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The friction and wear characteristics of the developed nanostructured glass-composite self-lubricating coatings, the structural components of which have a qualitative influence on the graphitization process and ensure the formation of an α-graphite surface layer which minimizes contact parameters, were investigated. The positive role of the glass phase in the form of aluminoborosilicate, which changes the tribological properties of coatings, was established. The increase in adhesive strength achieved due to the formation of glassy sodium silicate surface layer during spraying was established. It is stated that the intercalation of the graphite layer by the particles of the subsurface zone does not influence sufficiently the tribotechnical characteristics of the coatings. The developed nanostructured glass coatings demonstrate high antifriction characteristics throughout the entire load-speed range of tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of severe burn injuries on the cardiovascular system, specifically the atria and auricles of the heart, were investigated. The potential benefits of using lyophilized xenodermotransplants as a treatment option were also evaluated. The experiments were conducted on adult guinea pigs divided into three groups: intact animals, animals with burns, and animals with burns who underwent early necrectomy followed by wound closure with lyophilized xenodermotransplants. Third-degree burns caused significant ultrastructural changes in atrial cardiomyocytes, leading to long-term destructive changes in the structural components of the atria. However, the use of lyophilized xenodermotransplants had a positive effect on the atrial ultrastructure over time. This study highlights the complex and varied effects of burn injuries on the body and the potential benefits of lyophilized xenodermotransplants in treating severe burn injuries. By preventing destructive changes in the heart and activating regenerative processes, lyophilized xenodermotransplants can improve the condition of the heart after thermal injury. Further research and development in this area are necessary for understanding the potential of lyophilized xenodermotransplants in tissue repair and regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the classic approach of Alexander Chayanov (1966) is recovered, especially on the domestic/family mode of production and its non-capitalist form of economic rationality, with the main objective of empirically testing whether the categories of analysis of the peasant economy are relevant for understand Nasa family farming and if this is a strategic structural component of their struggle to build other models of economy, society and life. Taking into account the main objective, is presented a quantitative study of the data from the Nasa Experimental Pilot Survey (EPEN) applied between 2014 and 2015 in the Nasa Reserves from Toribío (includes Tacueyó and San Francisco), Jambaló and San Lorenzo de Caldono. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) are designed to assess, improve, and communicate the quality of early care and education programs. Using administrative data, we investigated whether providers that participated in a county-level QRIS saw increases to their global quality (tier) rating, domain-specific quality ratings, and scores on an observation measure of classroom quality. Research Findings: On average, participating providers increased their overall tier ratings; this pattern was particularly true for providers with lower initial tier ratings. We found more consistent evidence of increases on indicators of structural quality components (e.g., teacher and director qualifications), and limited evidence of improvement on process quality indicators (e.g., measure of teacher–child interaction). This finding suggests structural quality improvements may be driving global tier rating changes. In addition, providers saw average increases on a measure of classroom quality, with larger increases seen in domains that measure classroom organization and emotional support. Practice and Policy: We discuss implications for how QRISs can promote quality improvement for participating providers and suggest avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) with concrete, also known as concrete 3D printing, is one of the most interesting approaches for disrupting the construction industry and is currently subject to numerous research activities worldwide. AM has great potential to decrease labour costs and increase the material efficiency and geometric complexity of non-standardised building components. Although prior investigations have shown various fields of application for AM with concrete, the full potential with respect to different structural component types has not been covered yet. With this paper, an up-to-date review of fabrication strategies for the main structural components, (1) walls, (2) columns, (3) slabs, and (4) beams, is provided to identify trends and existing challenges. Therefore, firstly, AM methods and their underlying principles and characteristics for concrete components are presented, and secondly, fabrication strategies for each AM method are shown. The investigation uncovers different AM strategies (direct part vs. indirect "permanent formwork"; in situ, on-site, or off-site), which are currently being used. As a result, future applications of AM will require a hybrid manufacturing strategy combining conventional and additive manufacturing to fully explore its potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of steel frame buildings under progressive collapse conditions depends on a combination of several parameters, including the interplay between different collapse resistance mechanisms that are mobilized in different structural components. Previous studies have shown that the extent to which these mechanisms may contribute to progressive collapse resistance depends on the ability of the beam-column connections to undergo large inelastic deformations prior to reaching their deformation capacity limits. For this reason, and due to the important role of their flexural strength and tying capacity in the development of essential collapse resistance mechanisms, the response of beam-column connections is one of the most important features of progressive collapse performance. Based on the knowledge gained through previous studies on the mechanics of this problem, the role of these connections are critically reviewed in this paper by examining the results of several experimental studies that have been conducted during the past decade. The factors that may adversely affect progressive collapse resistance–such as the failure modes of certain connection types–are evaluated, and novel approaches to limiting these factors, which are currently under development, are reviewed. The assessment of these parameters leads to useful conclusions of practical significance while highlighting the aspects of these problems that need further study and understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In traditional machine learning, geometrically "compact" sets of classes are given by representatives with the aim of correctly classifying new objects into classes. We consider an application where one class is singled out, and the goal is to classify objects into this target class by a stepwise procedure. This problem appears in the precision medicine area under the name of "dynamic treatment regime". A predefined class-action is applied that transforms the object to the same or some other