests. Results showed that the piezoelectric sensors can detect structural damage of building components, demonstrating their potential for use in inexpensive and stable monitoring systems.

Artificial roughness applied to the Solar Air Heater (SAH)’s absorber plate is a popular technique to increase its total-thermal efficiency (η_(t-th)). In this paper, the influence of geometrical parameters of V-down ribs attached below the corrugated absorbing plate of SAH on the η_(t-th) has been examined. The impacts of key roughness parameters, including relative pitch p⁄e (6-12), relative height e⁄D (0.019-0.043), angle of attack α (30°-75°), and Re (1000-20000), are examined under real weather conditions. The SAH η_(t-th) roughened by V-down ribs is predicted using an in-house developed conjugate heat transfer numerical model. It has been shown that the maximum SAH η_(t-th) is 78.8%, predicted under steady-state conditions of Re = 20000, solar irradiance G =1000 W/m2, p/e = 8, e/D = 0.043, and angle =60. That is 15.7% more efficient than that of the default smooth surface. Under real weather condition, the η_(t-th) of the roughened SAH with single and double glass covers are 17.7% and 20.1%, respectively, higher than those of smooth SAH.

This study uses Landsat 8 and Digital Elevation Models (DEM) to show the dominant orientations of digital lineaments and morphotectonic features between measured trends and the tectonic evolution of the Upper Guajira, Colombia, in the northernmost region of the South American plate. Data from Landsat-8 and hillshaded images of three Digital Elevation Model (DEM) images with different resolutions (SRTM: 90m, ASTER-GDEM: 30m and Alos-Palsar: 12.5m), were used for the extraction and mapping of morpholineaments, drainage network and morphological features. Lineaments were analyzed by means of north azimuth frequency, length, density distributions, lithological distributions and geochronological periods. Tectonic control was supported by using the digitized geological map created by the Colombian Geological Service (SGC). Lineaments and faults were analyzed through the interpretation of a Riedel shear model as a result of the transtensional/transpressional tectonic arrangement of the Caribbean and South American plates. The directional trends of lineaments and faults indicate two dominant directions: NE-SW and E-W. The azimuth distribution analysis of measured structures and drainage channels show similar trends, except for some differences in the predominant directions of some drainage channels. The similarity in the orientation of lineaments, faults and drainage system highlights the degree of control exerted by underlying structures on the surface geomorphological features. Drainage channel classification illustrates the morphological and neo-tectonic complexity of the region. The extracted lineaments were divided into five geochronological groups based on the main ages of host rock formations according to the Colombian Geological Service (SGC) geological map. From the Cretaceous onward, the lineament azimuth frequency rotates from a NE-SW trend to a prominent E-W direction, which resembles the translation that Caribbean plate has been undergoing since the Cretaceous. Our results confirm that Remote Sensing techniques are reliable and useful to study the morphotectonic of an area and can be applied to zones of difficult access.

Social, cultural, environmental and economic factors closely regulate the selection, allocation and consumption of maternal diets. We developed a nutrition behaviour change intervention to promote a balanced diet in pregnancy through practical demonstration in rural Bangladesh and tested the impact with a cluster randomised controlled trial. This paper presents the findings of the process evaluation and describes the strategies that worked for intervention compliance. We conducted in-depth interviews with pregnant women, women who birthed recently, and their husbands; focus groups with mothers and mothers-in-law; key-informant interviews with community health workers, and observation of home visits. We identified six key areas within the intervention strategy that played a crucial role in achieving the desired adherence. These included practical demonstration of portion sizes; addressing local food perceptions; demystifying animal-source foods; engaging husbands and mothers-in-law; leveraging women’s social networks; and harnessing community health workers’ social role. Practical demonstration, opportunity to participate and convenience of making of the plate with the food available in their kitchen or neighbours’ kitchen were the most commonly mentioned reasons for acceptance of the intervention by the women and their families. The balanced plate intervention helped women through practical demonstration to learn about a balanced meal by highlighting appropriate portion sizes and food diversity. The women needed active involvement of community health workers in mobilising social support to create an enabling environment essential to bring changes in dietary behaviours. Programs to promote a nutritious maternal diet should focus on encouraging the use of healthy foods through practical demonstration of portion sizes and engagement of the women and family instead of replicating the traditional information-based counselling.

The key to building a strong bridge country lies in talent, and the foundation lies in education. The cultivation of bridge engineering talents is related to the future and destiny of building a strong bridge country. This course adopts the educational philosophy of "holographic teaching method" centered on the comprehensive development of students, cultivating "engineering thinking" guided by engineering education certification, enhancing "abilities and qualities" through professional knowledge, reconstructing the course knowledge content system through engineering philosophy thinking, and implementing the ideological and political construction of the course in a multi-level unified manner of "explicit + implicit". Based on restructuring the course content system, we will strengthen the construction of diversified course resources, integrate theory with practice throughout the entire process of the course, practice the concept of "bridge architects + bridge engineers" parallel development, and cultivate cross-border and compound talents with comprehensive qualities of "engineering + art + humanities".

The bridge crane is often used in a complex environment, often subject to interference of all loads. Some uncertainties factors often have an inevitable impact on its swing. So the force situation of the bridge crane during a working cycle is analyzed, and a three-dimensional dynamic mathematical model of the bridge crane is built. Through the simulation analysis of the model under the action of driving force and wind load, the change law of the swing angle of the bridge crane is studied. Then, the fuzzy control theory is used to determine the control parameter in the anti sway control process. The position, swing angle deviation and deviation rate of the bridge crane are taken as the input, and the parameter correction is obtained after the fuzzification by using the center of gravity method, the anti sway fuzzy control system of the bridge crane is designed and simulated. The research results show that the fuzzy PID anti sway controller can not only improve the adaptability of the control system, but also overcome the large overshoot, quickly restrain the swing, and effectively realize the anti sway function of the bridge crane.

One of the influential factors in estimating the service life of reinforced concrete bridges (RCB) is determining the long-term seismic performance of these structures. Corrosion due to chloride ion diffusion leads to the destruction of critical members of the RCB during the useful life of the structure. So, the long-term seismic performance of the bridge deteriorates as a result. It is essential to study the effect of corrosion deterioration on the long-term seismic performance of bridges in the southern regions of Iran, near the coasts of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, because of the seismicity of the region and high corrosion rate of reinforced concrete (RC) members is the result of environmental conditions. In order to investigate this issue, considering studies about environmental conditions of southern Iran, the onset time of corrosion in the columns, as seismic critical members of the bridge, was determined. Based on that, the corrosion's effect on characteristics of RC at specific time points during the bridge's useful life (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 years) have been calculated. The effects of corrosion include deterioration of the core and cover concrete properties, steel bar and the connection between concrete and steel bar. In the next step, at each time point, according to the modified stress-strain relationships, the moment-curvature analysis of the bridge pier was done, and the properties of the plastic hinge were determined. Finally, based on the obtained data about plastic hinge characteristics at each time point, overload analysis of the bridge was performed in both longitudinal and transverse directions. Then the capacity curves of RCB were compared at the mentioned time-points. The results show that the capacity of the bridge deteriorates over time due to corrosion. Therefore, a proposal to increase the value of base shear design has been made to ensure the long-term seismic performance of RCB in corrosive environments.