class. The mapping of class-actions to the classes forms the policy, and the chain of policy-based transformations (under some restrictions) must converge to the target class. With graph theoretical tools, we present and evaluate the policy form, and show that the graph is partitioned into a couple of structural components, which helps to find out the possible policy defects to be corrected by subject domain specialists for better results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastases are reduced in CD81KO mice. In addition, a unique anti-CD81 antibody, 5A6, inhibits metastasis in vivo and invasion and migration in vitro. Here, we probed the structural components of CD81 required for the antimetastatic activity induced by 5A6. We found that the removal of either cholesterol or the intracellular domains of CD81 did not affect inhibition by the antibody. We show that the uniqueness of 5A6 is due not to increased affinity but rather to its recognition of a specific epitope on the large extracellular loop of CD81. Finally, we present a number of CD81 membrane-associated partners that may play a role in mediating the 5A6 antimetastatic attributes, including integrins and transferrin receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among veterinary antibiotics, flumequine (FLU) is still widely used in aquaculture due to its efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Although it was synthesized more than 50 years ago, a complete toxicological framework of possible side effects on non-target species is still far from being achieved. The aim of this research was to investigate the FLU molecular mechanisms in Daphnia magna, a planktonic crustacean recognized as a model species for ecotoxicological studies. Two different FLU concentrations (2.0 mg L−1 and 0.2 mg L−1) were assayed in general accordance with OECD Guideline 211, with some proper adaptations. Exposure to FLU (2.0 mg L−1) caused alteration of phenotypic traits, with a significant reduction in survival rate, body growth, and reproduction. The lower concentration (0.2 mg L−1) did not affect phenotypic traits but modulated gene expression, an effect which was even more evident under the higher exposure level. Indeed, in daphnids exposed to 2.0 mg L−1 FLU, several genes related with growth, development, structural components, and antioxidant response were significantly modulated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work showing the impact of FLU on the transcriptome of D. magna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apart from mechanical actions, structural components in the construction industry may be subjected to a thermal gradient, causing (internally) restrained thermal expansion. These thermal loads can alter the mechanical response of components in a structural topology optimization procedure. Therefore, the influence of thermal loading should be considered in the sensitivity analysis to efficiently update the structural layout of material. In this paper, a density-based topology optimization procedure is developed for compliance minimization of structural components subjected to thermo-mechanical loads considering steady-state heat conduction and weak thermo-mechanical coupling. The adjoint method is employed to obtain the analytical sensitivities, taking into account the influence of the design-dependent temperature field and thermal properties. The proposed topology optimization procedure is demonstrated on the MBB problem, extended with thermal loading, to investigate the influence of the proposed sensitivities on the optimized results. Furthermore, the thermo-mechanical load ratio is quantitatively defined and its effect on the resulting topologies is studied. The results show that the thermo-mechanical load ratio significantly changes the topology of the optimized results. Finally, the topology optimization procedure is presented in an efficient 138-line MATLAB code and provided as supplementary material, serving as a basis for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indentation is often used to measure the stiffness of soft materials whose main structural component is a network of filaments, such as the cellular cytoskeleton, connective tissue, gels, and the extracellular matrix. For elastic materials, the typical procedure requires fitting the experimental force-displacement curve with the Hertz model, which predicts that f = k δ 1.5 and k is proportional to the reduced modulus of the indented material, E / (1 − ν 2). Here we show using explicit models of fiber networks that the Hertz model applies to indentation in network materials provided the indenter radius is larger than approximately 12 l c , where l c is the mean segment length of the network. Using smaller indenters leads to a relation between force and indentation displacement of the form f = k δ q , where q is observed to increase with decreasing indenter radius. Using the Hertz model to interpret results of indentations in network materials using small indenters leads to an inferred modulus smaller than the real modulus of the material. The origin of this departure from the classical Hertz model is investigated. A compacted, stiff network region develops under the indenter, effectively increasing the indenter size and modifying its shape. This modification is marginal when large indenters are used. However, when the indenter radius is small, the effect of the compacted layer is pronounced as it changes the indenter profile from spherical towards conical. This entails an increase of exponent q above the value of 1.5 corresponding to spherical indenters. The article presents a study of indentation in network biomaterials and demonstrates a size effect which precludes the use of the Hertz model to infer the elastic constants of the material. The size effect occurs once the indenter radius is smaller than approximately 12 times the mean segment length of the network. This result provides guidelines for the selection of indentation conditions that guarantee the applicability of the Hertz model. At the same time, the finding may be used to infer the mean segment length of the network based on indentations with indenters of various sizes. Hence, the method can be used to evaluate this structural parameter which is not easily accessible in experiments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Design briefs act as kick-starters for most design projects in academic and professional settings. Briefs serve as structuring and assessment tool for academic design studio projects. Frameworks for design briefs stated by scholars are reviewed to arrive at a comprehensive summary for the structural components and format of design briefs that can be considered for writing briefs. When writing briefs, it is important to understand the theoretical concepts that help ascertain the nature of a design problem as well as understand the approaches to reframing briefs and thinking in design to be aware of the varied ways an individual may interpret the brief. Writing a "design task" or a "need statement" at varied levels of abstraction, from the very specific and concrete to generic and abstract, has been deliberated based on a research study that focused on "need statement," a component of design brief. The article will discuss the findings of this study undertaken with design students. The work would be of interest to design teachers, students, and practitioners in setting up design briefs and understanding the relevance of design task or need statements in the design process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnosis and treatment of heart failure (HF) is challenging, and development of specialized HF networks is mandatory to warrant broad access to guideline directed therapies for patients. Numerous national cardiovascular societies recommend a three‐level association of health care providers. This comprises tertiary academic centres, specialized HF clinics and specialized general cardiologists to cover the large spectrum of HF severity and entities. Although this idea of a multi‐level care is widely accepted, optimal approach to build and implement a HF network service needs further definition. The core principle is that of network healthcare facilities that also consider regional peculiarities and that implements academic standards, quality indicators (QIs), interdisciplinarity and reimbursement strategies. These determinants of trans‐sectoral healthcare need to be embedded in a network that provides sustainability and that incorporates QIs to objectify the efficacy of specific measures. The basis of a HF‐network should be a certification system of the respective national HF association to warrant guideline standards and to prevent development of regional hierarchies or dependencies between members. This nationwide framework needs to be complemented by a federal system of regional networks, which also takes local demands into account. These regional units should incorporate digital communication and interaction pathways, structured educational programmes, certified telehealth concepts and follow‐up algorithms to meet the requirements of sustainability and efficacy. We here summarize different components of HF networks and introduce the structure and development philosophy of the RUHR‐HF‐network that constitutes the first certified HF‐clinics‐network in the Ruhr area—the largest metropolitan area in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nod factors among the signaling molecules produced by rhizobia in response to flavonoids to induce root nodule formation in the legumes. It is, however, hypothesized that they might increase the yield and positively impact the growth of non-legumes. To evaluate this statement, rapeseed treated with Nod factor-based biofertilizers were cultivated, their stems was collected, and the metabolic changes were investigated using Raman spectroscopy and MALDI mass spectrometry imaging. Biofertilizer proved to increase the concentration of lignin in the cortex, as well as hemicellulose, pectin, and cellulose in the pith. Moreover, the concentration of quercetin derivatives and kaempferol derivatives increased, while the concentration of isorhamnetin dihexoside decreased. The increase in the concentration of the structural components in the stem might therefore increase the lodging resistance, while the increase in concentration of the flavonoids might increase their resistance to fungal infection and herbivorous insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate export and import demand elasticities of Greece between 1995 and 2018 by establishing cointegrating relationships between exports or imports, income and the real effective exchange rate. When accounting for structural breaks in the series, we observe that the long‐run income elasticities of exports and imports are elastic and decline throughout the sample period. The structural component of the Greek trade growth decreases across time. The cyclical counterpart rises and exhibits high variation. Changes in the real effective exchange rate have the opposite than predicted effects on trade in the postcrisis period for exports and throughout the sample for imports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomolecular machines are complex macromolecular assemblies that utilize thermal and chemical energy to perform essential, multistep, cellular processes. Despite possessing different architectures and functions, an essential feature of the mechanisms of action of all such machines is that they require dynamic rearrangements of structural components. Surprisingly, biomolecular machines generally possess only a limited set of such motions, suggesting that these dynamics must be repurposed to drive different mechanistic steps. Although ligands that interact with these machines are known to drive such repurposing, the physical and structural mechanisms through which ligands achieve this remain unknown. Using temperature-dependent, single-molecule measurements analyzed with a time-resolution-enhancing algorithm, here, we dissect the free-energy landscape of an archetypal biomolecular machine, the bacterial ribosome, to reveal how its dynamics are repurposed to drive distinct steps during ribosome-catalyzed protein synthesis. Specifically, we show that the free-energy landscape of the ribosome encompasses a network of allosterically coupled structural elements that coordinates the motions of these elements. Moreover, we reveal that ribosomal ligands which participate in disparate steps of the protein synthesis pathway repurpose this network by differentially modulating the structural flexibility of the ribosomal complex (i.e., the entropic component of the free-energy landscape). We propose that such ligand-dependent entropic control of free-energy landscapes has evolved as a general strategy through which ligands may regulate the functions of all biomolecular machines. Such entropic control is therefore an important driver in the evolution of naturally occurring biomolecular machines and a critical consideration for the design of synthetic molecular machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerospace and aircraft companies follow a pyramidal structure of testing, ranging from specimen tests to full‐scale structure tests, for aircraft structural design. At the base level, open hole strength evaluation is one of the qualification procedures for composite components. The holes are made in the structural components to accommodate bolts and rivets in order to assemble the parts into a single unit. Holes in the component are also used to fulfill functional requirements, such as the passage of wire bundles. FRP components are sensitive to these holes/cutouts as substantial decrement in the strength is observed in several experiments. The degradation in the strength of the component is due to stress concentration around the hole. This review aims to comprehend the effect of the hole on the mechanical properties of FRP laminates; the emphasis is mainly on CFRP laminates and experimental results. An overview of tensile, compressive, flexural and post buckling properties of laminates with the hole is presented to aid in the optimal design of the component. Finally, the failure mechanism during loading is discussed and described through a graphical presentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the synthesis and characterization of a novel type of nanohoop, consisting of a cycloparaphenylene derivative incorporating a curved heptagon‐containing π‐extended polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) unit. We demonstrate that this new macrocycle behaves as a supramolecular receptor of curved π‐systems such as fullerenes C60 and C70, with remarkably large binding constants (ca. 107 M−1), as estimated by fluorescence measurements. Nanosecond and femtosecond spectroscopic analysis show that these host‐guest complexes are capable of quasi‐instantaneous charge separation upon photoexcitation, due to the ultrafast charge transfer from the macrocycle to the complexed fullerene. These results demonstrate saddle‐shaped PAHs with dibenzocycloheptatrienone motifs as structural components for new macrocycles displaying molecular receptor abilities and versatile photochemical responses with promising electron‐donor properties in host‐guest complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a modified empirical large-territorial-scale procedure to assess the seismic vulnerability of aggregate buildings in urban areas located within a highly seismic context is proposed. The methodology is applied to a group of unreinforced masonry (URM) aggregates located in the Yungay's historic center in downtown Santiago, Chile. This assessment was carried out by modifying and integrating a vulnerability-index-based procedure, a specific existing approach called first level macro-seismic method used to predict seismic damage and loss scenarios through fragility curves of structural components. The procedure was calibrated using the observed damage after the 2010 Chile earthquake in 292 URM structural units. The results of this new damage index for URM aggregate buildings are used to derive Probability Mass Functions (PMFs) of the different damage states and preliminary Empirical Fragility Functions (EFFs). To the best of the authors' knowledge, these EFFs are the first publicly available for aggregate Chilean URM buildings. This research and its results are the starting point for a more comprehensive study for assessing damage scenarios and vulnerabilities of aggregate URM buildings in historic centers of older Chilean cities. These functions may be used in risk assessment, and are useful to prioritize possible future damage mitigation strategies and other processes involving this historical heritage. We foresee that these results could be at least partially applied to other historical urban areas in Chile, and perhaps other old Latin American cities located along the subduction convergence region between the Pacific and Continental plates, which were founded similarly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of a cell membrane is one of the major structural components defining life. Recent phylogenomic analyses have supported the hypothesis that the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) was likely a diderm. Yet, the mechanisms that guided outer membrane (OM) biogenesis remain unknown. Thermotogae is an early-branching phylum with a unique OM, the toga. Here, we use cryo-electron tomography to characterize the in situ cell envelope architecture of Thermotoga maritima and show that the toga is made of extended sheaths of ß-barrel trimers supporting small (~200 nm) membrane patches. Lipidomic analyses identified the same major lipid species in the inner membrane (IM) and toga, including the rare to bacteria membrane-spanning ether-bound diabolic acids (DAs). Proteomic analyses revealed that the toga was composed of multiple SLH-domain containing Ompa and novel ß-barrel proteins, and homology searches detected variable conservations of these proteins across the phylum. These results highlight that, in contrast to the SlpA/OmpM superfamily of proteins, Thermotoga possess a highly diverse bipartite OM-tethering system. We discuss the implications of our findings with respect to other early-branching phyla and propose that a toga-like intermediate may have facilitated monoderm-to-diderm cell envelope transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PIEZO1 is a mechanosensitive channel widely presented in eukaryotic organisms. Although the PIEZO family was discovered in 2010, main questions related to the molecular structure as well as to specific activation mechanisms and regulating pathways remain open. Two hypotheses of PIEZO1 gating were formulated: the first, as a dominant hypothesis, through the plasma membrane (force‐from‐lipids) and the second, via the participation of the cytoskeleton and the components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) (force‐from‐filaments). Many researchers provide convincing evidence for both hypotheses. It was demonstrated that PIEZO1 has a propeller‐like shape forming a membrane curvature within the lipid bilayer. That suggests the participation of lipids in channel modulation, and many studies demonstrate the critical role of lipids and compounds that modify the lipid bilayer in the regulation of PIEZO1 properties. At the same time, the components of ECM and cortical cytoskeleton can be affected by the membrane curvature and thus have an impact on PIEZO1 properties. In living cells, PIEZO1 properties are reported to be critically dependent on channel microenvironment that is on combinatorial influence of plasma membrane, cytoskeleton and ECM. Thus, it is necessary to understand which factors can affect PIEZO1 and consider them when interpreting the role of PIEZO1 in various physiological processes. This review summarizes the current knowledge about regulation of Piezo1 by lipids and the components of ECM and cytoskeleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometry of nearly trans-Sasakian manifolds is researched in this paper. The complete group of structural equations and the components of the Lee vector on the space of the associated G-structure are obtained for such manifolds. Conditions are found under which a nearly trans-Sasakian structure is a trans-Sasakian, a cosymplectic, a closely cosymplectic, a Sasakian structure or a Kenmotsu structure. The conditions are obtained when the nearly trans-Sasakian structure is a special generalized Kenmotsu structure of the second kind. A complete classification of nearly trans-Sasakian manifolds is obtained, i.e. it is proved that a nearly trans-Sasakian manifold is either a trans-Sasakian manifold or has a closed contact form. It is proved that the nearly trans-Sasakian structure with a nonclosed contact form is homothetic to the Sasakian structure. The criterion of ownership of a nearly trans-Sasakian structure is obtained. It is proved that the class of nearly trans-Sasakian manifolds with a closed contact form and a closed Lee form coincides with the class of almost contact metric manifolds with a closed contact form, which are locally conformal to the closely cosymplectic manifolds. Examples of such manifolds are given. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the complete integrability of the first fundamental distribution of a nearly trans-Sasakian manifold are obtained. It is proved that a nearly Kähler structure on the leaves of the first fundamental distribution of a nearly trans-Sasakian manifold is induced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different from the condition rating system for bridges, the criticality and vulnerability rating system for long-span suspension bridges is used to determine the time intervals for routine general inspection of key structural components of the bridge. In consideration of uncertainties involved in the current rating system for long-span suspension bridges, this study presents a cloud-based analytic hierarchical process (C-AHP) rating system to determine inspection intervals. A three-level hierarchical structure is first introduced in terms of criticality and vulnerability, and the relative weights for the hierarchical structure are determined by AHP. The Gaussian cloud model is then introduced to the AHP rating system to form a C-AHP rating system for long-span suspension bridges. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed C-AHP rating system are calibrated by using the Tsing Ma Bridge in Hong Kong as a case study. The case study results show that the proposed C-AHP rating system could take into consideration not only fuzziness but also randomness in the AHP rating system and provide stricter time intervals than the F-AHP rating system for routine general inspection of long-span suspension bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the performance of isolated structures by considering the possibility of impact under severe earthquakes. In the design of isolated structures, the required displacement capacity is determined based on the considered earthquake hazard level. However, there is a possibility of an impact caused by moat walls or adjacent structures under severe earthquakes. Dampers are used in this study to improve the performance of structural and nonstructural components. In this regard, three isolated structures (6, 9, and 12 stories) equipped with Triple Friction Pendulum Isolator (TFPI) are designed under earthquake hazard levels of BSE-1 with return periods of 475 years. Based on the different positions of these three structures relative to each other, four scenarios are defined to investigate the effect of impact. Modified endurance time (MET) method, as a cost-efficient nonlinear time history analysis method, is employed for structural evaluation under variable earthquake hazard levels. The placement of dampers is also taken into account in evaluating the effect of dampers. Therefore, the structures have been retrofitted once by adding damping and stiffness devices (ADAS) on the stories and once by adding fluid viscous dampers (FVD) at the isolated level. Results indicate that structures might collapse under earthquake hazard levels of BSE-2 with return periods of 2475 years. This matter is influenced by the adjacency of two isolated structures next to each other, and the severity of this fact depends on the height of the structures and the displacement capacity of the isolators so that the tall, isolated structures have decreased the performance of the adjacent shorter isolated structure. Moreover, the placement of dampers has a significant influence on the performance of structural and nonstructural components, depending on the reason for the impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital light processing (DLP) is a widely used additive manufacturing technique for functional applications due to its high accuracy and print speeds. However, a variety of factors such as pixel size, motion stage resolution, optical focus, and chemical properties of the resin limit DLP's minimum resolution. Recently, research into locally varying light intensities has led to the emergence of grayscale DLP printing, which offers new capabilities including sub‐pixel manipulation of the printed shape. Here, a methodology is developed to enhance accuracy beyond what is typically capable for a given projector resolution by using pixel‐level grayscale control to create round features from sharp pixels. A numerical representation of the DLP pixel shape is developed to account for the effects of the incident light patterns. A reaction‐diffusion model is then used to predict the printed shapes before and after grayscale enhancement. This model is used to determine the optimal pixel intensities to match a target shape. Finally, the minimum feature size allowed by the proposed method is explored. The promising results represent an important step forward in raising DLP printing to higher accuracy, which will allow the fabrication of functional and structural components with smaller features or smoother faces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work reports a detailed scheme of designing Cu-Ni alloy thin film in nanostructured form for use as coating on the structural components in naval vessels through molecular dynamics (MD)-based approaches. The nanostructured Cu-Ni alloy thin film has sufficient corrosion resistance against sea water. A properly designed Cu-Ni alloy thin film with highest possible hardness can provide high wear resistance against the flowing sea water containing suspended particles. In the present work, the most potent Cu-Ni alloy thin film with regard to hardness has been designed by means of MD-based nanoindentation modelling under varying alloy composition and grain/crystallite size. Apart from the mechanical properties, MD techniques have been used for estimating some of the physical properties, viz. lattice parameter, cohesive energy, intrinsic stacking fault energy of Cu-Ni alloys in their bulk form with varying alloy compositions. The intrinsic stacking fault energy is found to decrease initially, reaches to a minimum value, and then increases with addition of Ni in the alloy. This type of variation in stacking fault energy is the reason for the highest hardening effect usually obtained at some intermediate alloy composition in any substitutional type binary alloy. The melting point of the nanoparticles of same alloy has been estimated here for spherical shaped Cu-Ni alloy nanoparticles of 10 nm size with varying alloy compositions through both equilibrium and non-equilibrium MD approaches. The non-equilibrium approach which resembles experimental method has resulted into a phase diagram indicating the variation of melting point of Cu-Ni alloy nanoparticle with the variation in Ni content in the alloy under the specific rate of heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we investigate the role of gender in collaboration patterns by analyzing gender-based homophily—the tendency for researchers to co-author with individuals of the same gender. We develop and apply novel methodology to the corpus of JSTOR articles, a broad scholarly landscape, which we analyze at various levels of granularity. Most notably, for a precise analysis of gender homophily, we develop methodology which explicitly accounts for the fact that the data comprises heterogeneous intellectual communities and that not all authorships are exchangeable. In particular, we distinguish three phenomena which may affect the distribution of observed gender homophily in collaborations: a structural component that is due to demographics and non-gendered authorship norms of a scholarly community, a compositional component which is driven by varying gender representation across sub-disciplines and time, and a behavioral component which we define as the remainder of observed gender homophily after its structural and compositional components have been taken into account. Using minimal modeling assumptions, the methodology we develop allows us to test for behavioral homophily. We find that statistically significant behavioral homophily can be detected across the JSTOR corpus and show that this finding is robust to missing gender indicators in our data. In a secondary analysis, we show that the proportion of women representation in a field is positively associated with the probability of finding statistically significant behavioral homophily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings undergo various kinds of structural damage during earthquakes, and damage detection and functional assessment of these structures in the aftermath of the events have been challenging issues. Under these circumstances, computer vision techniques offer a promising solution by automating the inspection process. This study presents an effective methodology for automatic structural components and damage detection using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images of damaged buildings. Two types of neural network architectures are considered for appropriate feature extractions in different task detections. The feature pyramid network (FPN) is employed for crack, spall, rebar, and component damage segmentation, while the UNet++ network is utilized for the damage state. For network training and validation, a total of 3805 original images of size 1920×1080 pixels are processed by the proposed method and reduced the image pixels. From the FPN, the achieved highest intersection over unions (IoUs) were 0.59, 0.93, 0.42, and 0.99 for crack, spall, rebar, and components, respectively. These predicted labels were found in close agreement with the labels. Similarly, the UNet++ recognized the semantic information and damage state with an IoU of 0.72. This demonstrated the applicability of the proposed method for automated post-earthquake building inspection process accurately without information loss from the original images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrocytes perform a wide range of important functions in the brain. As structural and functional components of synapses, astrocytes secrete various factors (proteins, lipids, small molecules, etc.) that bind to neuronal receptor and contribute to synaptogenesis and regulation of synaptic contacts. Astrocytic factors play a key role in the formation of neural networks undergoing short- and long-term synaptic morphological and functional rearrangements essential in the memory formation and behavior. The review summarizes the data on the molecular mechanisms mediating the involvement of astrocyte-secreted factors in synaptogenesis in the brain and provides up-to-date information on the role of astrocytes and astrocytic synaptogenic factors in the long-term plastic rearrangements of synaptic contacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major engineering tasks is to evaluate the structural behavior when one of the components has failed. In such cases it is necessary to carry out fail-safe analysis to evaluate if the structure can be used safely in loading conditions. Thus, fail-safe analysis is a vital and important task to properly validate the mechanical structure. The implementation of the fail-safe analysis using the finite element method is usually done by eliminating the given component from the finite element model and carrying out the given analysis. But when due to finite element modeling issues such an approach cannot be carried out without causing singularities in the model, another approach should be used to perform the fail-safe analysis. One such method, presented in this paper, is the zero stiffness method, which applies near-zero stiffness to the structural component that is removed from the finite element model. The zero stiffness method is used by applying close to zero values to the material and element properties, and thus reducing the load that is in the given structural component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural components design in the wind sector is based on international guidelines that in some cases could be ambiguous and excessively conservative. This article reviews the state of the art regarding allowable data of material that must be provided during the different design steps of large structural castings for gearboxes in the wind sector. One of the main issues in designing these components is the presence of relevant stresses in thick-walled sections, where there are sometimes mechanical properties gradients that are forced as result of a specific manufacturing process. At the initial stages of a structural analysis, for either static or fatigue assessment, the concept of allowable material data is established. These material properties could be selected, as a first approach, based on the definition of a relevant thickness in the part, but it forces those properties to be assumed by all sections of the component regardless of their local equivalent thickness and their real local mechanical properties. Other alternatives are possible, such as considering the real properties of the material for each local thickness; this option could be defined on the basis of the geometrical/thermal modulus that are typical concepts of casting process technology. Consequently, this article presents a review of material properties selection in different design codes of the wind sector, as well as available methodologies to provide them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) are one of the new families of alloys that gained the attention of researchers as a new approach to materials design. The special compositional design of these alloys results in unique microstructures and hence distinguished properties. Corrosion resistance is one of the most important properties of any material used for structural components. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate the electrochemical properties of such recent groups of HEAs alloys to understand their corrosion behavior. In the current study, the electrochemical properties of cast Fe35Mn31Ni18Al13Tix HEAs prepared by induction melting were investigated in 3.5% NaCl and 5% H2SO4 solutions. It was observed that both Ti addition (0.0–3 wt%) and heat treatment (900 °C at 10 and 20 h) altered the alloys microstructure and, hence, affected their corrosion behavior. The base alloy without Ti showed higher resistance to corrosion in both NaCl and H2SO4 solutions compared to Ti-containing alloys. Heat treatment for 10 h increased significantly the corrosion resistance of the as-cast alloys regardless of the Ti content. On the other hand, heat treatment for 20 h affected negatively the corrosion resistance of the alloy without Ti. Therefore, the electrochemical properties of HEAs can be well controlled through alloying additives and heat treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Configuration, structural design and planning of the TWIST carbon reinforced concrete shells The carbon reinforced concrete house CUBE was built exclusively with non‐metallic reinforcement, primarily from carbon fibres, to show its potential to the realisation of slim, concrete‐minimised buildings. This article presents the structure of the striking, curved carbon reinforced concrete shells TWIST, which rotate from the vertical to the horizontal, the load transfer of the building and the basics for the cross‐sectional design of the concrete elements and the supporting structural steel components. In addition, the procedure of the structural engineers in the detailed planning phase is shown, including the software products used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of complex processing technology, uneven deformation, and poor forming accuracy of multi-curvature positive Gaussian slewing egg-shaped shells, it is proposed to use unidirectional loading rubber flexible medium bulging technology to improve the tube deformation distribution and enhance the processing accuracy of plastic forming of bionic egg-shaped shells. By analyzing the structure and manufacturing method of egg-shaped shells, this paper explores the optimization problems in the rubber bulging technology of non-homogeneous deformation egg-shaped shells. The simulation analysis and experimental verification methods are used to study the different technological parameters and forming accuracy of rubber bulging of egg-shaped shells under unidirectional loading and to master the deformation mechanism of rubber bulging of egg-shaped shell structural components under unidirectional loading. The study shows that optimizing technological parameters in unidirectional loading mode can effectively improve the uniformity of strain distribution and thickness distribution during the forming of egg-shaped shells, thus improving the processing accuracy of plastic deformation of bionic egg-shaped thin-walled parts. Furthermore, the simulation of the rubber bulging technology of the egg-shaped shell after the optimization of technological parameters is in good agreement with the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the dynamic responses and damage to buildings subjected to explosions were investigated. A total of 72 blasting scenarios were considered by utilizing the TNT explosive weights, concrete strengths, and openings in the facades of buildings. The blast analyses are performed using six TNT weights, six concrete strengths, and two opening rates in facades. First, ANSYS Workbench was employed to generate numerical models comprising the structural and non-structural components. The models were then transferred to ANSYS Autodyn to simulate the explosion effects. The peak pressures, displacements, released/absorbed-total energies, and damages obtained from the structural elements and walls were comparatively investigated. The results clearly show that the peak pressures and displacements obtained from the structural elements and walls were significantly affected by the TNT explosive weights, concrete strengths, and openings in the infill walls. A significant portion of the energy released from the explosion was absorbed by the air volume, and the energy absorbed by the concrete and brick was negligible. This situation shows that blast-induced damages are strongly influenced by TNT explosive weights compared to the concrete strengths and openings in facades. The explosion analyses and results obtained indicate that the explosive weights, concrete strengths, infill walls, and openings play major roles in the dynamic responses and damage of buildings. Additionally, explosion-proof buildings can be constructed using the described parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student age is sensitive for the formation of a worldview and life goals, awareness of responsibility for one's life. The search for answers to these questions contributes to the formation of an adequate assessment of reality, understanding and awareness of the meaning of life. The purpose of the article is to determine the features of meaningful life orientations among female students of different ages. The study was conducted on a sample of female students (n=69) aged 18 to 24 years. Leontiev's SJO test was used as diagnostic tools. The primary data of the study were processed using the methods of mathematical statistics. The study showed that the structural components of meaningful life orientations in different age groups have different levels of severity. The research materials can be used in the work of the psychological service of an educational organization in order to develop the value-semantic sphere of modern youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is a deposition rate process for the creation and/or repair of large structural metallic components. The non-equilibrium heating and cooling conditions associated with WAAM lead to the development of heterogenous microstructures. Although there is a large body of work focusing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of WAAM-fabricated components, assessment of the corrosion behaviour of alloys fabricated by WAAM is still in its infancy. In this review, the current body of knowledge associated with the corrosion behaviour of different WAAM-fabricated engineering alloys is presented and discussed. Future perspectives and potential research topics are also presented. This is the first review work focusing on the corrosion of wire and arc additive manufactured materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Cubosomes are lipid vesicles that are comparable to vesicular systems like liposomes. Cubosomes are created with certain amphiphilic lipids in the presence of a suitable stabiliser. Since its discovery and designation, self-assembled cubosomes as active drug delivery vehicles have drawn much attention and interest. Oral, ocular, transdermal, and chemotherapeutic are just a few of the drug delivery methods in which they are used. Cubosomes show tremendous potential in drug nanoformulations for cancer therapeutics because of their prospective advantages, which include high drug dispersal due to the structure of the cubic, large surface area, a relatively simple manufacturing process, biodegradability, ability to encapsulate hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and amphiphilic compounds, targeted and controlled release of bioactive agents, and biodegradability of lipids. The most typical technique of preparation is the simple emulsification of a monoglyceride with a polymer, followed by sonication and homogenisation. Top-down and bottom-up are two different sorts of preparation techniques. This review will critically analyse the composition, preparation techniques, drug encapsulation approaches, drug loading, release mechanism and applications relevant to cubosomes. Furthermore, the challenges faced in optimising various parameters to enhance the loading capacities and future potentialities are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study is to outline the main directions and prospects of digital humanities development; to find out the main principles of the scientific space transformation, caused by the implementation of digital humanities; to define the transdisciplinary ontology as digital humanities important tool. Methodology of the article is based on implementation of principle of information systematicity and its further modeling in educational and scientific aspects. The information is being analysed for distinguishing its structural components and their semantic and functional coherence. According to the structural and semantic analysis of information, the modeling of information representation is performed. As the productive way of modeling is the transdisciplinary ontology, so principle of transdisciplinarity is one of the basical principle in the study. Transdisciplinary ontology seems to be an important tool of digital humanities. Using ontology it is possible to perform educational information in structured form with all its components, organized in hierarchical construction, and their correlation depiction. Transdisciplinary ontology provides various forms of information graphical display, perception of which helps to understand essential causal factors, principles of information arrangement, its regularities Recommendation for further transdisciplinary ontology application is based on the possible ontology extention by new elements adding according to the enrichment of educational material being learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The definition of structure as the arrangement of and relations between the parts of something complex has always been a challenge in virology. The balance required for a virus to be sufficiently stable to allow transmission yet also be primed for disassembly on contact with a permissive cell is precarious and seemingly difficult to attain. Add to this that virus structural components often have multiple functions such as receptor binding, fusion, and cleavage, and the puzzle deepens. It also has consequences: virus yields may be compromised, vaccine shelf-life may be limited, and the ability to quickly evolve away from an intervention may be underestimated. Progress in understanding virus structure and the ways in which it might be exploited were the subject of the latest International Virus Assembly Symposium. Whole viruses, individual components, and transient intermediates were revealed at sufficiently high resolution to deduce the mechanisms concerned. [Display omitted] In this meeting report, Roy et al. discuss the advances in understanding virus structure, assembly, and replication reported at the recent International Virus Assembly Symposium. The contribution of cryoelectron microscopy and tomography are noted, along with the application of the data for the rational design of vaccines and antivirals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockage of water intakes by underwater ice formation during supercooling events is a widespread and common problem in northern regions during winter. In this context, underwater ice formation means deposition of frazil ice and growth of platelet ice. Blockage happens when underwater ice forms on the structural components of the intakes, particularly the intake trash racks, decreasing the area of the intake available for flow. This article evaluates potential solutions for preventing blockage. The solutions are collected into four broad categories: avoidance, prevention, mitigation, and remediation. Avoidance locates the intake so that it is never exposed to supercooled water. Avoidance is not possible in rivers and streams and requires depths in lakes and reservoirs that are not reachable for most intakes. Prevention stops supercooled water from entering the intake. The use of heat to warm the intake flow so that it is not supercooled is the most reliable way of preventing intake blockage by underwater ice. The formation of stable ice covers is a reliable means of preventing blockage events but cannot entirely eliminate them. Mitigation modifies the intake, or its operation, to prevent blockage. Ice adhesion to trash rack bars can be reliably prevented by maintaining the bar surface at a temperature greater than 0°C. Other approaches to mitigation including reducing intake flow, modifying the trash rack design, using coatings or alternative materials, or insulating portions of trash rack bars are not reliable for preventing blockage. Remediation actively removes underwater ice from the intake components while the intake is in operation. Mechanical or manual raking of the intake trash racks to remove deposited frazil ice can be a reliable means of preventing blockage. In addition, a strategy, management, addresses intake operation when practical measures for blockage prevention are not available. Management accommodates periodic blockages into the operation of facilities through detection, damage prevention, and quick and efficient restarts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viruses are diverse infectious agents found in virtually every type of natural environment. Due to the range of conditions in which viruses have evolved, they exhibit a wide range of structure and function which has been exploited for biotechnology. The self-assembly process of virus-like particles (VLPs), derived from structural virus components, allows for the assembly of a hierarchy of materials. Because VLPs are robust in both their assembly and the final product, functionality can be incorporated through design of their building blocks or chemical modification after their synthesis and assembly. In particular, encapsulation of active enzymes inside VLP results in macromolecular concentration approximating that of cells, introducing excluded volume effects on encapsulated cargo which are not present in traditional experiments done on dilute proteins. This work reviews the hierarchical assembly of VLPs, experiments investigating diffusion in VLP systems, and methods for partitioning of chemical species in VLPs as functional biomaterials. • Virus-Like Particles (VLPs). • Macromolecular Crowding. • Diffusion. • Partitioning. • Hierarchical Materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic On-Demand Extrusion (CODE) is a direct ink writing process which allows for the creation of near theoretically dense ceramic components with large cross-sections due to oil-assisted drying. Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) colloidal pastes (∼d 50 ≲ 1 µm) were used in CODE to produce dense (multi-road infill and ≳ 98% relative density), large continuous volume (> 1 cm3), and high fidelity (nozzle diameters ≲ 1 mm) structural ceramic components. However, many of these printed components underwent significant particle migration after forming. The reason for this particle migration defect was investigated using the coffee-ring effect for dilute solutions and rheological methods for dense suspensions. Modifications to the colloidal paste, such as changes in solids loading, pH, or surfactant concentration were explored as to their effectiveness to mitigate the defect. Ultimately, paste formulation and printing trade-offs are discussed with respect to the post-printing defect and as to general direct-write patterning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bearings are commonly employed in various types of rotating machineries. Their properties indisputably influence the overall performance and time of maintenance-free operation of the mechanical systems in which they are used to support the shafts. Consequently, much effort is considered to provide reliable bearings' solution and develop new methods and technical tools for measurement and possibly modification of the operational characteristics of the above-mentioned parts. In reference, the concept of a smart bearing is developed as providing the means for real-time passive and active control of the bearings' behavior as well as different types of smart materials are used to enhance their characteristics. The current study deals with an application of structural components made of shape memory alloys to gas foil bearings (GFB). The paper presents and discusses the results of experimental tests conducted for the bearing's prototype to characterize the efficiency of thermally-induced modifications of geometric properties of one of the crucial parts of the investigated GFB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prefabricated timber houses have received growing attention in China recently as being one possible approach to mitigating climate change impacts. This article presents the results from a dynamic thermal simulation parametric analysis of building characteristics and primary energy consumption, embodied and operational carbon of newly built prefabricated timber house types in northern China for current and future climates (2050 and 2080). The dynamic thermal modelling software DesignBuilder (+EnergyPlus) was adopted as the simulation package. The main findings from the study were: (i) by 2080 climate change could increase energy demand by 13% for a terraced house, by 10% for a semi-detached house, and by 6% for a detached house, with corresponding increased carbon emissions of 27%, 26% and 23% respectively; (ii) in 2080, a terraced house would achieve 74% energy demand and 90% carbon emissions of a detached house; (iii) increasing the window-to-wall ratio from 0.25 to 0.45 would lead to 31% increase in energy demand, and 42% increase in carbon emissions in 2080; (iv) adjusting the configuration of key timber structural components (walls and floors) could lead to reductions of 19% in primary energy demand, 23% in operational carbon, and 6% in embodied carbon. Practical applications : A terraced timber house with south-facing and a window-to-wall ratio of 0.25 would be an optimal configuration to mitigate climate change impacts in northern China. The adjustment of prefabricated timber wall structure could give rise to significant reductions in primary energy consumption, operational carbon emissions, and embodied carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]